One of the many great lines of the film came from William Munny: "It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."
@@blksheep176 yyyyyyyy to bym nie mam sily kompletnie nie liczy się człowiek i morze i góry dziękuję za pomoc popisac albo pogadac nawet nie potrafie zacząć od razu do lodzi i nwm jak sie czujesz się ciąć a nadal nie może być stosowany w leczeniu raka piersi nadruk na koszulce z tym że je sobie damy radę w sensie ja mam introwertyczne stany i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie
Hollywood should note: This film 'subverted our expectations' but maintained the integrity of both protagonist and antagonist and respected it's audience and by remaining true to its characters implied past histories provided a consistent, relevant and timeless resolution of character arc and story telling. It's a masterpiece.
when people use "subverted your / our expectations" as one of the best features of a movie or see it as the only feature worth mentioning then the movie is most likely trash, it's sad how critics are just using bigger and more obscure words and ways of describing everyday occurrences and plots we have seen a hundred times before to try and seem relevant.
@@Murtagh653 I generally find that if the critics don't like it, it's probably pretty good. It's the movies they do like that turn out to be crap. A film critic is about as useful as a referee at a pro wrestling match.
I've been a serious history buff for most of my life and "Unforgiven" is the closest representation of what some of the frontier west was actually like. The line between outlaw and lawman was blurred. They were men of the feud, hard men, often veterans of the civil war who had seen and participated in one of the most troubling slaughters in the history of man. As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second.
"As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second." Very good taste sir ;)
Was actually like towards the end lol buddy it was really shoot first think later in the french and indian war days they genocided those natives that you wont see in cinema how bad they did them. Btw True Grit and The revenant are VERY realistic especially the revenant
I think my favorite exchange in the movie is Little Bill: I'll see you in hell, William Munny. Will Munny: Yeah. (Fires) But, it's the way he says "yeah". It's not arrogant, condescending or mocking in tone, instead it's delivered with the bitterest sense of resignation and acceptance. It's the little details in exchanges like that that can make a movie great.
One of the best movies ever made. It had none of the quick draw bravado, so prevalent in earlier westerns. What it did have was a realistic, gritty feel that audiences believed existed in the old west. It didn't have any of the sanitized killing, where someone was shot and the scene shifted to celebrations. People tortured other human beings. People bled to death while crying. Unarmed people were killed on the toilet. A town sheriff was a sadistic monster. Eastwood's genius here was in making a profoundly violent movie, having an undeniable message of anti-violence. Eastwood has been very good in his film making career, but in Unforgiven, he made something that will be watched for centuries to come
I dont think westerns have ended, but more gone into hiding. Movies like The Sisters Brothers and Buster Scruggs show that western still have more to offer. Not to mention movies like No country for old men and Hell or High Water are westerns in modern day. You just need to find because they are out there.
The classic Western transformed into other genres since the mid to late 60's. Just look at Bonnie and Clyde, Taxi Driver or The Untouchables. Even a movie like Die Hard is basically following the Western formula.
I would say that the "Western" isn't so much as dead, but has changed venue. Westerns have become modern "cops & robbers" movie, and has gone into outer space. Some people have called the Star Wars series as outer space westerns.
The part after the kid kills his first (and probably last) man and they're sitting in the field, really makes one feel the weight of killing a man. I've never felt that in a movie before - ever. I've often seen scenes where a character would feel regret or disgust of their actions, but this scene just made it so real, it gives me a clump in my stomach every time I watch it. I could see myself in his shoes - and I've actually had dreams where apparantly I've killed someone, and I remember that I get a similar feeling of dread and shame as when I see this scene. It really gets you thinking that a line has been crossed, and you will never ever get to go back.
This film is an absolute gem, and moves me every time I watch it.. The soundtrack, scenery, and acting is amazing!! Fun fact: Richard Harris was watching High Plains Drifter when he got the call from Clint to play English Bob...
On a personal level I used to love reading Louie L’Amour western novels. Was a dream life for me. Riding a horse, drinking coffee around a small campfire 🔥, help out a small town and getting the girl in the end. Then I read Lonesome Dove and I relised that life really sucked in the 1800’s. Haven’t read another western novel since.
Watched that movie when I was about ten years too young for it, didn't have any exposure to western beforehand either, and I can say that to this day the moods in that movie still populate my consciousness. Many a summer sunset were enhanced with that particular flavour of prairie solitude.
Just like Sergio Leone changed the western (hollywood's version) by taking the clean cut and shine out the films, Clint remade it by exposing the humanity of each character's actions. When Eastwood played Blondie (the Good) in the Good, Bad & Ugly, that character was truly a remorseless murderer, motivated by greed. But that was not the story on the screen we were meant to see. I think in part, William Munny was motivated by the money, not redemption, because he really couldn't cut it as a farmer.
Well I grew up on westerns. My folks were rural people--westerners, country people from ranching and farming backgrounds. They loved westerns and so did I. That being said Unforgiven is to my mind absolutely the best western movie ever made and it entirely sums and completes the genre. After Unforgiven I have never watched another western without thinking "This is just crap."
Well, Rawhide was also very different from the Dollars trilogy. Before Eastwood broke out as the Man With No Name, he played more traditional wholesome heroes. And Rawhide was very much in line with the original westerns. If spaghetti westerns were a response to traditional westerns, Unforgiven can be seen as a response to spaghetti westerns. The genre probably isn't going to be as popular as it was in the golden age of Hollywood, but it definitely is still evolving. Taking on more nuanced themes and building on what came before.
I watched an interview with Eastwood many years ago where he talked about looking for stories that showed how violence brings violence. Even Josey Wales never went looking for violence, but he had no qualms meeting it with more violence.
I've heard a lot of people make comparisons between Will Munny and the Man with No Name, including Eastwood himself. But... I don't remember that character ever killing any women or children... or shooting members of his own gang in the face for no reason while in a drunken rage. He gives a dying soldier his coat, and then leaves it there out of respect when the guy's dead and it doesn't even matter anymore. Hell, in Fist Full of Dollars he only gets caught playing both sides after freeing the kept woman to go back to her husband and (ridiculously annoyingly dubbed) son, for no tangible reward. In fact, it's been a few years but I think he might've given _them_ some money. I suppose his character might've been a shade darker than that in High Plains Drifter, but still not anywhere near the described level of dark. And that's arguably the darkest character he ever played in a movie. Young Will Munny sounds more like one of the blood-thirsty main henchmen from those movies who just never came across his own "Man with No Name" equivalent to put him down..
Maybe he felt that, "I raped a woman to shut her up," didn't work as a line for this character, so felt the need to "overdo it" when inserting surrogates
I just got A Fistful of Dollars at my library sale for 1USD. I'll have to watch it over again looking for those details. As I understood, it's an Americanized version of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. I, as well, don't remember The Man With No Name ever killing innocents. I did see Eastwood explain High Plains Drifter on television one year, and I wish I could remember what program it was but company just happened to drop in right at that time. I remember what he said very well, however. You have to imagine the Gary Cooper character from High Noon, facing down the outlaw gang (which included a young Lee Van Cleef) and being killed, then, his vengeful spirit returns from the other side to take vengeance on the townspeople who failed to support him. Eastwood returns to this idea in Pale Rider, but the spirit is much more benevolent, as much a guardian of the innocent as an agent of vengeance. Incidentally, John Wayne considered the final scene of High Noon, where having defeated the outlaws, Gary Cooper throws away his badge, and rides off with Grace Kelly, "The most un-American thing he'd ever seen in a film." That's a pretty strong statement, but since getting people to agree as to what is and is not "un-American" is like herding cats, I'll leave it for the reader to work out. JAMES
Thank you for helping me finally understand the message of the film. For years the end of the movie confused me, but in seeing how “violence only leads to more violence”, I now can see the reason for the end. Great video. Liked and subscribed.
Took 15 years for a western to become mainstream. It was 2007 where no country for old men won best picture,there will be blood won best actor and jersey James became a cult hit.
Dude your channel is one of the few film review channels that actually has good content. You have meaningful thoughts with a holistic view on the films. Hope your doing well man
This was an interesting video that you made. I think it is fair to say that Unforgiven can be categorized as a noir western, as it shares many of the ambiguities of noir films.
Very, Very good video. This movie has so many significant moments that it transcends the genre. I'm a 50 year old man with older bothers and I grew up on the Eastwood era cinema. I think Unforgiven is his finest work for all the reasons you state. Even though it was an acclaimed movie I feel it is still under appreciated for all the depth in the characters. Apart from the excellent observations you make about the main characters, one is able to see/feel the emotions of all the side characters like English Bob, Beauchamp, Alice etc..and the way they fit into the moral themes. I only own 5 movies on disc and this is one of them.
Fort Apache, El Topo, Red River, Shane, The Dollar Trilogy, Once Upon a Time in the West, Stagecoach, McAbe & Mrs. Miller, Magnificent Seven (original), True Grit (the remake too), High Noon, Blazing Saddles, The Wild Bunch, Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy & The Sundace Kid, all masterpieces, but imo The Searchers and Unforgiven are the best westerns ever.
But you forgot to mention that he took the reward money and gave his kids a better life, therefore he left his violent past behind when he left his dirt farm.
The first time I watch _Unforgiven_ I didn't care for it, but after a second and subsequent viewings I grew to like it. I don't believe you mentioned that the decision to avenge the prostitute was because there was payment involved, and you didn't mention the drinking issue until the end when that was upfront from the beginning. The protagonist knew he needed to get drunk to bring out his rage and to mask his disdain for killing. There was also the memory of his wife who cured him of his evil ways and drinking. As for the popularity of westerns as a movie genre, I believe that films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Matrix (1999) took over for a bit, and action movies set in the future became a draw for the now younger movie goers, while adults stayed at home and watched DVDs.
I just watched the film and thought the same thing you did: he didn’t drink until the point where he knew he’d lose control and turn into that version of himself. I’m surprised so few people mention it.
This is actually the second time Eastwood changed the western forever , I remember seeing the good the bad and the ugly in 1966 as a young man who had been raised on westerns where good guys always wore white hats and always won . The good the bad and the ugly erased that , nobody was right and every man in the film operated on greed , much like what historians and history teachers had been saying about Hollywood having it all wrong during my schooling. Eastwood basically did it again with unforgiven . this is only my observation , but I saw the connection as the narrator of the video did . And often thought about what a treat an epilogue to some these characters would be ,I think unforgiven did just that . he's essentially Blondie as an old man , I imagine Tuco is an old man somewhere lamenting his errant ways and the loss of the love and the broken relationship with his priest brother and maybe even his partner in crime .
Growing up, I had always written off the entire Western genre as "those boring brown movies my father likes." I went off to college still holding that opinion; but it would not last much longer. Unforgiven came out during my first semester of college, and it blew my mind. It was smart, it was funny, it was mature... It was like nothing I'd seen before, and I went back to the theater to see it again and again. Toward the end of its run I had the theater all to myself for one screening, which was how I finally heard the second half of one of the film's best lines (audience laughter having drowned out everything after "He shoulda armed himself..." in every previous viewing). Closing in on 30 years later, it still holds up as one of the finest films I've seen in any genre, and the one that first opened my mind to the idea that Westerns could be worth watching.
It wasn’t the first it was the wild bunch it made the violence look grotesque and viciously realistic it wasn’t glamorous it was a movie about a bunch vicious men who will do anything to survive they were also unforgiven during shootouts they used civilians as human shields and one of them killed their girlfriend out jealousy
You set the premise of Munny's actions incorrectly from the start. He needs to provide for his children. Redemption for his past has nothing to do with it. What I got from the film as a whole was that Munny never really was the infamous character from the past, but a strong man who survived in a harsh land by being good at killing.
His desire is to provide for his children, that's the visual goal we see played out through the action of the film. Munny's psychological need is to atone for his past deeds, to actually believe in his heart that he's not the same person he was 20 years ago. That's what he must overcome internally while he struggles to accomplish the external need of providing for his kids. One without the other can be boring (imagine watching a guy think for 2 hours) Great movies like this have both.
I feel, he went the only way he knew that would solve the situation he found himself in. He lost the one Person who showed him Love and affection. He then had a responsibility to his Children and the Memory of his beloved Wife. Sometimes in Life, the Prose and Cons have to be altered by taking that Chance. For my Kids, in that situation, I would do the same. For my Circle of Brothers, there's no doubting they would do the same for me. Baptism of Fire, makes the Holy Grail of Bonds, between Soldiers at Arms. In the Hills, in the Mood, our DNA is there. One goes down, we want to know why. We share that experience, we share that Bond. From an injured British War Veteran
Actually the film points to him being a drunk and until he takes a sip of whiskey you dont see him transform into his old self. His wife kept him from drinking and showed him humility thats why he appreciates her and doesn’t drink she must’ve told him about himself and he found himself in her. When he drinks he transforms thats why he denies NED he was calm and even cared for the guy he shot drinking water before his death. When he drank he ain’t miss ONE shot.
You should add a Western category in your Genre playlists! I'm learning heaps about Westerns from you so I'm finding them all individually. Thankyou you're a super handy resource!
*'Unforgiven'* is the only movie I've ever seen where KILLING has consequences. It's not just an action, it's an act that digs deep at your soul and makes you live with the guilt for the REST of your life.
Saw the thumbnail and title of this video so it prompted me to watch the movie this morning and I find it hilarious that the first comic I ever read was Watchmen,a deconstruction of superheros,the first anime I watched to completion was Neon Genesis Evangelion,a deconstruction of giant mecha and now one of the first Westerns I really loved,and its another deconstruction
Hey, and what about Gran Torino and the desconstruction of the many character Eastwood performed in action movies? Gran Torino is in some ways, a good companion to Unforgiven. Great video.
Unforgiven is a deconstruction of Eastwood's westerns Gran Torino is a deconstuction of Eastwood's normal movies (Dirty Harry series, Escape From Alcatraz,etc just his badass non-cowboy roles)
My favorite scene is when he rides up in the pouring rain for the final shoot out, and the empty whiskey bottle hits the ground in the pouring rain, Another Missouri Man, like Josey Wales, .
The cowboy’s were not rapists but johns instead. Further, only one of them assaulted the prostitute. If you are calling them rapists for a specific reason, I’d be curious as to why.
fav moment is when Munny grab the whiskey from Scofield's hand and deliver the dialogue : "and that didnt scare him?".small simple gesture that Munny is ready to strike again. The best western,or post western movie
THE KID (2019) and THE SALVATION (2014) are completely overlooked Western masterpieces. DAMSEL (2018) looks fun, and IFC's Horror THE WIND (2019) too. ☕
It is the human experience: We all operate within a fairly narrow band of behavior, that from which we have previously experienced, know, and are comfortable with, for the better or worse. The hero? The bottle, which enabled him to re-capture his superhuman qualities.
I don't know about Munny setting out on a 'Revenge' or 'Redemption' adventure. I think it was pure economics. He was broke as a pig farmer and he had to feed his kids.
David Webb Peoples who wrote this film also did the initial screenplay of Blade Runner, that Hampton Fancher (and Ridley Scott, and Harrison Ford) later refined. quite the resume!
Thanks for a great breakdown of this movie. I would add that the next Western is possible. Unforgiven portrays today's values that there is no Good or Bad but a point of view. The next step would be a return to a position to see onself as Good, to have meaning in Life.
i think Unforgiven along with Tombstone brought a whole new respect to the genre. but yes Unforgiven was also so good and had so many old west elements that it was kind of hard to compete with or equal and probably made people afraid to even try for a good few years.
As we've become more or less enlightened about our past history, it would be foolhardy, at best, to try to make Westerns as we once did. Movies like 'Unforgiven' have shown us what price was paid for 'manifest destiny'.
Did I see the same movie? In The Unforgiven I saw The Easrwood character was motivated by MONEY. It all developed because hi pig farm was failing and he was desperate to provide for his children. Desperate, OK, desperate. There's your motivation for the violence.
Another great western and kind of an unknown is, "Tom Horn." Steve McQueen. Also showed the rougher side of the west (and westerns), albeit not so much. And portrayed Tom Horn about as favorably as could be done. If you like the westerns a bit more real, it's another one. Relatively close to most of the accounts, although, again, they did choose to portray Horn in a much more favorable light than they could have. I think it could be remade, and with more emphasis on the darker side of the man. Not a villain per se; just like in Unforgiven - the west was truly wild, and that is not a pleasant thing in reality.
3:10 to Yuma showed a bit of redemption for the outlaw.. in the end he helped the dying farmers get the reward money to survive and the civil war soldier be the hero/respect in his son's eyes...
Westerners did take a dive overall after Unforgiven. Yet my 2nd favorite Western happened shortly after, Tombstone. Which transversed all these issues by being about characters in a historic sense.
yeah know no comparsion but just think how scream both kinda revitalized and also destroyed slasher genre by and horror genre by some degree, by pointing out all cliches, in said genre.
I think the horror genre wasnt revitalized by Scream. The genre would still survive if scream was never made. What Scream produced was a factory line of copcat movies trying to be Scream. It birthed horrible lazy slashers. Scream owes a lot to Student Bodies from 1981 who was already parodying the slasher genre and calling out tropes in the middle of the slasher craze. Check out Theres Nothing Out There(1992).
actually if read what said i said in some way it revitalized also destroyed horror genre!! destoryed is more like it cause pointed out every stupid cliche in book but for short time it did revistalize interest. Yeah i seen studen bodies and theres nothing out there.@@jessediaz1293
So true there hasn't been a western since that hasn't reflected this film. And the more traditional westerns now are found in other genres like action, sci fi etc.
My favorite exchange is between Little Bill and Will Munny when Will kills the storekeeper who displayed Morgan Freeman’s corpse in his store. “You murdered an unarmed man!” “Well, he shoulda armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his store with the body of my friend.”
One of the many great lines of the film came from William Munny:
"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."
I also love "I guess they had it coming" "we all have it coming kid"
One of my favorite lines in cinema.
@@JacksMovieReviews I just went over the film's IMDb quotes... so many poetic nuggets of truth, it's insane
"He should've armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend"
“Any man don’t wanna get killed, better clear on out the back.”
"You just shot an unarmed man." "Well he shoud'a armed himself."
Wild owl on the prowl should be playing on the jukebox! Lol
“…if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend”
Favorite line: " Deserves got nothing to do with it "
We all deserve it
Best line
@@blksheep176 yyyyyyyy to bym nie mam sily kompletnie nie liczy się człowiek i morze i góry dziękuję za pomoc popisac albo pogadac nawet nie potrafie zacząć od razu do lodzi i nwm jak sie czujesz się ciąć a nadal nie może być stosowany w leczeniu raka piersi nadruk na koszulce z tym że je sobie damy radę w sensie ja mam introwertyczne stany i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie
whos the fella that owns this shit hole
Why?
Hollywood should note: This film 'subverted our expectations' but maintained the integrity of both protagonist and antagonist and respected it's audience and by remaining true to its characters implied past histories provided a consistent, relevant and timeless resolution of character arc and story telling.
It's a masterpiece.
when people use "subverted your / our expectations" as one of the best features of a movie or see it as the only feature worth mentioning then the movie is most likely trash, it's sad how critics are just using bigger and more obscure words and ways of describing everyday occurrences and plots we have seen a hundred times before to try and seem relevant.
Wonder what newish instalment of a much-belloved franchise that was butchered by a subversive director you're referring to hmmm...
@@Murtagh653 I generally find that if the critics don't like it, it's probably pretty good. It's the movies they do like that turn out to be crap. A film critic is about as useful as a referee at a pro wrestling match.
You are talking like one of those mega franchise fans wich try to compare a movie to their beloved "ruined now" franchise.
You said a mouthful. Good assessment. This movie is possibly the best western ever made.
I've been a serious history buff for most of my life and "Unforgiven" is the closest representation of what some of the frontier west was actually like. The line between outlaw and lawman was blurred. They were men of the feud, hard men, often veterans of the civil war who had seen and participated in one of the most troubling slaughters in the history of man.
As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second.
"As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second." Very good taste sir ;)
that movie about Jesse James with the very long name is the most realistic one, but it doesn't feel like a Western
Watch deadwood
Was actually like towards the end lol buddy it was really shoot first think later in the french and indian war days they genocided those natives that you wont see in cinema how bad they did them. Btw True Grit and The revenant are VERY realistic especially the revenant
I think my favorite exchange in the movie is
Little Bill: I'll see you in hell, William Munny.
Will Munny: Yeah. (Fires)
But, it's the way he says "yeah". It's not arrogant, condescending or mocking in tone, instead it's delivered with the bitterest sense of resignation and acceptance.
It's the little details in exchanges like that that can make a movie great.
to me he's saying, aren't we here, right now, already in Hell?
Completely agree... Such a simple exchange, but it's so damn powerful and coveys so much.
One of the best movies ever made. It had none of the quick draw bravado, so prevalent in earlier westerns. What it did have was a realistic, gritty feel that audiences believed existed in the old west. It didn't have any of the sanitized killing, where someone was shot and the scene shifted to celebrations. People tortured other human beings. People bled to death while crying. Unarmed people were killed on the toilet. A town sheriff was a sadistic monster.
Eastwood's genius here was in making a profoundly violent movie, having an undeniable message of anti-violence. Eastwood has been very good in his film making career, but in Unforgiven, he made something that will be watched for centuries to come
well said
Funny thing it was luck lol like he said he found out while shooting the film not before
I dont think westerns have ended, but more gone into hiding. Movies like The Sisters Brothers and Buster Scruggs show that western still have more to offer. Not to mention movies like No country for old men and Hell or High Water are westerns in modern day. You just need to find because they are out there.
Logan is a good western too.
Like I said, temporarily!
The classic Western transformed into other genres since the mid to late 60's. Just look at Bonnie and Clyde, Taxi Driver or The Untouchables. Even a movie like Die Hard is basically following the Western formula.
I would say that the "Western" isn't so much as dead, but has changed venue. Westerns have become modern "cops & robbers" movie, and has gone into outer space. Some people have called the Star Wars series as outer space westerns.
You just love two of my favorite western. I even prefer them to Unforgiven (gotta watch it again now it's probly been 15 years)
The part after the kid kills his first (and probably last) man and they're sitting in the field, really makes one feel the weight of killing a man. I've never felt that in a movie before - ever. I've often seen scenes where a character would feel regret or disgust of their actions, but this scene just made it so real, it gives me a clump in my stomach every time I watch it. I could see myself in his shoes - and I've actually had dreams where apparantly I've killed someone, and I remember that I get a similar feeling of dread and shame as when I see this scene. It really gets you thinking that a line has been crossed, and you will never ever get to go back.
The greatest western of all time in my opinion. "I'll see you in Hell, William Munny"..... "Yeah".
Jason X idk, the remakes of True Grit and 3:10 to Yuma are flawless.
@@slayer45670 no argument here
@@slayer45670 I think they're fantastic, but Unforgiven is always my #1
Then he aims it like he wasn't shooting him at point blank range lmaoo
There is the greatest western and then there is the god of all great westerns "Once Upon a Time in the West".
"The Duck Of Death"- Lil Bill
_ Gabriel_ u mean duke!!!!!!
@@moritz2464 Duck I says!!
This film is an absolute gem, and moves me every time I watch it.. The soundtrack, scenery, and acting is amazing!! Fun fact: Richard Harris was watching High Plains Drifter when he got the call from Clint to play English Bob...
On a personal level I used to love reading Louie L’Amour western novels. Was a dream life for me. Riding a horse, drinking coffee around a small campfire 🔥, help out a small town and getting the girl in the end.
Then I read Lonesome Dove and I relised that life really sucked in the 1800’s. Haven’t read another western novel since.
You can see a lot of inspiration from Unforgiven in the regret Wolverine seems plagued with in Logan.
From what I remember they said this film was pretty much the starting point for making Logan.
With Logan and Taylor Sheridan movies (and now shows) the neo western is in!!
The comic Old Man Logan that inspired the film Logan was 100% inspired, if not a total rip off of this film.
Now that you mention it, I can completely see it.
JAMES
Ross Goodman “Shane” was the starting point for Logan. A classic
Watched that movie when I was about ten years too young for it, didn't have any exposure to western beforehand either, and I can say that to this day the moods in that movie still populate my consciousness. Many a summer sunset were enhanced with that particular flavour of prairie solitude.
Hunters got to hunt!
Unforgiven has that Meta character/actor thing going on similar to Birdman
Except its not boring and pretentious.
Just like Sergio Leone changed the western (hollywood's version) by taking the clean cut and shine out the films, Clint remade it by exposing the humanity of each character's actions. When Eastwood played Blondie (the Good) in the Good, Bad & Ugly, that character was truly a remorseless murderer, motivated by greed. But that was not the story on the screen we were meant to see. I think in part, William Munny was motivated by the money, not redemption, because he really couldn't cut it as a farmer.
Well I grew up on westerns. My folks were rural people--westerners, country people from ranching and farming backgrounds. They loved westerns and so did I. That being said Unforgiven is to my mind absolutely the best western movie ever made and it entirely sums and completes the genre. After Unforgiven I have never watched another western without thinking "This is just crap."
"Let his dark nature roam free." - love that line Jack. Sums up his fall perfectly. Great writing.
Just an amazing film. Im ona Western movie binge and i really enjoyed this one👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Well, Rawhide was also very different from the Dollars trilogy. Before Eastwood broke out as the Man With No Name, he played more traditional wholesome heroes. And Rawhide was very much in line with the original westerns. If spaghetti westerns were a response to traditional westerns, Unforgiven can be seen as a response to spaghetti westerns. The genre probably isn't going to be as popular as it was in the golden age of Hollywood, but it definitely is still evolving. Taking on more nuanced themes and building on what came before.
Those "golden" westerns (with a few exceptions) were not so golden.
@@docsmithdc I was referring to what is widely known as the "Golden Age of Hollywood," namely pre-60s Hollywood.
Understood@@daone1008
this movie is incredible. it's been one of my favorites for many many years.
Great breakdown. Movie came out in 1992 and I've seen it many times. I don't look at movies with this much depth. It all made perfect sense.
I watched an interview with Eastwood many years ago where he talked about looking for stories that showed how violence brings violence. Even Josey Wales never went looking for violence, but he had no qualms meeting it with more violence.
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean."
I've heard a lot of people make comparisons between Will Munny and the Man with No Name, including Eastwood himself. But... I don't remember that character ever killing any women or children... or shooting members of his own gang in the face for no reason while in a drunken rage. He gives a dying soldier his coat, and then leaves it there out of respect when the guy's dead and it doesn't even matter anymore. Hell, in Fist Full of Dollars he only gets caught playing both sides after freeing the kept woman to go back to her husband and (ridiculously annoyingly dubbed) son, for no tangible reward. In fact, it's been a few years but I think he might've given _them_ some money. I suppose his character might've been a shade darker than that in High Plains Drifter, but still not anywhere near the described level of dark. And that's arguably the darkest character he ever played in a movie.
Young Will Munny sounds more like one of the blood-thirsty main henchmen from those movies who just never came across his own "Man with No Name" equivalent to put him down..
Maybe he felt that, "I raped a woman to shut her up," didn't work as a line for this character, so felt the need to "overdo it" when inserting surrogates
@Tim Mill Enlighten me. Explain how you understand Westerns.
I just got A Fistful of Dollars at my library sale for 1USD. I'll have to watch it over again looking for those details. As I understood, it's an Americanized version of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. I, as well, don't remember The Man With No Name ever killing innocents. I did see Eastwood explain High Plains Drifter on television one year, and I wish I could remember what program it was but company just happened to drop in right at that time. I remember what he said very well, however. You have to imagine the Gary Cooper character from High Noon, facing down the outlaw gang (which included a young Lee Van Cleef) and being killed, then, his vengeful spirit returns from the other side to take vengeance on the townspeople who failed to support him. Eastwood returns to this idea in Pale Rider, but the spirit is much more benevolent, as much a guardian of the innocent as an agent of vengeance.
Incidentally, John Wayne considered the final scene of High Noon, where having defeated the outlaws, Gary Cooper throws away his badge, and rides off with Grace Kelly, "The most un-American thing he'd ever seen in a film." That's a pretty strong statement, but since getting people to agree as to what is and is not "un-American" is like herding cats, I'll leave it for the reader to work out.
JAMES
@@Eoraptor1 Herding wild cats who'd as soon claw your face off as ignore your attempts to herd them.
Y'all forgot outlaw josey Wales , when clint Eastwood played the role of a ex confederate guerrilla
That ad at the end is so jarring, after such a moody video, and you even keep the sad music playing
This is my second favourite film of all time! Michael Mann's HEAT being no 1
Thank you for helping me finally understand the message of the film. For years the end of the movie confused me, but in seeing how “violence only leads to more violence”, I now can see the reason for the end. Great video. Liked and subscribed.
Took 15 years for a western to become mainstream. It was 2007 where no country for old men won best picture,there will be blood won best actor and jersey James became a cult hit.
Dude your channel is one of the few film review channels that actually has good content. You have meaningful thoughts with a holistic view on the films. Hope your doing well man
Love unforgiven. I can tell from the video color you got the 4K blue ray. Good choice.
This was an interesting video that you made. I think it is fair to say that Unforgiven can be categorized as a noir western, as it shares many of the ambiguities of noir films.
Very, Very good video. This movie has so many significant moments that it transcends the genre. I'm a 50 year old man with older bothers and I grew up on the Eastwood era cinema. I think Unforgiven is his finest work for all the reasons you state. Even though it was an acclaimed movie I feel it is still under appreciated for all the depth in the characters. Apart from the excellent observations you make about the main characters, one is able to see/feel the emotions of all the side characters like English Bob, Beauchamp, Alice etc..and the way they fit into the moral themes. I only own 5 movies on disc and this is one of them.
Its a new spin on the catharsis through violence movie.
And it did it really well!
Fort Apache, El Topo, Red River, Shane, The Dollar Trilogy, Once Upon a Time in the West, Stagecoach, McAbe & Mrs. Miller, Magnificent Seven (original), True Grit (the remake too), High Noon, Blazing Saddles, The Wild Bunch, Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy & The Sundace Kid, all masterpieces, but imo The Searchers and Unforgiven are the best westerns ever.
Good analysis. I totally loved the movie as a kid, and enjoyed it again as I watched it recently.
Clint Eastwood is a legend.
If Unforgiven put an end to westerns Open Range brought it back.
Yea, Open Range was a good one for sure which didn’t take killing lightly either.
Open Range is badass!!
And HBO's Deadwood.
@@ussexeter4601 One of the best westerns made.
Open Range is a very underrated movie.....
But you forgot to mention that he took the reward money and gave his kids a better life, therefore he left his violent past behind when he left his dirt farm.
I give this movie 5 bags of popcorn.
Eastwood Started The New Era Western"s, It"s Only Right He Basically Make"s The Final 1 To End The Era !!!! Stay Strong....Peace
The first time I watch _Unforgiven_ I didn't care for it, but after a second and subsequent viewings I grew to like it. I don't believe you mentioned that the decision to avenge the prostitute was because there was payment involved, and you didn't mention the drinking issue until the end when that was upfront from the beginning. The protagonist knew he needed to get drunk to bring out his rage and to mask his disdain for killing. There was also the memory of his wife who cured him of his evil ways and drinking.
As for the popularity of westerns as a movie genre, I believe that films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Matrix (1999) took over for a bit, and action movies set in the future became a draw for the now younger movie goers, while adults stayed at home and watched DVDs.
I just watched the film and thought the same thing you did: he didn’t drink until the point where he knew he’d lose control and turn into that version of himself. I’m surprised so few people mention it.
After Unforgiven, western movie producers were rumored to prosper in dry goods.
I was too young to appreciate this movie when it cam out but now that I’m older and a veteran from two tours over seas it’s my favourite
This is actually the second time Eastwood changed the western forever , I remember seeing the good the bad and the ugly in 1966 as a young man who had been raised on westerns where good guys always wore white hats and always won . The good the bad and the ugly erased that , nobody was right and every man in the film operated on greed , much like what historians and history teachers had been saying about Hollywood having it all wrong during my schooling. Eastwood basically did it again with unforgiven . this is only my observation , but I saw the connection as the narrator of the video did . And often thought about what a treat an epilogue to some these characters would be ,I think unforgiven did just that . he's essentially Blondie as an old man , I imagine Tuco is an old man somewhere lamenting his errant ways and the loss of the love and the broken relationship with his priest brother and maybe even his partner in crime .
And 15 years later Andrew Dominik delivered the best western this century!!
Well I'm glad someone else agrees. Why on earth does no one talk about assassination of jesse james?
I agree! ua-cam.com/video/vPen6wl3FXE/v-deo.html
@@JacksMovieReviews The prostitute wasn`t raped, he sliced her out vengeance for being humiliated.
@Elliott Bronstein The same thing happened to Cimino`s heaven`s gate, the restore version is considered a classic by notable critics.
@Elliott Bronstein okay.
True grit
Growing up, I had always written off the entire Western genre as "those boring brown movies my father likes." I went off to college still holding that opinion; but it would not last much longer.
Unforgiven came out during my first semester of college, and it blew my mind. It was smart, it was funny, it was mature... It was like nothing I'd seen before, and I went back to the theater to see it again and again. Toward the end of its run I had the theater all to myself for one screening, which was how I finally heard the second half of one of the film's best lines (audience laughter having drowned out everything after "He shoulda armed himself..." in every previous viewing).
Closing in on 30 years later, it still holds up as one of the finest films I've seen in any genre, and the one that first opened my mind to the idea that Westerns could be worth watching.
As much as I loved this movie, it is true.
Unforgiven killed the Western.
It wasn’t the first it was the wild bunch it made the violence look grotesque and viciously realistic it wasn’t glamorous it was a movie about a bunch vicious men who will do anything to survive they were also unforgiven during shootouts they used civilians as human shields and one of them killed their girlfriend out jealousy
You set the premise of Munny's actions incorrectly from the start. He needs to provide for his children. Redemption for his past has nothing to do with it. What I got from the film as a whole was that Munny never really was the infamous character from the past, but a strong man who survived in a harsh land by being good at killing.
Greg Garrison
Agreed!
His desire is to provide for his children, that's the visual goal we see played out through the action of the film. Munny's psychological need is to atone for his past deeds, to actually believe in his heart that he's not the same person he was 20 years ago. That's what he must overcome internally while he struggles to accomplish the external need of providing for his kids. One without the other can be boring (imagine watching a guy think for 2 hours) Great movies like this have both.
I feel, he went the only way he knew that would solve the situation he found himself in. He lost the one Person who showed him Love and affection. He then had a responsibility to his Children and the Memory of his beloved Wife.
Sometimes in Life, the Prose and Cons have to be altered by taking that Chance. For my Kids, in that situation, I would do the same. For my Circle of Brothers, there's no doubting they would do the same for me.
Baptism of Fire, makes the Holy Grail of Bonds, between Soldiers at Arms. In the Hills, in the Mood, our DNA is there. One goes down, we want to know why. We share that experience, we share that Bond.
From an injured British War Veteran
"Deserve has nothing to do with it"
My favourite one liner,,,
Actually the film points to him being a drunk and until he takes a sip of whiskey you dont see him transform into his old self. His wife kept him from drinking and showed him humility thats why he appreciates her and doesn’t drink she must’ve told him about himself and he found himself in her. When he drinks he transforms thats why he denies NED he was calm and even cared for the guy he shot drinking water before his death. When he drank he ain’t miss ONE shot.
Good analysis. I forgot who said it, but this makes sense to me: when a movie handles violence properly it disturbs you.
bro how do you have under 100k subs - quality vids!
You should add a Western category in your Genre playlists! I'm learning heaps about Westerns from you so I'm finding them all individually. Thankyou you're a super handy resource!
*'Unforgiven'* is the only movie I've ever seen where KILLING has consequences. It's not just an action, it's an act that digs deep at your soul and makes you live with the guilt for the REST of your life.
Saw the thumbnail and title of this video so it prompted me to watch the movie this morning and I find it hilarious that the first comic I ever read was Watchmen,a deconstruction of superheros,the first anime I watched to completion was Neon Genesis Evangelion,a deconstruction of giant mecha and now one of the first Westerns I really loved,and its another deconstruction
I think it's cool that you don't need to have a good knowledge of the history of the genre to appreciate it.
“From where they’re coming.” Awesome on remembering not to end a sentence with a preposition.
Hey, and what about Gran Torino and the desconstruction of the many character Eastwood performed in action movies?
Gran Torino is in some ways, a good companion to Unforgiven.
Great video.
Totally agree. I'm not so much a fan of Eastwood, but Gran Torino and Unforgiven are just great movies.
Unforgiven is a deconstruction of Eastwood's westerns
Gran Torino is a deconstuction of Eastwood's normal movies (Dirty Harry series, Escape From Alcatraz,etc just his badass non-cowboy roles)
In my top three films of all time. Just perfect.
favourite movie of all time (along with 3 others for a 4-way tie)
I recommend going to see the Sisters Brothers If you like Unforgiven
The Sisters Brothers is one surreal ride
One of my favorite movies. Glad you made a video about it.
Not the first time that Clint Eastwood has been great while playing against type. Very thoughtful review. Thanks for posting.
My favorite scene is when he rides up in the pouring rain for the final shoot out, and the empty whiskey bottle hits the ground in the pouring rain,
Another Missouri Man, like Josey Wales,
.
Do I feel lucky punk? Well do I? Well yes, this channel uploaded a new video.
Wait....wrong Eastwood reference.
Close enough!
Right turn, Clyde
I could not agree more with the analysis. Nicely done.
The cowboy’s were not rapists but johns instead. Further, only one of them assaulted the prostitute. If you are calling them rapists for a specific reason, I’d be curious as to why.
This is one of the greatest western ever made.
Are you going to do a follow-up on how the western has continued to redefine itself after Unforgiven?
Great reviews. Great channel. Thanks for sharing!
fav moment is when Munny grab the whiskey from Scofield's hand and deliver the dialogue : "and that didnt scare him?".small simple gesture that Munny is ready to strike again. The best western,or post western movie
THE KID (2019) and THE SALVATION (2014) are completely overlooked Western masterpieces. DAMSEL (2018) looks fun, and IFC's Horror THE WIND (2019) too. ☕
One of the greatest films ever made. I can always watch it.
I finally saw this gem, christ what a great film
It is the human experience: We all operate within a fairly narrow band of behavior, that from which we have previously experienced, know, and are comfortable with, for the better or worse. The hero? The bottle, which enabled him to re-capture his superhuman qualities.
I don't know about Munny setting out on a 'Revenge' or 'Redemption' adventure. I think it was pure economics. He was broke as a pig farmer and he had to feed his kids.
Yea he clearly didn't want to do it. Neither did Ned.
David Webb Peoples who wrote this film also did the initial screenplay of Blade Runner, that Hampton Fancher (and Ridley Scott, and Harrison Ford) later refined. quite the resume!
Um, because it's way better than every other western?, was my thought when I read this title.
I think is the best western ever. I see it very often and every time is better.
I remember walking out of the theater when I saw Unforgiven and thinking that this is how every Western ends.
Thanks for a great breakdown of this movie. I would add that the next Western is possible. Unforgiven portrays today's values that there is no Good or Bad but a point of view. The next step would be a return to a position to see onself as Good, to have meaning in Life.
i think Unforgiven along with Tombstone brought a whole new respect to the genre. but yes Unforgiven was also so good and had so many old west elements that it was kind of hard to compete with or equal and probably made people afraid to even try for a good few years.
In my opinion this is the best movie ever made.
This was my FAVORITE western ever.
Great as always! Now, what brought the genre back? And how was the state of the movies that came after Unforgiven?
As we've become more or less enlightened about our past history, it would be foolhardy, at best, to try to make Westerns as we once did. Movies like 'Unforgiven' have shown us what price was paid for 'manifest destiny'.
So you live in LA, NY or Chicago?
@@kennethfharkin No. I live deep in the Ozarks.
Did I see the same movie? In The Unforgiven I saw The Easrwood character was motivated by MONEY. It all developed because hi pig farm was failing and he was desperate to provide for his children. Desperate, OK, desperate. There's your motivation for the violence.
this movie really feels like nothing is wasted not even the slightest details
Another great western and kind of an unknown is, "Tom Horn." Steve McQueen. Also showed the rougher side of the west (and westerns), albeit not so much. And portrayed Tom Horn about as favorably as could be done. If you like the westerns a bit more real, it's another one. Relatively close to most of the accounts, although, again, they did choose to portray Horn in a much more favorable light than they could have. I think it could be remade, and with more emphasis on the darker side of the man. Not a villain per se; just like in Unforgiven - the west was truly wild, and that is not a pleasant thing in reality.
I'm pretty sure this was Clint's last western. And what a way to close the chapter on his Western Movie career.
3:10 to Yuma showed a bit of redemption for the outlaw.. in the end he helped the dying farmers get the reward money to survive and the civil war soldier be the hero/respect in his son's eyes...
Westerners did take a dive overall after Unforgiven. Yet my 2nd favorite Western happened shortly after, Tombstone. Which transversed all these issues by being about characters in a historic sense.
My boy getting sponsorships, I see you. Anyway, great video for a great movie.
Get your gourmet popcorn!
Great analysis!
once again, great review. more on that but I will have to leave it there , for now
Have you forgotten, or have you never seen The Outlaw Jose Wales?
Pale Rider?
High Plains Drifter?
yeah know no comparsion but just think how scream both kinda revitalized and also destroyed slasher genre by and horror genre by some degree, by pointing out all cliches, in said genre.
I think the horror genre wasnt revitalized by Scream. The genre would still survive if scream was never made.
What Scream produced was a factory line of copcat movies trying to be Scream. It birthed horrible lazy slashers.
Scream owes a lot to Student Bodies from 1981 who was already parodying the slasher genre and calling out tropes in the middle of the slasher craze.
Check out Theres Nothing Out There(1992).
actually if read what said i said in some way it revitalized also destroyed horror genre!! destoryed is more like it cause pointed out every stupid cliche in book but for short time it did revistalize interest.
Yeah i seen studen bodies and theres nothing out there.@@jessediaz1293
@@viewtifuljoe66 sorry i guess i just jumped to the praise of Scream and not clarified the rest of what you wrote. Youre right man!👍
So true there hasn't been a western since that hasn't reflected this film.
And the more traditional westerns now are found in other genres like action, sci fi etc.
My favorite exchange is between Little Bill and Will Munny when Will kills the storekeeper who displayed Morgan Freeman’s corpse in his store.
“You murdered an unarmed man!”
“Well, he shoulda armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his store with the body of my friend.”