Possibly one of the best lines in any movie ever... "Hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got... all he's ever gonna have." It's not just the words, it's how they're delivered, and who is delivering them.
@@st0n3p0ny That part I did know! Good for Gene. I miss him. Although it's probably too late now, I wish someone had written a script for, like, Hackman and Nicholson to play brothers or something, get those two out of retirement. The movie biz forced them out because of medicority of scripts. They can play "Bad Grandpa" like De Niro or they can enjoy their final years. Happy Gene got "Royal Tenenbaum", one last great, meaty role. And no violence. :)
@@TTM9691 How about an As Good As It Gets sequel? Playing Jack's brother. Royal Tenenbaums was one of my favorites. Gene hasn't done enough comedy. IMO. The Bird Cage was hilarious too.
This movie took all the heroism, the glamour and romance away from the western and stuck your face right into the mud, dust and horse manure of the old west. This is how it was. "Deserve has nothing to do with it!" Best western ever made.
Agreed it’s not like the do gooder black and white morals western that John Wayne was all for. The real Wild West was more violent and cruel especially the people in it.
That scene in the saloon at the end, when Little Bill is planning chasing Williams because he things he is running away and Will suddently enters the saloon and everyone goes in silence like thinking "wtf?" gives me shivers everytime i watch it. Clint is the man.
Because they didn't get what kind of person he was, what he had tried so hard to get away from for his wife and children. They poked the bear and the bear done take his share of blood.
Indeed, the last scene wherein the buildup of tension & mystery that is the focus of this movie; & it entails how the film's main focus was the to make the audience subconsciously be concerned for the entirety of the story in regard to how the story's "protagonist(?)" would ultimately deal with the heavy emotional complexities & internal conflicts that are derived from his past, & regrets for filled life of villainy & casual murder. The entire film's intrigue was based upon this singular character question & this ending, it was a masterpiece of how to handle the pacing for such a penultimate payoff of a movie's worth of ratcheting tensions of insidious doubts about whether or not this unforgiven man could fulfill his great & terrible potential by murdering so sympathetic, and motivator an antagonist.
Love the "kid" expression as he listens to the girl descriptions of everything William Munny has done in the past, as he suddenly realizes exactly who he has been riding with all this time and the kind of trouble he could be in himself. Priceless. And the acting of the girl is fantastic too...She really realizes that she just unleash a Monster... Unforgiven is a Master Piece!
Here is why I love this movie: first it tries to show you how serious it is to kill someone. Then Gene Hackman has that conversation where he explains how chaotic a shootout really is.. and you as a viewer start to think about how most westerns characters are bullshit and fake because their guns never misfire and their aim is perfect... And then William walks into that bar and blows everyone away. And you go, Gene Hackman was right. Right up until he was wrong.
Your summary analysis/breakdown at the end was fantastic. You're absolutely right. It seems like absolutely nothing happens for almost the entire movie. But then you realize that the whole thing is a methodical, purposeful, slow-burn crescendo. And that final scene is true poetic justice.
Munny calmly drinking while the lady recounted some of the stuff he did in his old life was chilling. Its like the demon in him was waking up And you see it when he goes after Little Bill. The his manner, tone of voice and how he carried himself was different; subtle but unmistakable. He's not the same guy Little Bill beat up earlier.
Yes and he's said he was drunk most of the times in those days. And he's refused to admit he is that killer of a man up to this point. The moment the whiskey touches his lips is the exact moment when the girl says "He said you was William Munny out of Missouri". The alcohol hits at the exact moment his full named is mentioned. This is his identity. Underscored.
Another thing that people forget about this movie it was totally directed and produced by Clint Eastwood the reason why you're immersed into the whole story line because when Clint takes on a movie he wants you to be able to feel on both sides what both sides are feeling that's what makes him such a great movie director
Easily one of my favorite movies of all time. I think you missed it, but Bill's reluctance to drink during the rain-storm resulted in him catching a bad flu, causing him to hallucinate. When he went into the bar for the first time he was still sick as a dog, and likely barely knew where he was, let alone how to respond when questioned.
@@pmcclaren1 Still better armed than yours. Talk as big and loud as you want, when we act it hits harder than anything you can do or say. Especially when yer fuckin' lungs been ventilated by buckshot.
@@rednova2212wooooo, pretty scary bunch, aren't you? Hmm. . . let's see, yankee govt have invaded and now occupy 175 nations worldwide w/80+ military bases All on Foreign Soil. How many of them have attempted to invade the yankee skanks of 'merica? Pleases tell me in your infinite knowledge what is the difference between MORAL -v- IMmoral war? Good luck with that one, ole boy.
Withholding music from a scene is one of the most chilling things a director can do. The Coen brothers did it for the entire duration of No Country For Old Men, and it made it preternaturally absorbing. Clint Eastwood was a pioneer for this kind of minimalist directing. Music, unfortunately, has been contaminated with too many emotional cliches. When a scene lacks music the viewer is thrown back on his own response, one he has to form-and the response isn’t instant. This makes the viewing experience simultaneously deliberate and disorienting. The Unforgiven is definitely a movie that appeals more to the head instead of just an exploitation payoff. (Even though it has that, too!)
I share your appreciation of the lack of music, that relic of the Silent Era which isn't all that needed in serious-minded films. To see the effect of no music again, try "No Country for Old Men", a MODERN Western which has no music till the ending credits. Anyway, this movie does what it sets out to do: spend 2/3 of its time with the build-up, and the last third with the satisfying payoff. It was Eastwood's statement about violence, and maybe about all the violent films he'd made in his life. Never pretty, always ugly, sometimes necessary, but finally soul-polluting. A truly great film made by the only man who could make it.
Haven't seen this film in years and you've reminded me why it's been my favorite western of all time. It won 4 Academy awards, including best picture and best director. You're spot on about the atmosphere that's created by the choice of no music. Not to mention the way it immerses you in the scenes. Jeez....what a great movie! Great reaction and takes from you as well. Fantastic 👏👏👏
@@justtrustash please react to "The Omen". Another fantastic film. Goes along the same psychological path of the exorcist, you will love it. It has to be the original not the remake though which was rubbish. Please react to the Omen, the one starring Lee Remick and Gregory Peck. Thanks. Keep reactions coming. 👍🇬🇧😁
I loved this movie when it was first released, and I love it today. And I feel no loss of manhood when I say that if William Munney crossed my path, I'd step aside.
Other good Clint Eastwood westerns are The Outlaw Josey Wales and Pale Rider. He also made some police movies where he played a character calle "Dirty" Harry Callahan that were great.
I was going to say the same thing. Open range was filmed in the same style as Saving Private Ryan. The camera shots close to the ground so you can see the dirt fly up as the bullets hit the turf. Great Movie!
It says a lot that Clint Eastwood, as famous as he was as an actor already before he got into directing, has won more awards for his directing than he did for his acting. Another great Eastwood-directed film is 'Letters from Iwo Jima'.
@hephner78 It was Play Misty for Me, 1971… I was always under the impression he was another graduate of the Roger Corman “school” but I must have imagined it
This is the first of your reviews I've seen, and it's refreshing to see a reviewer who appreciates great acting and directing. This film is a masterpiece.
Ash, I saw this in the theatres when it was released in 1992. People were thinking what this old man Clint Eastwood gonna do? Make 'em fall in love with everything that a movie is supposed to do!!! You are right. The scenery. The wind. The rain. The plains. The mountains. And then there was man. Even the guitar plucking from the music deserved an Oscar!!! It was just a great movie. Can't wait to see more westerns. Please react wish list: Appaloosa (2009) and The Revenant (2015).
Movies tend to add music to create emotion. Seen this movie over 100 times and never caught the fact that it didn't have any. Nuances like that ( letting ambient sounds create the emotion), is a sure indicator of higher level Art.
“I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.” Ooooowee!! Love it!
Choosing to go without music is a ballsy and important decision most directors can't bring off. Eastwood does a good job here, and when the haunting guitar theme returns as he's riding off at the end, it carries all manner of baggage it didn't have before. Another example that works really well is Dog Day Afternoon. : After the Elton John song over the opening credits there is no music at all in the rest of the picture. Lumet lets the tension build as we ride along with Pacino's manic energy.
Ash, man, my dude, bounty hunting totally is still a thing in the US, going after bail jumpers mostly. There's a famous reality TV show about it, DOG The Bounty Hunter, which has limited credibility, but you might like anyway. Repo guys, bounty hunters, process servers, there's a whole subculture of underground legal processing.
Just hearing about the cast alone, i mean Eastwood, Hackman and Freeman, you know this gonna be a masterpiece and it was when i first saw it 30 years ago. And i just love the dialoge and the hidden meaning in this movie
Ash, OPEN RANGE!….the best western in the last 25 yrs…actually since Unforgiven. Kevin Costner’s 2nd western masterpiece…DANCES WITH WOLVES the other, which you have got to see too. God bless you my Iranian Brit friend
I saw this in the cinema when it first came out and it blew me away. Loved it. Its def. one of his best movies in my mind, but he has done so many awesome movies. Masters of their crafts, all three of them. Eastwood, Hackman and Freeman.
You MUST check out one of the greatest Western directors of all time, Sergio Leone. “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” - starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach “Once Upon A Time In The West” - starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda
Yea mate, This is one of the best. Go, bro! I absolutely loved this movie when I first saw it. The iconic use of the names of the characters is so tongue in cheek it's utterly brilliant.
Ash says Angel of Death, did anyone point out the horse he was riding on at the end of the movie when he rode out into darkness. Grey dapple horse. I saw a funny comment someone posted, if you see Eastwood on a Grey dapple horse, RUN!
Pale Rider, The Outlaw Josey Wales, the Dirty Harry series...so many excellent Clint Eastwood films out there. Hope you get to all of them. Silverado is another one you should see. A VERY young Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and John Cleese star in this one. Of course, True Grit (2010), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Hateful Eight (2015 - Quentin Tarantino) should also be on the list. Excellent reaction, bro. Keep doing what you do.
I feel that Unforgiven is the most real western ever made. It strips away the facade, the legend, that sprang up around the Wild West and shows it how it really was. It was dirty, often corrupt, and violence always had consequences both in the present and the future.
The picture is a masterpiece because it gives a gritty view of life and death as it was. It wasn't heroic sheriff doing the showdown on main street at noon. The "gunfighters" weren't heroes, they were murderers, killers and assassins. They weren't fast drawing modern pistols, they were single action revolvers where the hammer had to be manually pulled back each time the revolver fired. That was the best western movie "tough guy walks into the bar" ending of ALL TIME - hands down (with a nod to the long ago Western "Shane" for second best). If you haven't seen Shane give it a view.
So glad you liked this one man. I love Westerns, and this one is among my absolute favorites, so I was stoked to see you were doing this one. Loved your insights into the characters and storytelling. Once again, you deliver the best reaction videos on TH-cam.
You loved the lack of music, now it's time to go in the opposite direction, The Good The Bad and the Ugly with one of the best music scores in a western
I've watched more than a dozen reactions to this movie, and yours is perhaps the most in-depth. You are right to say, when he takes that sip of Whiskey, that he becomes either an Angel, or a Demon. The Angel, can be the bringer of righteous atonement, and the Demon is the exactor of unwarranted devastation. In this case, William Munny becomes a force of nature, unstoppable, the destroyer of worlds. He rides a White Horse, which is the symbol of the Heroic Angel. Also, the writer Beauchamp, he craves to come out West, to document the tales of the Outlaw. At first, he meets English Bob, a 'legendary' killer, and thinks he's lucked out to becomes his biographer. But after all that blustering, he see's English Bob get the shit beat our of him. But then, in the end, on a stormy cold night, filled with all the tough guys in the Big Whisky Bar, the Truth walks in. And now, after much disappointment, Beauchamp is witness to the real deal. He won't have to rely on second hand accounts, because the blood of those 5 men has been splattered on his clothes. He was even able to interview him!!! After this movie, Beauchamp would likely go on to write "The William Munny killings at the Big Whiskey Bar as told by Beauchamp".
The part I love most when he takes that drink is it's exactly as she's saying "....how you was really William Munny..." He had tried to leave that all behind but when he took that drink, yeah he was really William Munny again. I can't believe this is 30 years old already. I've been enjoying this movie since I saw it in the theater and it just never gets old. Another Clint Eastwood western you might enjoy if you haven't seen it yet, though admittedly not as good as this one , is Pale Rider.
I'm old, so... Truly it hurts me seeing how amazed you are about ppl 100 years ago! If the youth today had to fend for their lives? 100% THEY'D ALL DIE ! No idea what life is, unless it's on a screen! My pets were pets until they became dinner! True story! Mate
Seen this movie several times. Every time I see it all im thinking is I can't wait for the final bar scene. Y'all know what im talking about. Love ya, Ash. Always a good time here.
Great movie. First time I saw this movie I did not like seeing Client Eastwood as an old cowboy after seeing and loving his old classic westerns (like The Dollar trilogy you should see that also ) but now I love it. You should see other great Clint Eastwood movie like Dirty Harry , Absolute Power, Escape from Alcatraz, In the Line of Fire. Also a great Jean Hackman western is the Quick and the dead.
It heartens back to the part where Little Bill told Beauchamp that the fastest gun doesn’t always win. The guy that comes out on top is the one that keeps his cool. The whisky lowers inhibitions, and then calms Muny’s nerves. That gives him the advantage over those guys scared sh*#less.
My favorite scene is when the kid steps into Strawberry Alice's doorway. Until that moment, it's two separate storylines, but when those two set eyes on each other, that's the moment when the two little stories merge into one big one. It's such a simple little uneventful scene, but it's stuffed to the gills with implications.
Clint often composes or assists the composer on the musical score for his films himself too, he co-wrote one tune for this one (Claudia's Song, for which he is un-credited) and assisted the composer Lenny Niehaus with the feel and tone of the rest of the score. Clint worked with the same composer on at least ten other movies too as they were great friends. Lenny sadly died in 2020, aged 90 - but his stunning musical scores will live on in brilliant films such as this one, 'Billion Dollar Baby', 'Mystic River', 'Letters from Iwa Jima', and 'Flags of our Fathers' to name but a few, they will live on forever. RIP Len.
"It's a hell of a thing. . . ." That line gets me every time. Even after all these years. "I was building a house. . . ." That line gets to me, too. :-P Recommendation: Watch "Pale Rider." It also stars Clint Eastwood, and was the film that totally rebooted the Western genre. At the time it came out, the Western genre was considered old-fashioned, and scifi films (Star Wars, Terminator) were the most popular ones in play.
Classical Westerns are known for their minimalism. You can almost always summarize the plot in a sentence. What makes them so endearing is that they have a honesty to them that modern movies lack, and I don't mean that this is how things really were, I mean in a literary sense, the characters and the story just are what they are.
As you said in conclusion, Eastwood is a talented guy. If you're not impressed enough yet, Eastwood is also an accomplished jazz pianist, and he composed the film scores for his movies "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Grace Is Gone," "Changeling," "Hereafter," "J. Edgar," and "In the Line of Fire."
Ash, you don't have to imagine, people going after criminals on a wanted poster, that's still a thing today. Bounty hunting is still very prevalent in the U.S.
You're right about riding horses. Your horse and you become a team. There's an unspoken communication that develops between you. It's exciting in moments, relaxing in others, and the greatest thing is that you can tell the horse is feeling the same thing as you. I used to work with a fellow who loved this movie and the whole old west lore as eell. We'd quote lines, and when one of us would get to "burn his damned house down," we'd just bust out laughing because it was just such a raw, badass thing to say.
It is a beautiful movie. When he asked Gene Hackman to play little Bill, Gene said he didn't want to do any more movies glorifying killing. Clint sent him the script and asked him to read it. Gene got back to him quickly with a yes. It shows the other side of killing compared to most violent film.
I've told people for years about how good a movie this is.......but I guess, no one believes me. Another Clint Eastwood movie that I like a lot is "Grand Torino".
I’m partial to this movie because he was reformed in his ways due to the love of a good woman. He recognized his past was the wrong way to go. When he found out his partner was tortured and killed and displayed with no dignity the act of picking up that bottle without a word you knew it was going down. Also his comparison to his scars on the inside and her scars on the outside was a powerful moment. Can you imagine how she must of felt that someone in her profession who got cut to pieces ( don’t forget she had her breasts all cut up ) from this man. Had anybody at all been kind to her after her injuries? Someone who could see the underlying beauty she had. I think he found someone who looked at him and saw a good man underneath his rough exterior.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but Clint Eastwood didn't just do a fabulous job acting in this movie. He also directed the movie as well as writing the musical score for the end of the film called "Claudia's Theme".
That's how most modern westerns are made they tried to make the surrounding environment what it would be during those time periods when the movie was supposed to be created in that's the reason why you don't hear music in the background stuff they wanted to be for affect to draw you in it's called a plotline
My Grandpa was born in 1920. His dad took him out of school at 10 years old so he could work on the farm. They would've starved without him.... those days were pretty bad... Then he joined the Navy.... crazy times.
Possibly one of the best lines in any movie ever... "Hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got... all he's ever gonna have." It's not just the words, it's how they're delivered, and who is delivering them.
I quote " 'Deserve's got nothing to do with it" all the time.
"I guess they had it comin."
" We all got it comin kid."
@@Corn_Pone_Flicks Me too - to me this is the best line of the movie.
Rutger Howards speech at the end of " Bladerunner" was epic....Rutger wrote it himself
but you're totally right! such a great line
Clint read this script when he was young, bought the rights and sat on it until he was old enough to star in it!
That I did not know! Thanks, Bob!
Really... I know Gene turned it down because he didn't want to do another violent movie. Clint had to meet with him and explain.
@@st0n3p0ny That part I did know! Good for Gene. I miss him. Although it's probably too late now, I wish someone had written a script for, like, Hackman and Nicholson to play brothers or something, get those two out of retirement. The movie biz forced them out because of medicority of scripts. They can play "Bad Grandpa" like De Niro or they can enjoy their final years. Happy Gene got "Royal Tenenbaum", one last great, meaty role. And no violence. :)
@@TTM9691 How about an As Good As It Gets sequel? Playing Jack's brother. Royal Tenenbaums was one of my favorites. Gene hasn't done enough comedy. IMO. The Bird Cage was hilarious too.
Absolute legend
This movie took all the heroism, the glamour and romance away from the western and stuck your face right into
the mud, dust and horse manure of the old west. This is how it was. "Deserve has nothing to do with it!"
Best western ever made.
Bro you legit couldn’t of explained it so well 👌🏾 appreciate you watching
Thats what it did for most people but i find so much in the seneselesw death. Its so poetic i love movies like this.
@@justtrustash Hey Ash, another Clint Eastwood masterpiece western is: “Pale Rider.” Nobody has reacted to it. I think you will love it!
Agreed it’s not like the do gooder black and white morals western that John Wayne was all for. The real Wild West was more violent and cruel especially the people in it.
@@solvingpolitics3172 Late reply to your comment, but at the end of Unforgiven, Eastwood's character departs on a pale horse
"You just shot an unarmed man!"
"Well, he should've armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend" Damn,
My most favourite quote from whole movie
That scene in the saloon at the end, when Little Bill is planning chasing Williams because he things he is running away and Will suddently enters the saloon and everyone goes in silence like thinking "wtf?" gives me shivers everytime i watch it. Clint is the man.
Because they didn't get what kind of person he was, what he had tried so hard to get away from for his wife and children.
They poked the bear and the bear done take his share of blood.
💯
Indeed, the last scene wherein the buildup of tension & mystery that is the focus of this movie; & it entails how the film's main focus was the to make the audience subconsciously be concerned for the entirety of the story in regard to how the story's "protagonist(?)" would ultimately deal with the heavy emotional complexities & internal conflicts that are derived from his past, & regrets for filled life of villainy & casual murder. The entire film's intrigue was based upon this singular character question & this ending, it was a masterpiece of how to handle the pacing for such a penultimate payoff of a movie's worth of ratcheting tensions of insidious doubts about whether or not this unforgiven man could fulfill his great & terrible potential by murdering so sympathetic, and motivator an antagonist.
Whos the fella who owns this shithole 💪💪💪 after drinking whiskey
Watch that scene again and stare into Clints eyes. Its kinda creepy.
Love the "kid" expression as he listens to the girl descriptions of everything William Munny has done in the past, as he suddenly realizes exactly who he has been riding with all this time and the kind of trouble he could be in himself. Priceless. And the acting of the girl is fantastic too...She really realizes that she just unleash a Monster...
Unforgiven is a Master Piece!
Here is why I love this movie: first it tries to show you how serious it is to kill someone. Then Gene Hackman has that conversation where he explains how chaotic a shootout really is.. and you as a viewer start to think about how most westerns characters are bullshit and fake because their guns never misfire and their aim is perfect...
And then William walks into that bar and blows everyone away.
And you go, Gene Hackman was right. Right up until he was wrong.
Your summary analysis/breakdown at the end was fantastic. You're absolutely right. It seems like absolutely nothing happens for almost the entire movie. But then you realize that the whole thing is a methodical, purposeful, slow-burn crescendo. And that final scene is true poetic justice.
Honestly, I was blown away mate! Thank you for the love and support and you legend ❤️
"IT'S A HELL OF A THING KILLIN A MAN. YOU TAKE AWAY ALL HE'S GOT , AND ALL HE'S EVER GONNA HAVE"
Munny calmly drinking while the lady recounted some of the stuff he did in his old life was chilling. Its like the demon in him was waking up And you see it when he goes after Little Bill. The his manner, tone of voice and how he carried himself was different; subtle but unmistakable. He's not the same guy Little Bill beat up earlier.
@Salt HAIL ODIN
Yes and he's said he was drunk most of the times in those days. And he's refused to admit he is that killer of a man up to this point.
The moment the whiskey touches his lips is the exact moment when the girl says "He said you was William Munny out of Missouri". The alcohol hits at the exact moment his full named is mentioned. This is his identity. Underscored.
Another Fun fact: Clint himself wrote the theme for this movie. The iconic acoustic guitar main riff.
Another thing that people forget about this movie it was totally directed and produced by Clint Eastwood the reason why you're immersed into the whole story line because when Clint takes on a movie he wants you to be able to feel on both sides what both sides are feeling that's what makes him such a great movie director
Hell yes man, been waiting for this one!
"Well, he should've armed himself if he wanted to decorate his saloon with my friend."
"Who's the fella owns this shit hole?"
"Well he shoulda armed him self if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend."
Easily one of my favorite movies of all time. I think you missed it, but Bill's reluctance to drink during the rain-storm resulted in him catching a bad flu, causing him to hallucinate. When he went into the bar for the first time he was still sick as a dog, and likely barely knew where he was, let alone how to respond when questioned.
I still can't get over Gene Hackman punching that Brit for talking about the Queen on Independence Day 😆😂🤣
what do you think today of your yankee nation now, ole son?
@@pmcclaren1 Still better armed than yours. Talk as big and loud as you want, when we act it hits harder than anything you can do or say. Especially when yer fuckin' lungs been ventilated by buckshot.
@@pmcclaren1 less news = less ignorance
@@pmcclaren1 the long line to get in says everything you need to know.
@@rednova2212wooooo, pretty scary bunch, aren't you? Hmm. . . let's see, yankee govt have invaded and now occupy 175 nations worldwide w/80+ military bases All on Foreign Soil. How many of them have attempted to invade the yankee skanks of 'merica? Pleases tell me in your infinite knowledge what is the difference between MORAL -v- IMmoral war? Good luck with that one, ole boy.
Withholding music from a scene is one of the most chilling things a director can do. The Coen brothers did it for the entire duration of No Country For Old Men, and it made it preternaturally absorbing. Clint Eastwood was a pioneer for this kind of minimalist directing. Music, unfortunately, has been contaminated with too many emotional cliches. When a scene lacks music the viewer is thrown back on his own response, one he has to form-and the response isn’t instant. This makes the viewing experience simultaneously deliberate and disorienting. The Unforgiven is definitely a movie that appeals more to the head instead of just an exploitation payoff. (Even though it has that, too!)
The Cohen's are awesome. Love the way they tell stories.
Clint Eastwood is a REAL Legend: Great Actor, Great Producer, Great Director... Even a Great Composer!
Big respect from America for being British and showing love to westerns.
Can't believe it'll be THIRTY YEARS OLD in a few months. Hoping for a typically wonderful reaction, Dude!
I share your appreciation of the lack of music, that relic of the Silent Era which isn't all that needed in serious-minded films. To see the effect of no music again, try "No Country for Old Men", a MODERN Western which has no music till the ending credits. Anyway, this movie does what it sets out to do: spend 2/3 of its time with the build-up, and the last third with the satisfying payoff. It was Eastwood's statement about violence, and maybe about all the violent films he'd made in his life. Never pretty, always ugly, sometimes necessary, but finally soul-polluting. A truly great film made by the only man who could make it.
Haven't seen this film in years and you've reminded me why it's been my favorite western of all time. It won 4 Academy awards, including best picture and best director. You're spot on about the atmosphere that's created by the choice of no music. Not to mention the way it immerses you in the scenes. Jeez....what a great movie! Great reaction and takes from you as well. Fantastic 👏👏👏
My brother! You always support me..honour to have reacted and watched this with you ❤️
@@justtrustash please react to "The Omen". Another fantastic film. Goes along the same psychological path of the exorcist, you will love it. It has to be the original not the remake though which was rubbish. Please react to the Omen, the one starring Lee Remick and Gregory Peck. Thanks. Keep reactions coming. 👍🇬🇧😁
This film won a few academy awards, including best picture! It certainly deserved them!
It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have
I loved this movie when it was first released, and I love it today.
And I feel no loss of manhood when I say that if William Munney crossed my path, I'd step aside.
Spot on mate, they did summon the angel of death. Where William Munny stood, walked and rode that night was a gateway straight in to the apocalypse.
Other good Clint Eastwood westerns are The Outlaw Josey Wales and Pale Rider. He also made some police movies where he played a character calle "Dirty" Harry Callahan that were great.
I'm my opinion, The Outlaw Josey Wales is the single greatest Western ever made.
One of best lines in movie history. If he is going to decorate his bar with my friends body, he should of armed himself
Clint Eastwood in HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER is incredible also (supernatural western) fav of mine
"Deserve's got nothin ta do with it"
Only in his voice it sounds that good
This is a great western! One of my favs. But I HIGHLY recommend "Open Range" with Robert Duval and Kevin Costner
Agree! One of the best shootouts of the last years with a great sound design.
@@Mr.Wendigo right? And stark wide shots rather than close editing give a 'realistic' feeling. It's brutal.
I was going to say the same thing. Open range was filmed in the same style as Saving Private Ryan. The camera shots close to the ground so you can see the dirt fly up as the bullets hit the turf. Great Movie!
“He’s not riding into a sunset. He’s riding into a storm“ - brilliant observation!
It says a lot that Clint Eastwood, as famous as he was as an actor already before he got into directing, has won more awards for his directing than he did for his acting. Another great Eastwood-directed film is 'Letters from Iwo Jima'.
Eastwood was directing years before Unforgiven, let alone the LfIJ / FooF duology of films.
@hephner78 It was Play Misty for Me, 1971… I was always under the impression he was another graduate of the Roger Corman “school” but I must have imagined it
He's not short-sighted he's nearsighted meaning he can't see far away
Francesca Eastwood was conceived during this movie.....She is the daughter of Clint and Frances Fisher (Strawberry Alice)
This is the first of your reviews I've seen, and it's refreshing to see a reviewer who appreciates great acting and directing. This film is a masterpiece.
The Greatest Western in my opinion. There is no Sugar coating, its grim and stark.
The most intense 10 minutes in film is the last 10 minutes of Unforgiven. The entire movie builds up to it.
Ash, I saw this in the theatres when it was released in 1992. People were thinking what this old man Clint Eastwood gonna do? Make 'em fall in love with everything that a movie is supposed to do!!! You are right. The scenery. The wind. The rain. The plains. The mountains. And then there was man. Even the guitar plucking from the music deserved an Oscar!!! It was just a great movie. Can't wait to see more westerns. Please react wish list: Appaloosa (2009) and The Revenant (2015).
If you want another badass Eastwood masterpiece, watch high plains drifter. You’ll paint your whole room red after watching that.
Movies tend to add music to create emotion. Seen this movie over 100 times and never caught the fact that it didn't have any. Nuances like that ( letting ambient sounds create the emotion), is a sure indicator of higher level Art.
@Salt take your meds son!
fair but lets not act like appropriate god tier music wouldnt enhance the film
@@Iladimah might enhance it but the lack of music is a statement all it's own.
“I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.” Ooooowee!! Love it!
Choosing to go without music is a ballsy and important decision most directors can't bring off. Eastwood does a good job here, and when the haunting guitar theme returns as he's riding off at the end, it carries all manner of baggage it didn't have before. Another example that works really well is Dog Day Afternoon. : After the Elton John song over the opening credits there is no music at all in the rest of the picture. Lumet lets the tension build as we ride along with Pacino's manic energy.
Ash, man, my dude, bounty hunting totally is still a thing in the US, going after bail jumpers mostly. There's a famous reality TV show about it, DOG The Bounty Hunter, which has limited credibility, but you might like anyway. Repo guys, bounty hunters, process servers, there's a whole subculture of underground legal processing.
Just hearing about the cast alone, i mean Eastwood, Hackman and Freeman, you know this gonna be a masterpiece and it was when i first saw it 30 years ago.
And i just love the dialoge and the hidden meaning in this movie
Don't forget Richard Harris - English Bob...another great actor of his generation both in film and theatre
@@barnybarnerson5577 yess absolutely 💯
Check out the Outlaw Josey Wales starring Clint Eastwood. Really really good.
Yes one of the best of Eastwood's westerns. I've seen it at least 20 times,have it on DVD.
no movie has more great one liners then The Outlaw Josey Wales!!!!!
@@bradlymiller4936 You are right. Dying ain't much of a living...
@@OverandOutChief1 Either pull them Pistols or whistle Dixie
Ash, OPEN RANGE!….the best western in the last 25 yrs…actually since Unforgiven. Kevin Costner’s 2nd western masterpiece…DANCES WITH WOLVES the other, which you have got to see too. God bless you my Iranian Brit friend
I saw this in the cinema when it first came out and it blew me away. Loved it. Its def. one of his best movies in my mind, but he has done so many awesome movies. Masters of their crafts, all three of them. Eastwood, Hackman and Freeman.
Eastwood never made a bad western, but my favorite's always been "High Plains Drifter". It's a bone-chiller.
Richard Harris, who plays English Bob is also Prof. Dumbledore from the first two Harry Potter movies.
You MUST check out one of the greatest Western directors of all time, Sergio Leone.
“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”
- starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach
“Once Upon A Time In The West”
- starring Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda
One of my fav lines in any movie is, "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
My day got 100 times better seeing this pop up in my notifications! Great film!
Yea mate, This is one of the best. Go, bro! I absolutely loved this movie when I first saw it. The iconic use of the names of the characters is so tongue in cheek it's utterly brilliant.
Pure facts!!
Pale Rider is another great Eastwood film or if you want a sword and sandal I recommend The Thirteenth Warrior
Pale Rider, my favorite.
When this came out, I took a girl on a first date to see it. I thought it was the best movie I had ever seen. I didn't get a second date with her.
One of my personal favorite films. That scene in the saloon at the end is savage af
Ash says Angel of Death, did anyone point out the horse he was riding on at the end of the movie when he rode out into darkness. Grey dapple horse.
I saw a funny comment someone posted, if you see Eastwood on a Grey dapple horse, RUN!
Pale Rider, The Outlaw Josey Wales, the Dirty Harry series...so many excellent Clint Eastwood films out there. Hope you get to all of them.
Silverado is another one you should see. A VERY young Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and John Cleese star in this one.
Of course, True Grit (2010), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Hateful Eight (2015 - Quentin Tarantino) should also be on the list.
Excellent reaction, bro. Keep doing what you do.
I feel that Unforgiven is the most real western ever made. It strips away the facade, the legend, that sprang up around the Wild West and shows it how it really was. It was dirty, often corrupt, and violence always had consequences both in the present and the future.
The picture is a masterpiece because it gives a gritty view of life and death as it was. It wasn't heroic sheriff doing the
showdown on main street at noon. The "gunfighters" weren't heroes, they were murderers, killers and assassins. They
weren't fast drawing modern pistols, they were single action revolvers where the hammer had to be manually pulled
back each time the revolver fired. That was the best western movie "tough guy walks into the bar" ending of ALL TIME -
hands down (with a nod to the long ago Western "Shane" for second best). If you haven't seen Shane give it a view.
So glad you liked this one man. I love Westerns, and this one is among my absolute favorites, so I was stoked to see you were doing this one. Loved your insights into the characters and storytelling. Once again, you deliver the best reaction videos on TH-cam.
You loved the lack of music, now it's time to go in the opposite direction, The Good The Bad and the Ugly with one of the best music scores in a western
I've watched more than a dozen reactions to this movie, and yours is perhaps the most in-depth. You are right to say, when he takes that sip of Whiskey, that he becomes either an Angel, or a Demon. The Angel, can be the bringer of righteous atonement, and the Demon is the exactor of unwarranted devastation. In this case, William Munny becomes a force of nature, unstoppable, the destroyer of worlds. He rides a White Horse, which is the symbol of the Heroic Angel.
Also, the writer Beauchamp, he craves to come out West, to document the tales of the Outlaw. At first, he meets English Bob, a 'legendary' killer, and thinks he's lucked out to becomes his biographer. But after all that blustering, he see's English Bob get the shit beat our of him. But then, in the end, on a stormy cold night, filled with all the tough guys in the Big Whisky Bar, the Truth walks in. And now, after much disappointment, Beauchamp is witness to the real deal. He won't have to rely on second hand accounts, because the blood of those 5 men has been splattered on his clothes. He was even able to interview him!!!
After this movie, Beauchamp would likely go on to write "The William Munny killings at the Big Whiskey Bar as told by Beauchamp".
The part I love most when he takes that drink is it's exactly as she's saying "....how you was really William Munny..." He had tried to leave that all behind but when he took that drink, yeah he was really William Munny again. I can't believe this is 30 years old already. I've been enjoying this movie since I saw it in the theater and it just never gets old.
Another Clint Eastwood western you might enjoy if you haven't seen it yet, though admittedly not as good as this one , is Pale Rider.
Unforgiven was one of my favorite movies that I can always go back and watch again and absolutely enjoy.
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⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
😎 😎 😎 😎 😎
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I'm old, so...
Truly it hurts me seeing how amazed you are about ppl 100 years ago! If the youth today had to fend for their lives? 100% THEY'D ALL DIE ! No idea what life is, unless it's on a screen! My pets were pets until they became dinner! True story! Mate
So true, but you could say the youth today are way smarter and open minded than 100 years ago in terms of technology we’re exposed to
Did you know he sat on this script for about 15 years beacuse he said he wasn't old enough.. the man is a genius 🙌
It stands tall as one of the best films I've ever seen. A tragically beautiful film.
In some regions, "pony" is/was used to refer to a young adult horse.
Seen this movie several times. Every time I see it all im thinking is I can't wait for the final bar scene. Y'all know what im talking about. Love ya, Ash. Always a good time here.
Great movie. First time I saw this movie I did not like seeing Client Eastwood as an old cowboy after seeing and loving his old classic westerns (like The Dollar trilogy you should see that also ) but now I love it. You should see other great Clint Eastwood movie like Dirty Harry , Absolute Power, Escape from Alcatraz, In the Line of Fire. Also a great Jean Hackman western is the Quick and the dead.
He is also technically an old cowboy in Pale Rider too.
It heartens back to the part where Little Bill told Beauchamp that the fastest gun doesn’t always win. The guy that comes out on top is the one that keeps his cool. The whisky lowers inhibitions, and then calms Muny’s nerves. That gives him the advantage over those guys scared sh*#less.
My favorite scene is when the kid steps into Strawberry Alice's doorway. Until that moment, it's two separate storylines, but when those two set eyes on each other, that's the moment when the two little stories merge into one big one. It's such a simple little uneventful scene, but it's stuffed to the gills with implications.
If you haven't seen it yet, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" is the best Western from Mr. Eastwood in my opinion. This one is amazing though.
Clint often composes or assists the composer on the musical score for his films himself too, he co-wrote one tune for this one (Claudia's Song, for which he is un-credited) and assisted the composer Lenny Niehaus with the feel and tone of the rest of the score. Clint worked with the same composer on at least ten other movies too as they were great friends. Lenny sadly died in 2020, aged 90 - but his stunning musical scores will live on in brilliant films such as this one, 'Billion Dollar Baby', 'Mystic River', 'Letters from Iwa Jima', and 'Flags of our Fathers' to name but a few, they will live on forever. RIP Len.
"It's a hell of a thing. . . ." That line gets me every time. Even after all these years.
"I was building a house. . . ." That line gets to me, too. :-P
Recommendation: Watch "Pale Rider." It also stars Clint Eastwood, and was the film that totally rebooted the Western genre. At the time it came out, the Western genre was considered old-fashioned, and scifi films (Star Wars, Terminator) were the most popular ones in play.
PREEEEEAAAACCCHHHHEEEERRRR!!!
This was, I think, the first "western" i watched.... and it got me into the whole genre!
Love this movie (and Clint in general)
Winner of 4 Oscars including Best Picture.
It was the Third and final Western movie to win Best Picture.
Probably the most realistic western ever portrayed on film. Clint is a legend. Peace, Love!!
Ash - you are the King of movie reactors! Love your channel - I really look forward to every reaction you do. Keep it up, bro!
My brother! Your comment makes my wanna fly kick all other reactors 😂 thank you, you absolute legend ❤️
Classical Westerns are known for their minimalism. You can almost always summarize the plot in a sentence. What makes them so endearing is that they have a honesty to them that modern movies lack, and I don't mean that this is how things really were, I mean in a literary sense, the characters and the story just are what they are.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him
The grittiest, most real, and BEST Western of all time! Clint Eastwood is a true LEGEND!
As you said in conclusion, Eastwood is a talented guy. If you're not impressed enough yet, Eastwood is also an accomplished jazz pianist, and he composed the film scores for his movies "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Grace Is Gone," "Changeling," "Hereafter," "J. Edgar," and "In the Line of Fire."
I love the part when he hears about Ned dying and just starts drinking from the bottle like he never quit , it looks so natural
Ash, you don't have to imagine, people going after criminals on a wanted poster, that's still a thing today. Bounty hunting is still very prevalent in the U.S.
You're right about riding horses. Your horse and you become a team. There's an unspoken communication that develops between you. It's exciting in moments, relaxing in others, and the greatest thing is that you can tell the horse is feeling the same thing as you. I used to work with a fellow who loved this movie and the whole old west lore as eell. We'd quote lines, and when one of us would get to "burn his damned house down," we'd just bust out laughing because it was just such a raw, badass thing to say.
Absolutely love the line : We’ve all got it coming kid.
Another great Eastwood western is The Outlaw Joesy Wales.
Love how much you appreciated the build up and the quiet moments. Awesome reaction as usual, stay safe mate. 👍
Unforgiven is a truly epic western and hands down his best directed film.
Our boy does not disappoint, another masterpiece and with the legend himself Clint Eastwood
It is a beautiful movie. When he asked Gene Hackman to play little Bill, Gene said he didn't want to do any more movies glorifying killing. Clint sent him the script and asked him to read it. Gene got back to him quickly with a yes. It shows the other side of killing compared to most violent film.
I've told people for years about how good a movie this is.......but I guess, no one believes me.
Another Clint Eastwood movie that I like a lot is "Grand Torino".
Can't forget "The Outlaw Josey Whales"
yep Grand Torino took me by surprise
I’m partial to this movie because he was reformed in his ways due to the love of a good woman. He recognized his past was the wrong way to go. When he found out his partner was tortured and killed and displayed with no dignity the act of picking up that bottle without a word you knew it was going down. Also his comparison to his scars on the inside and her scars on the outside was a powerful moment. Can you imagine how she must of felt that someone in her profession who got cut to pieces ( don’t forget she had her breasts all cut up ) from this man. Had anybody at all been kind to her after her injuries? Someone who could see the underlying beauty she had. I think he found someone who looked at him and saw a good man underneath his rough exterior.
I can't wait until you see The Outlaw Josey Wales!
I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but Clint Eastwood didn't just do a fabulous job acting in this movie. He also directed the movie as well as writing the musical score for the end of the film called "Claudia's Theme".
That's how most modern westerns are made they tried to make the surrounding environment what it would be during those time periods when the movie was supposed to be created in that's the reason why you don't hear music in the background stuff they wanted to be for affect to draw you in it's called a plotline
" please don't tell my kids... none of the things I did, hear me...?" Powerful film.
Another 2 good suggestions i have for you are The Devil's Own and Rambo First Blood series.
My Grandpa was born in 1920. His dad took him out of school at 10 years old so he could work on the farm. They would've starved without him.... those days were pretty bad... Then he joined the Navy.... crazy times.