It's a helluva thing, killing a man

It’s titled “Unforgiven,” but a better moniker for this 1992 Western helmed by Clint Eastwood is “Unforgettable.” That’s because his film represents a sea change of sorts in the genre, setting a new template for many big-screen and small-screen Westerns to follow by rejecting romanticized frontier myths and providing a somber perspective on justice, morality, and heroism. The director stars as William Munny, a once-notorious outlaw turned widowed farmer, who reluctantly returns to violence after a group of prostitutes in the frontier town of Big Whiskey offer a bounty on the men who disfigured one of their own. Munny is joined by his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and a boastful young gun calling himself the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett). Standing in their way is the town’s brutal sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman).

To listen to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of Unforgiven, conducted last week, click here (if you encounter an error, simply try refreshing the page).

This film differs sharply from earlier traditional Westerns, especially those featuring classic Eastwood personas. For proof, consider that it emphasizes the repercussions of violence, which here are shown to be unpleasant, messy, and often unjustified. Additionally, a subtle feminist subtext drives the plot, as the prostitutes’ demand for justice ignites the conflict. Also, ponder that Munny is old, weakened, and supposedly reformed, moralizing about the consequences of his past rather than embodying the sly, ultra-skilled “man with no name” figure of his earlier films. And this picture also includes a prominent African American character – Ned Logan – and presents a narrative that is morally ambiguous and heroically uncertain, prompting viewers to question who truly deserves their sympathies.

Unforgiven is considered a revisionist Western. As such, it belongs to the tradition of films that deconstruct and challenge the myths of the classic oater by foregrounding anti-heroes, blurred moral boundaries, critiques of capitalism and manifest destiny, and a general skepticism toward the legends of frontier nobility. Earlier examples of this revisionist strain include The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, High Noon, The Wild Bunch, and Dances with Wolves.

The movie also makes striking use of camera and lighting techniques for dramatic and thematic effect. In one key moment, Munny takes a drink in front of a mirror that perplexingly does not show his reflection, a visual cue that raises questions about identity, guilt, and the fractured self. Several scenes turn dark or nearly black at the moment something terrible happens, as though the film itself recoils from the violence or forces viewers to sit with its moral weight. And recall the use of silhouettes in the first and last scenes functions as a pair of visual bookends – invoking the style and haunting tone of The Searchers and reinforcing the myth-making (and myth-breaking) quality of the story.

Throughout Unforgiven, ironic contradictions abound. Munny is ostensibly the hero, yet he struggles to mount a horse, often can’t shoot straight, and lives as a shabby, aging pig farmer. The Schofield Kid, who projects a macho bravado, turns out to be an insecure newbie frightened by real violence. The sheriff, Little Bill, is meant to embody law and order, but quickly reveals himself to be corrupt, sadistic, and self-righteous. The prostitutes, while sympathetic victims of cruelty, nevertheless demand bloodlust and revenge, even targeting one man who tries to make amends. Then there’s English Bob, a ruthless killer, who becomes oddly pitiable once Little Bill humiliates and exposes him. Munny’s choice to return to murder as a way to support his family underscores how far he is from being any kind of moral example, despite his sincere intentions.

Unforgiven’s powerful thesis is that violence does not solve problems; it simply initiates or perpetuates more suffering in addition to leaving scars – physical, emotional, and spiritual. The film further stresses that heroic myths are illusions that disguise the darker realities of human nature. In stripping away the glamour and romance of the Old West, the story suggests that every man carries both light and darkness, and that “heroes” are rarely the people they appear to be.

The film’s title itself reflects multiple layers of meaning. Will Munny cannot forgive himself for the atrocities of his youth, and he fears that his late wife would not forgive his return to killing. The prostitutes refuse to absolve the men responsible for the attack, even when one of them attempts restitution. On a broader theological level, the title suggests a kind of moral damnation: Characters invoke the idea of facing each other in hell, implying that many of them see themselves, or their enemies, as beyond redemption.

Other key films directed by Clint Eastwood

• Play Misty for Me (1971)
• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
• Bird (1988)
• The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
• Mystic River (2003)
• Million Dollar Baby (2004)