It was an interesting touch that the Kid wasn't afraid of Will until after he'd killed a man himself. When they're on the hill after killing the second cowboy, the Kid has finally realized what kind of man Will must be if he had killed so many people, and is really scared of him.
When they are waiting for the girl to bring the money. And she starts telling all the things that Ned had told Little Bill (whoever he killed in '69, then another in 70), the kid starts staring at Will in awe because he just knows it's true now. As will takes another drink of the bottle
Yeah the look he gives William after the girl finishes talking about his past is a look of utter terror and dread he’s probably thinking “who have I gotten myself involved with?” Because he’s finally realized that he’s standing next to a cold blooded murderer who wouldn’t think twice about killing him if he does something that Will doesn’t like an example when Will demands him to give him his Schofield revolver and when he asks “what for?” He then demands it again with a more intimidating approach to show that if he isn’t going to give it to him he’ll get it from him one way or another so The Kid obliges and then adds that he’s to keep that along with the money because as he says “I guess I’d rather be blind and ragged than dead” and Will reassures him that he won’t kill him as he is the only friend he has left but the Kid gives him a doubtful stare as if he’s unsure whether or not he believes him, that scene was so chilling
Great observation. I have always loved that scene. He says "I'd rather be blind and ragged than dead", he now KNOWS Will has killed many men, women and children for far less.
I agree with the 2nd part of this observation of the Kid's character in this film but not the 1st...I believe the Kid was actually afraid of Will from the very beginning of their interaction but hid that thru his outward bravado & bluster, until Will's past was finally confirmed by a 3rd party on the hill (the prostitute with the $), convincing the Kid that Will is a dangerous, unpredictable person - making the Kid's fear of Will unavoidable from then onward.
The thing is that sometimes its just that, causing someone to die and not much more. For example a guy stabbed me few years ago so i beated him until he stopped reacting to being hit or kicked in any way. Not once have i felt like it wasnt the right choice and neither did the juridicial system.
I consider this one of the best westerns ever made. It has extremely heavy and grounded vibe and the shootout in the saloon at the end is THE most badass scene in cinerma history.
The movies great but every rewatch feels like you're building the tension till the big bang of the end. It really show cases how fucking cool Clint is in a role like this.
That line and when discussing the murder of the cowboy in the shit house. The Schofield Kid says " Yeah, well I guess they had it comin.." Munny " We all have it comin Kid " Best lines in the movie.
"You just shot an unarmed man!" Well he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate your bar with my friend. "I'll see you in Hell, William Munny" Yeah.
it's interesting how the extent of Delilah's injuries are constantly overinflated to justify taking up the job, but when Will actually meets her he assures her that she's still beautiful.
The woman who takes kind of a motherly role lies and exaggerations gets 7-8 men killed and injured leaves the town in shambles. If she had let well enough be Delilah would have gotten a pony become a barkeep and found her way out of prostitution. But her over reaction to the under-reaction set all kinds of death and destruction in motion.
@@grinningchicken I like how the movie relied on Delilah's actress to display just through her facial expression, that she never wanted the girls to go that far.
@@grinningchicken if someone carved my face up and disfigured me and then bought me a car to say sorry I’d be pissed to, especially if that were to happen to someone who was like a daughter to me
@@Brainwarts99 So if the guy paid the penalty under the "law." Then just to show how much he really wanted to make amends he decided to a little paid extra to her. Your daughter was moved and wanted to accept it. Then you go over her head and reject it and hire gunmen to shoot him? So now your daughter loses the material gain, loses the chance to forgive and forget, and now has to deal with guilt and trauma of a death being attached to her. Is that a better ending?
Clint Eastwood was incredible both in front and behind the camera. And could you cover Dracula from the adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola? I think it would make for an interesting video.
Interesting. I thought you'd just go with William Munny, but instead looked at all characters. Unforgiven shows that there are degrees of evil in all people.
"That's right I've killed women and children , I've killed just about everything that walked or crawled at one point or another...and I'm here to kill you Little Bill." Seen the movie countless times and that line still makes my skin crawl.
@@shawnthompson2303 That's not justice. That is just pointless destruction and unnecesarry cruelty. Since we are not allknowing, there is absolutely no way that we can know the amount of punishment someone deserves.
Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Blood for blood we've all gotta die. Rebel souls. Deserters we've been called. Chose the gun and threw away the sun. That's why all these towns they all know our names. That's why they call me Bad Company. Bad bad company until the day I die. I can't deny bad company.
It's interesting how the Scholfiled Kid turns out to be the heart after coming off as boisterous and seemingly kill hungry, the opposite of most of the other characters. And he too get his hands stained red but at least he unlike the others vows never to do it again, a small shining light in a dark and bleak film.
I never actually inferred that Ned might have also been constantly drunk as Munny was. I always thought he was just haunted by what he did which caused him to freeze when tried to kill again.
I loved how in unforgiven nothing fit into a nice box. The girl who was scarred didnt want the punishment to be so brutal it was the other women who pressed it but because she didnt stand up against them the plot moved forward. Ned the most innocent of the Gang was killed. Little Bill who you could argue was enforcing stability over law was killed sending the town into chaos. And the overall theme of the danger of romanticizing violence as a solution is woven in without actually saying it.
Almost everyone finds justification for their actions while also dismissive of possible outcomes. I imagine the horror the women had when they found out they attracted a Murderer like William Munny and fearful of him when he threatened the town if they didn’t bury Ned Right.
@@griz312 Great point everyone felt their actions were justified or had some regret. Even the guys who beat up the girl submitted to their punishments under "the law" and could argue that they had paid for their crimes.
To me, the biggest lesson this movie teaches is that violence only begets more of the same, and rarely does it solve anything, all it does is bring about more suffering. Think about it, for every person killed in the movie, there was somebody out there that would mourn their death. So, all that truly happened is it merely lead to more suffering. Same thing with vengeance. The Prostitutes sought vengeance for one of their own, and in the process it didn't change what happened to the young girl, and it lead to the deaths of more people, so nothing was set right, and only more injustice sprang forth.
@@griz312munny never tried to justify it he just did it. He needed money so he took a hit. His friend got killed so he made anyone even indirectly involved dead. He just did it didn't justify anything
I always got the impression that Delilah was caught in the middle. She never expresses (at least verbally) that she wanted the cowboys dead as revenge. Even when the cowboy who didn't assault her tried to give her a pony she has this look like she almost appreciates his gesture.
Yea, I watched unforgiven again after watching this and that pony scene, the cowboy says "she can keep her, sell her, do what she likes." (With the pony) and as soon as he says this it cuts to Delilah, and this quick flash of surprise on her face. As if to say "do what I like? A lovely thought." Like she's never been able to "do what she likes." Free will.
@@luvmenow33I get the impression Strawberry Alice was all pent up rage at her circumstance in life and Dellilah's injury was just an excuse to lash out and get back at the world for the obviously traumatic and denigrating nature of her life and role. That's the problem with some types of 'work', they hollow you out inside.
You should do Lee Van Cleef’s character “Angel Eyes” from the Good, The Bad And the Ugly. He was such an interesting character to see on screen and would make a good character to analyze.
I like that one, too The Mexican that seems to be the main focus that time was an interesting character Not evil, just a desperate man looking for a big break And though he often was at odds with Blondie (Eastwood) he wasn't out to end him, just one up him
@@Wastelander1972 I wouldn't say hes necessarily the most generic bad guy around. He has morals, being disgusted by the war and famine around him of the time, and actually has a lower body count than the supposed good guy of the film. Most of his killings are in self defense too.
Here are few suggestions for who to cover in the future episodes of the Analyzing Evil: -Gustavo Fring and Todd Alquist from Breaking Bad (separately of course) -Saruman from LOTR -Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs -Keyser Söze from Usual Suspects -Christof from Truman Show -Harry Lime from Third Man -Hank Quinlan from Touch of Evil -Victor Vega, aka Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs -Rupert Pupkin from King of Comedy -Dr. Christian Szell from Marathon Man -Jack from House that Jack Built -Napoleon from Animal Farm -Duke, Magistrate, President and Bishop from Salo -Benny from Benny's Video -Peter and Paul from Funny Games -Lee Woo-jin from Oldboy -Indio from Few Dollars More -Tuco from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -Frank from Once Upon a Time in the West -Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct -Euron Greyjoy from ASOIAF
Theres a part where English Bob talks about Royalty and that if someone was actually faced with Royalty and the atmosphere of power that they exude, they couldn't pull the trigger on them. At the end of the movie Munny is leaving the saloon and 2 men have a shot on him, but they never take it. Just some food for thought
When the Kid, Quick Mike's murder still fresh in his mind, tries to assuage his guilt by telling Will, "...well, I guess they had it comin'" Will simply answered, "We've all got it comin', kid..." ...in that statement, it was almost as though Will is asking himself, "When will it be my turn?"
I like how it transcends the West too, that line. There's something so grim and cold about that true reality that death is everyone's destination in the end.
This reminds me of running gun by Marty Robbins specifically the lyrics "And I knew that where I lie today, he to must lie some day" this is after the narrator gets shot in a duel.
The greatest western ever made, the conversation about “killing a man” and the last interaction between Eastwood and Hackman are truly some of the most profound interactions put to screen.
Unforgiven is truly a masterful film that in my opinion thoroughly explains the numerous atrocities and occurrences of the Old West. Clint Eastwood did an outstandingly superb job in showing that. Brilliant analysis. As a suggestion I'd like to see Lestat from "Interview With The Vampire" being analyzed in a video.
This film is getting a lot of attention on TH-cam lately, and I for one couldn’t be happier. This is the film I point to whenever the subject of the real Old West comes up.
“William Munney rides off without answering for his sins.” He wakes up every morning, that’s punishment enough. Or so it is for those that live long enough to grow a conscious.
There's not a single "Good guy" in this whole movie. William Munny tries to be a father and honest pig farmer but finds out with the death of his wife that he's only one drink away from being the explosive cold blooded killer of his youth.
And it was Ned's death at the hands of Little Bill that pushed Will over the edge and reverting back to the cold blooded killer he was before he met Claudia.
Yeah, because as we all know movies that challenged notions of conventional morality stopped existing after the 90’s. Why do TH-cam comments always do this shit?
@@bibniebt cmon dude bro you're strawmannjng here. Movies like this simply aren't made any more - with complex, nuanced characters. Not to mention there's no identity politics bullshit. Also it in no way "challenges notions of conventional morality" - it AFFIRMS them. Don't kill, don't steal, don't do revenge, don't abuse power. Sounds awfully conventional to me.
@@scottmccrea1873 “you’re strawmanning here” “No identity politics bullshit” That didn’t take long. By the way, name five movies that came out last year that you actually saw
@@bibniebt always has to be one rando trying to be the cool kid and failing miserably. Movies today are of much lower quality as a matter of objective fact.
One of the greatest westerns ever! And it’s moral ambiguity makes it also one of the most thought provoking films ever! Definitely you should do one on Nina Myers from the tv series “24.” There’s tons of information on her to help in her back story.
Since we're on the topic of Westerns... How about Al Swearengen from the HBO series "Deadwood"? Al Swearengen was a historical figure too. And he is a very complex character in the show, deep into the moral grey area.
You should read about the real Al Swearengen and the other Deadwood townsfolk. Some are just as interesting, if not moreso than their theatric counterparts.
4:27 however, she has a legally binding contract to be protected while in the employment of skinny. and if he cannot deliver (which he did not) she is within her rights to receive compensation. it works both ways.
"You just shot an unarmed man." "Well he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend." IMHO - best two lines every spoken in a western.
Its not just the line, its the intensity of the storm, the darkness that is outside is brought Inside when Will walks in , his eyes and face shrouded by the hat, the utter silence that followed his cocking that shotgun, his slow calm delivery , the Pronouncement intent of the line, "Well, he Shudda Armed himself then, if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend." Many prices were Paid in that scene. And the end scene line , "you better not cut up or otherwise harm no whores, or I'll come back and kill every one of you son's of bitches" , and then ride off, on that Pale Horse, like death incarnate. Also, i loved the theme music of this movie, Claudia's Theme i think its called, i listed to it now and again , even though it has a forlorn quality to i. I think it fits in great with the overall tone of the movie, and Clint Eastwood wrote that music, so my hat is off to a Master of his craft for this movie in all its various ways.
He not only set the town free from the tyranny of little Bill, but he also freed the whores from the slimy greed of Skinny all on the same dark and stormy night. Loved how Munny scared the leach, Beauchamp, off as well, without going into detail about the killings for his amusement or self grandiosity. Simple but powerful from beginning to end, without the fanfare of his usual gunslinging characters.
Bro, this is crazy, I was thinking just yesterday that it would be cool if you analyzed multiple characters in one film, and then I thought “what if he just analyzed a whole film” If you plan on doing more videos like this, I would love analysis on “Prisoners” with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhal
Towards the end, when he comes in to the bar and sets about getting ready to kill everyone, I dont know how they did it, but its like a dark cloud came in with him. You really wonder if he is not human, but in fact a demon walking the earth. No bullets are hitting him, no matter what. You cant quite see him clearly enough anymore, and every shot he fires, one of you goes down dead. And then when hes ranting as he leaves, again, its not the storm that makes it so dark, its the very air around him. The dialogue was brilliant from everyone. But the very atmosphere they made was chilling as hell.
Will Munny is the most interesting shade of evil in this film. He doesn't appear to be evil when we first meet him and it's only when we learn of his past that we understand the monster within him. He doesn't want to kill anyone until he realizes that Ned was killed by Little Bill for what Will did. In my opinion, the most evil thing Will did was murder Skinny. The fact that Will returned to a peaceful life after the bar massacre indicates that despite being a deeply flawed man, Will isn't the most evil man and because of his wife, he does want to be a better man.
I absolutely love when Little Sue is telling Will they killed Ned and you could see her fear building through this exquisite dialogue: "He said how you was really Will Munny out of Missouri... an' Bill said "Same Will Munny dynamited the Rock Island and Pacific in '69 killin' women and children an' all?" An' Ned says you done a lot worse than that, said you was more cold blooded than William Bonney or Clay Alisson an' how if he hurt Ned again you was gonna come an' kill him like you killed a U.S. Marshall in '73" By the end shes so terrified of Will she starts to cry as if shes not expecting to come back down that hill alive just as the kid hints at when he says he`d rather be broke and blind than dead and Will reassures him hes not going to kill him.
Excellent breakdown and analysis. Here are a few suggestions for future episodes. - Frank Underwood/ Francis Urquhart from House of Cards - Petyr Baelish from a Song of Ice and Fire, aka Game of Thrones - Light Yagami from Death Note - Dudley Smith from L.A. Confidential
@@joneubanks9686 I believe Ramsay, Joffrey, Euron and the Mountain are more vile than Little Finger. However, I think Petyr, Cersei and Tywin represent a more sophisticated type of evil.
Tom Ripley, Johan liebert(Monster), nagato(Naruto), magua from the movie last of the mohicans, Grindelwald, John doe from seven, sensui (yuyu hakusho) Kuroro lucifer, Joe Goldberg, meruem(hunter x hunter), eren Jaeger, makishima (psychopass), Philip and Elisabeth Jennings(the americans), lalo salamanca(better call Saul), Helen Pierce(Ozark)
Love this movie and I'm glad you called out Munny for being a villain aswell. It's strange, the whole movie is about how he's not a hero yet lots of people seem to come away thinking he is anyway. Being the protagonist or last man standing is not some blank check for moral superiority but apparently it is to some.
This was fantastic. I still believe there is so much more to unwrap psychologically. This is why I absolutely LOVE this movie. There's so many layers. I've watched this for decades and each time I've walked away with new thoughts and things I need to digest and understand. Amazing film!!
Several of the lawmen of the west were in fact former outlaws in many parts. It was a job not many people wanted to take and you needed a certain set of skills and mentality to do it. That being said its no wonder some of them were less concerned with actually upholding the law while often just outright breaking it.
This is the first time you took on a whole film full of characters who are or have done evil. That is why the title of the film is Unforgiven because your dark past will remain and will stay with you until death comes calling. My suggestions for the next villain are -El Sueno from Wildlands(video game) -Lord Voldermort from Harry Potter -Albert Wesker from Resident Evil(video games only)
Great film. Impressive that Clint Eastwood kept the option on this script by David Peoples all these years and shot it with no changes. Peoples also wrote Blade Runner. Brings to mind another one you might deconstruct: "The Missouri Breaks." Lots of meat in that one, and a great and scary villain, Robert E. Lee Clayton, played by Marlon Brando. John McLiam, Harry Dean Stanton and of course Jack Nicholson all do stellar work.
Of course, there's the subversion of the audience in the shootout at the end. You know Munny's aims are evil, that he is a bad man, and the entire point of the film to that point is that killing isn't the answer, and the consequences of violence are steep. Despite everything you've seen, you *still* want to see the violent outcome, and to see Little Bill pay the highest price for killing Ned. Munny is in the wrong without question. He kills Skinny in cold blood, and it is his own choices and failings as much as Bill's actions that have brought us to this point. However, no one in the audience wants Little Bill to win at this point. Perhaps this was to illustrate how we're all corruptible by the desire for revenge, and the intoxication and finality of violence....or maybe it's just Eastwood finding a way to kick ass....
The way I viewed it, I saw the movie as trying to ask us, if William really is the lesser of two evils. Since we get so much insight into the other people he kills are, therefore begin to see that he really isn't.
Here's one I think you should do: Lone Wolf of Shogun Assassin. It would be great because he begins the tale as an executioner and is literally forced into the anti hero role.
A continuing theme for Eastwood we saw in "The Outlaw Josey Whales" - violence damages the living even more than the dead. This isn't a fun movie but it is a great one.
Suggestions: Bill Sikes- Oliver Twist Gollum-Lord of The Rings Green Goblin- Spider-Man (original trilogy) Derek Vineyard- American History X Everyone from If (1968) The White Witch-The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Eric Cartman- South Park Peter Griffin- later Family Guy Seasons Henry Higgins- My Fair Lady
This is a western designed to subvert the traditional westerns: The sheriff, little Bill, the traditional good guy, who kills the villain and builds a house where he lives happily ever after, is a murderous sadist, who gets killed. The brave and dangerous gunslinger, English Bob, is revealed to be a drunken coward, only fit to fight when the odds are heavily stacked in his favor. And lastly, the villain, who kills for fun and has no morals, is in actuality a good nan who hates violence and stands up for his friends.
One of the best movies ever made, that ending with W.Munny riding off slowly into the night is akin to the Devil being released onto the world….still gives me goosebumps
Hateful Eight wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. It was like a comic book. I love QT but I think Pulp Fiction was his only film worthy of Best Picture.
Same here. Also the subtle blink and you'll miss it moment where he drops the empty whiskey bottle in the street while riding to Greeley's to kill Little Bill. You know then that old Will Munny, killer of women and children, is back.
Great choices by all I would even toss Quark in there because in the second half of the series he does become a hero during the first half he was an outright villain.
Amazing analysis as always. Unforgiven is one of my favorite films of all time. It doesn't seek to be flashy or have anything artificial about it. Instead it tells an important tale complete with all of the classic elements of what makes a great story.
The Schoefield Kid's repentance and Will Money's vengeance on Little Bill were the best moments to me. Ironic since one shows a man wanting to be evil turning away from it, and the other shows a man wanting to turn away from evil return to it.
Th Rock Island was a railroad line that ran from Chicago as its eastern most point to points as far south as Texas and west as California. It is probable that Willam Munny in robbing the train and dynamiting the safe in the mail car caused the deaths of multiple innocent passengers on the train with no remorse for doing it.
Thanks for doing one of my suggestions and great analysis as always! Please do these: Conal Cochran - Halloween 3 Season of the Witch Eli Sunday - There Will Be Blood Krug Stillo - The Last House on the Left (1972) Herbert West - Reanimator Hyman Roth - The Godfather Part II David Kleinfeld - Carlitos’s Way Stuart Richards - Cruising Sheriff Will Teasle - First Blood
Beauchamp is one of the most interesting characters in the movie, and doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. There is alot to be said about what he represents (symbolically) and how fickle he is.
The subtle transformation of Munny from a man trying to a man who excepted what he is at the news of his friend’s death is to this day some of the best acting I’ve ever seen. Nothing grand but you could tell that it wasn’t the same man anymore
Can't believe that you didn't mention Mike Ehrmentraut. He's my favorite character from 'Breaking Bad' (and certainly from 'Better Call Saul'); Gus and Todd are simply evil, true psychotic murderers. Mike is a killer so accomplished as to make either of the other two take an intimidated step back, but he is also one of the most complex, nuanced characters I have ever seen on television. Coldly lethal, wryly humorous, deeply empathic (even toward some of his victims), Mike is, above all, an honorable man, an honest man, a true archetypal warrior living in a world where he can never belong. Maybe he should have stayed in the 'Nam.
Another great thing about this movie is every single main character is depicted with some level of redeeming quality. William Munny- was apparently a loving husband and just wants to provide for his children. He is also the only one that reassured Delilah that she was still beautiful in spite of her scars. Ned Logan- seemed to be the most calm and rational. The one that realized that he was no longer a killer. His older self had found a level of compassion that prevented him from taking life even if he felt it was just. The Schofield kid- although he puffed himself up as a killer he is revealed to be anything but and vows to renounce violence forever. Little Bill Daggett- a former gunslinger himself dedicated to keeping his town a safe and peaceful place even if it meant some unusual methods. The fact that he was often mocked for his poor carpentry skills had the desired effect of making him seem more relatable despite his sometimes menacing presence. The girls- They just wanted it to be known that they couldn't be pushed around, attacked and brutalized without repercussion. They wanted to remain safe in a world that hardly guaranteed that. W.W. Beauchamp.- As a writer he wanted to spread the mythos of the wild wild west to the wider world. To provide a little escapism and some proxy adventures to the people reading back east. If he made a little money off of it, so much the better. English Bob- although hardly the gentleman that his manner of dress and speaking would have you believe he was apparently also a gifted storyteller. Even through his arrogance his stories seemed capture the attention of all those around him. Quick Mike- clearly one of the most villainous characters of the film he is still shown to be a valued co-worker and loyal friend to those at the ranch. The fact that others would risk their lives to defend him shows they must have seen something in him that clearly we did not. Davey- a fairly young man, after initially being on board with Quick Mike's attack on Delilah he very quickly changed his trajectory once he saw how brutal the attack was and tried in vain to prevent it from going any further. Of the two he is also the one who seemed to show any remorse for the attack in his inability to stop it from being carried out. His death seemed to cause out and our distress to his friends as opposed to the death of Quick Mike which mostly just seemed to provoke anger.
I think you make a great point with the characters only being human. Never realized how much influence that trait has on the choices they make in the world.
Im still only part way through the video, but I had to stop to say that I disagree with what you said about how the women should have just paid someone to bring the 2 guys to them so they could hurt them like they hurt Delilah. That would have never worked logistically. Had the woman attacked those men but let them live, either the men would return and do even worse to the women (most likely rape, torture, and kill), or they would have pressured the sheriff to do something similar, such as whip, jail and/or hang them. It was a misogynistic culture and those women were considered the lowest of the low. Sub-human. Property more than people. That left the women with the option of either doing what they did, or doing nothing at all. Maybe they took it to far by putting a hit on Quick Mike's friend, but I think, given the world they lived in, it was perfectly understandable for them to want Mike dead. He would have been a continual danger to those women anyway and who knows what else he might have done to other women over the years if he hadn't been killed when he was.
This is one of my favorites. I used to wake up in the morning in college and just put it on in the background. I could quote the whole movie at one point. The rock island and pacific was a railroad not a place. Will likely dynamited it “killing women and children” in the midst of a robbery.
I like to imagine the movie where Mr. Beauchamp is the main character. Then it becomes sort of a morality play as he hops from one evil character to the next, trying to find the ultimate badass for his stories. But in a way, he is in fact descended into hell (metaphorically speaking) and the ultimate badass is in fact the devil, and he does not give a damn about Mr. Beauchamp and his pretentions.
"Unforgiven" is arguably the best western ever! The story is much more complex than presented since it's actually a commentary on race relations in Los Angeles. Race has been a running theme in Eastwoods recent films exposing the stereotypes created in past western. No hero dressed in White. No bad guy dressed in Black. No good hearted prostitute. No educated doctor left to tell the tale. The West was harsh and "unforgiving". The title doesn't say "The Unforgiven", but simply "Unforgiven". Each character is flawed. Little Bill beats The Duck of Death which resembles the beating of Rodney King. Just look at the camera angles Eastwood uses for a comparison. Little Bill is building a crooked house. A parody of the town and the people in it. I could go on. But, this is one great movie and Clint is a great story teller.
Though that is an interesting theory. The only link between the unforgiven and race relations in the LA was Hackman saying that he based his performance off of Daryl Gates. It’s not really that deep
@@utopiabuster despite him having more race related films as of his recent catalogue. The script for the film had little to no changes, and was created in 84’ while the LA riots were 92’. I’m not saying that there were no race related issues in LA before 92’. Just saying that it’s not likely that this movie was about race issues.
@@bryce8696 , I'll accept all that. But, I gotta ask what motivated Gene Hackman to base his performance on Darryl Gates and if it's possible that translated to the final product on screen. The Rodney Kind incident occurred in 1991. Peace
Quite possibly thee most honest western film ever made. especially The fact that it showed you that the line between the good guys and the bad guys in the old west was a lot thinner than people would like to admit.
Here are some suggestions……. The Kurgen from Highlander Ozai from Avatar: The Last Airbender Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones Agent Smith from The Matrix Angel Eyes from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly The Penguin from Batman Returns The T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day Raoul Silva from Skyfall Jim Moriarty from Sherlock Bojack Horseman from Bojack Horseman (Not evil, but he has done shitty things) The Gang from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Captain Hadley from The Shawshank Redemption The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill
Some towns back then had a “turn in your guns when you enter town and get them back when you leave”. Especially when a fair or large event happened. Still didn’t stopped the trouble makers from bringing in smaller pistols like darangers and such.
a particularly challenging villain for you to cover could be the monster baby from eraserhead. yeah, i know, eraserhead is one of the most talked-about cult classics of all time, but you seem to have a knack for pointing out things no one else has noticed before. besides that, it would be fun to see your literal, matter-of-fact style tackle such an ambiguous and difficult to decipher film. one of my favorite things about eraserhead is that, while its esoteric and elusive by nature, theres still a clear story in mind and david lynch had a definitive point he wanted to make.
Like most Hollywood movies, it's an interesting take on an idea. Eastwood has said in a number of interviews that he made this movie, not to glorify violence and murder, but to speak out against it. I think this movie is a very progressive view of what killing another person means to someone. It's somewhat of a misguided perception based on morals and ethics that not everyone holds. There are people who have no issue gunning a person down. They aren't mentally ill and they don't always come from a poor upbringing. They can look the person in the eye, be stone cold sober and any of the other things this movie (and movies like it) claim people need to cope with the act of killing. There are just some people in the world that don't care about killing. They can do it and they can live their lives with indifference to their actions.
Thanks for this. This movie was so layered and I was struggling to wrap my head around everything it was doing. It was a problem that baffled me because I don't usually struggle with analyzing the themes of a movie in my own head. Your analysis helped me connect all of the dots. Cheers.
It was an interesting touch that the Kid wasn't afraid of Will until after he'd killed a man himself. When they're on the hill after killing the second cowboy, the Kid has finally realized what kind of man Will must be if he had killed so many people, and is really scared of him.
When they are waiting for the girl to bring the money. And she starts telling all the things that Ned had told Little Bill (whoever he killed in '69, then another in 70), the kid starts staring at Will in awe because he just knows it's true now. As will takes another drink of the bottle
The terror in his eyes when he finally realizes who he's dealing with
Yeah the look he gives William after the girl finishes talking about his past is a look of utter terror and dread he’s probably thinking “who have I gotten myself involved with?” Because he’s finally realized that he’s standing next to a cold blooded murderer who wouldn’t think twice about killing him if he does something that Will doesn’t like an example when Will demands him to give him his Schofield revolver and when he asks “what for?” He then demands it again with a more intimidating approach to show that if he isn’t going to give it to him he’ll get it from him one way or another so The Kid obliges and then adds that he’s to keep that along with the money because as he says “I guess I’d rather be blind and ragged than dead” and Will reassures him that he won’t kill him as he is the only friend he has left but the Kid gives him a doubtful stare as if he’s unsure whether or not he believes him, that scene was so chilling
Great observation. I have always loved that scene. He says "I'd rather be blind and ragged than dead", he now KNOWS Will has killed many men, women and children for far less.
I agree with the 2nd part of this observation of the Kid's character in this film but not the 1st...I believe the Kid was actually afraid of Will from the very beginning of their interaction but hid that thru his outward bravado & bluster, until Will's past was finally confirmed by a 3rd party on the hill (the prostitute with the $), convincing the Kid that Will is a dangerous, unpredictable person - making the Kid's fear of Will unavoidable from then onward.
"It's a helluva thing to kill a man. You take all he's got...and all he's ever gonna have. Take another drink, kid."
"We _all_ got it comin', kid."
Could this be a prelude to 3:10 to Yuma ?😉
The thing is that sometimes its just that, causing someone to die and not much more. For example a guy stabbed me few years ago so i beated him until he stopped reacting to being hit or kicked in any way. Not once have i felt like it wasnt the right choice and neither did the juridicial system.
@@ilewtf2234 ok sure yeah that happened
@@sal6695 What?? You don't believe his story of heroism and the "Juridicial" system??
I consider this one of the best westerns ever made. It has extremely heavy and grounded vibe and the shootout in the saloon at the end is THE most badass scene in cinerma history.
The movies great but every rewatch feels like you're building the tension till the big bang of the end. It really show cases how fucking cool Clint is in a role like this.
Agree 100%
It's also Clint Eastwood's last Western film if not the last wastern movie ever made.
It's definitely Clint's best film in front of and behind the camera. Amazing film. It totally deserved that Best Picture Oscar.
@@paulshealy1863 There have been plenty of excellent westerns made after Unforgiven.
Little Bill: “I don't deserve to die like this.”
Will Munny: “Deserves got nothing to do with it.”
Bill: I’ll see you in Hell William Munny.
William: Yeah.
Give my regards to Ned.
Probably my favorite quote from this movie, and one of the best lines in cinema.
That line and when discussing the murder of the cowboy in the shit house. The Schofield Kid says " Yeah, well I guess they had it comin.."
Munny " We all have it comin Kid "
Best lines in the movie.
"Any man takes a shot at me, then I'll kill his family and all his friends" best line ever
"You just shot an unarmed man!"
Well he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate your bar with my friend.
"I'll see you in Hell, William Munny"
Yeah.
"Decorate his saloon with my friend"
it's interesting how the extent of Delilah's injuries are constantly overinflated to justify taking up the job, but when Will actually meets her he assures her that she's still beautiful.
The woman who takes kind of a motherly role lies and exaggerations gets 7-8 men killed and injured leaves the town in shambles. If she had let well enough be Delilah would have gotten a pony become a barkeep and found her way out of prostitution. But her over reaction to the under-reaction set all kinds of death and destruction in motion.
@@grinningchicken I like how the movie relied on Delilah's actress to display just through her facial expression, that she never wanted the girls to go that far.
I'm sure that's because his wife taught him compassion and to appreciate the inner person. That never would have happened back in his outlaw days.
@@grinningchicken if someone carved my face up and disfigured me and then bought me a car to say sorry I’d be pissed to, especially if that were to happen to someone who was like a daughter to me
@@Brainwarts99 So if the guy paid the penalty under the "law." Then just to show how much he really wanted to make amends he decided to a little paid extra to her.
Your daughter was moved and wanted to accept it.
Then you go over her head and reject it and hire gunmen to shoot him?
So now your daughter loses the material gain, loses the chance to forgive and forget, and now has to deal with guilt and trauma of a death being attached to her.
Is that a better ending?
Clint Eastwood was incredible both in front and behind the camera. And could you cover Dracula from the adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola? I think it would make for an interesting video.
A tragic villain, for sure. One of Gary Oldman’s best.
Oooooo great suggestion!
One of Gary's finest of films.
@@blizzarddemon5453 Agreed, that's an cool profile picture btw.
Leave it to a tragic villain to make you question your own moral standing in life.
Interesting. I thought you'd just go with William Munny, but instead looked at all characters. Unforgiven shows that there are degrees of evil in all people.
"That's right I've killed women and children , I've killed just about everything that walked or crawled at one point or another...and I'm here to kill you Little Bill."
Seen the movie countless times and that line still makes my skin crawl.
There is only one Justice in this world.
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
*Blood for blood.*
It's almost like he is not even human in that scene. It's like he is the devil himself.
We need to face a hard truth: we are as capable of good as we are evil. All of us. Never forget that when you look in a mirror.
@@shawnthompson2303 That's not justice. That is just pointless destruction and unnecesarry cruelty. Since we are not allknowing, there is absolutely no way that we can know the amount of punishment someone deserves.
Eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Blood for blood we've all gotta die.
Rebel souls. Deserters we've been called. Chose the gun and threw away the sun. That's why all these towns they all know our names.
That's why they call me Bad Company.
Bad bad company until the day I die.
I can't deny bad company.
It's interesting how the Scholfiled Kid turns out to be the heart after coming off as boisterous and seemingly kill hungry, the opposite of most of the other characters. And he too get his hands stained red but at least he unlike the others vows never to do it again, a small shining light in a dark and bleak film.
I never actually inferred that Ned might have also been constantly drunk as Munny was. I always thought he was just haunted by what he did which caused him to freeze when tried to kill again.
Always nice to hear someone understand what inferred means (that it's the reverse of 'implied')
I think in a way, Ned was glad he was able to die without having another death on his conscience.
Interesting that in the ending, as drunkenly violent as Will is, he doesn't harm anyone who's not threatening him.
I loved how in unforgiven nothing fit into a nice box. The girl who was scarred didnt want the punishment to be so brutal it was the other women who pressed it but because she didnt stand up against them the plot moved forward. Ned the most innocent of the Gang was killed. Little Bill who you could argue was enforcing stability over law was killed sending the town into chaos. And the overall theme of the danger of romanticizing violence as a solution is woven in without actually saying it.
Almost everyone finds justification for their actions while also dismissive of possible outcomes. I imagine the horror the women had when they found out they attracted a Murderer like William Munny and fearful of him when he threatened the town if they didn’t bury Ned Right.
@@griz312 Great point everyone felt their actions were justified or had some regret. Even the guys who beat up the girl submitted to their punishments under "the law" and could argue that they had paid for their crimes.
With little Bill, it's called being pragmatic. Which sometimes is reasoned out as being the most convenient way instead of the right way.
To me, the biggest lesson this movie teaches is that violence only begets more of the same, and rarely does it solve anything, all it does is bring about more suffering.
Think about it, for every person killed in the movie, there was somebody out there that would mourn their death. So, all that truly happened is it merely lead to more suffering.
Same thing with vengeance. The Prostitutes sought vengeance for one of their own, and in the process it didn't change what happened to the young girl, and it lead to the deaths of more people, so nothing was set right, and only more injustice sprang forth.
@@griz312munny never tried to justify it he just did it. He needed money so he took a hit. His friend got killed so he made anyone even indirectly involved dead. He just did it didn't justify anything
I always got the impression that Delilah was caught in the middle. She never expresses (at least verbally) that she wanted the cowboys dead as revenge. Even when the cowboy who didn't assault her tried to give her a pony she has this look like she almost appreciates his gesture.
Yea, I watched unforgiven again after watching this and that pony scene, the cowboy says "she can keep her, sell her, do what she likes." (With the pony) and as soon as he says this it cuts to Delilah, and this quick flash of surprise on her face. As if to say "do what I like? A lovely thought." Like she's never been able to "do what she likes." Free will.
Absolutely correct. It was StrawBerry Alice who pushed it the entire time.
@@luvmenow33I get the impression Strawberry Alice was all pent up rage at her circumstance in life and Dellilah's injury was just an excuse to lash out and get back at the world for the obviously traumatic and denigrating nature of her life and role. That's the problem with some types of 'work', they hollow you out inside.
You should do Lee Van Cleef’s character “Angel Eyes” from the Good, The Bad And the Ugly. He was such an interesting character to see on screen and would make a good character to analyze.
Do you think Angel Eyes murdered Bill Carsons?
@@flightofthebumblebee9529 Well, we see Bill Carson die of what I assume to be dehydration in the desert scene when Tuco goes to get him some water
I like that one, too
The Mexican that seems to be the main focus that time was an interesting character
Not evil, just a desperate man looking for a big break
And though he often was at odds with Blondie (Eastwood) he wasn't out to end him, just one up him
I don’t think that would have made a good video. He’s a pretty generic bad guy in that film.
@@Wastelander1972 I wouldn't say hes necessarily the most generic bad guy around. He has morals, being disgusted by the war and famine around him of the time, and actually has a lower body count than the supposed good guy of the film. Most of his killings are in self defense too.
Here are few suggestions for who to cover in the future episodes of the Analyzing Evil:
-Gustavo Fring and Todd Alquist from Breaking Bad (separately of course)
-Saruman from LOTR
-Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs
-Keyser Söze from Usual Suspects
-Christof from Truman Show
-Harry Lime from Third Man
-Hank Quinlan from Touch of Evil
-Victor Vega, aka Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs
-Rupert Pupkin from King of Comedy
-Dr. Christian Szell from Marathon Man
-Jack from House that Jack Built
-Napoleon from Animal Farm
-Duke, Magistrate, President and Bishop from Salo
-Benny from Benny's Video
-Peter and Paul from Funny Games
-Lee Woo-jin from Oldboy
-Indio from Few Dollars More
-Tuco from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
-Frank from Once Upon a Time in the West
-Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct
-Euron Greyjoy from ASOIAF
I would add Angel Eyes from The Good The Bad and the Ugly. He is definitely a more threatening presence than Tuco
There are a dozen evil characters in ASOIAF.
I'd add Gollum also, and Derek Vineyard from American History X
Percy Wetmore from The Green Mile
@@CT-Irodion most of them are one-dimensional and just pure evil. Not much to analyze there.
Theres a part where English Bob talks about Royalty and that if someone was actually faced with Royalty and the atmosphere of power that they exude, they couldn't pull the trigger on them. At the end of the movie Munny is leaving the saloon and 2 men have a shot on him, but they never take it. Just some food for thought
Nice catch
Forgot about that, good point
They didn't take it because of the threat he made to their bloodline not long before that
@@EpicMinecraftFail agreed
That and the fact they just watched Will single-handedly kill 5 men, some of whom were quite dangerous men themselves
Another thing to notice is the characters whose names also are currency: little BILL, William MUNNY, English BOB.
When the Kid, Quick Mike's murder still fresh in his mind, tries to assuage his guilt by telling Will, "...well, I guess they had it comin'"
Will simply answered, "We've all got it comin', kid..."
...in that statement, it was almost as though Will is asking himself, "When will it be my turn?"
Any gunslinger that lives long enough begins to wonder that...
I like how it transcends the West too, that line. There's something so grim and cold about that true reality that death is everyone's destination in the end.
This reminds me of running gun by Marty Robbins specifically the lyrics "And I knew that where I lie today, he to must lie some day" this is after the narrator gets shot in a duel.
I never thought about this...great aspect. I LOVE this movie (read the comments) and I've never thought of this...
The greatest western ever made, the conversation about “killing a man” and the last interaction between Eastwood and Hackman are truly some of the most profound interactions put to screen.
Unforgiven is truly a masterful film that in my opinion thoroughly explains the numerous atrocities and occurrences of the Old West. Clint Eastwood did an outstandingly superb job in showing that. Brilliant analysis.
As a suggestion I'd like to see Lestat from "Interview With The Vampire" being analyzed in a video.
One of my most favorite movies. So deep. Everytime I watch, I walk away with things to analyze and think about. Fantastic movie
This film is getting a lot of attention on TH-cam lately, and I for one couldn’t be happier. This is the film I point to whenever the subject of the real Old West comes up.
My dad loves westerns he has watched this movie my entire life... I think I should check it out
because it's a masterpiece
This is one of only 4 Westerns that won Best Picture. I think Hell or High Water deserved it but it didn't win (just nominated).
The novel of "Blood Meridian" should also be considered.
@@Thedoctor19000 never heard of it. I’ll have to look it up and put it on my reading list.
“William Munney rides off without answering for his sins.” He wakes up every morning, that’s punishment enough.
Or so it is for those that live long enough to grow a conscious.
There's not a single "Good guy" in this whole movie. William Munny tries to be a father and honest pig farmer but finds out with the death of his wife that he's only one drink away from being the explosive cold blooded killer of his youth.
And it was Ned's death at the hands of Little Bill that pushed Will over the edge and reverting back to the cold blooded killer he was before he met Claudia.
This movie is simply a masterpiece. Everyone is at their best. Damn, I miss movies like this...
Greatness without the gdmn MESSAGE.
Yeah, because as we all know movies that challenged notions of conventional morality stopped existing after the 90’s. Why do TH-cam comments always do this shit?
@@bibniebt cmon dude bro you're strawmannjng here. Movies like this simply aren't made any more - with complex, nuanced characters. Not to mention there's no identity politics bullshit. Also it in no way "challenges notions of conventional morality" - it AFFIRMS them. Don't kill, don't steal, don't do revenge, don't abuse power. Sounds awfully conventional to me.
@@scottmccrea1873 “you’re strawmanning here”
“No identity politics bullshit”
That didn’t take long.
By the way, name five movies that came out last year that you actually saw
@@bibniebt always has to be one rando trying to be the cool kid and failing miserably. Movies today are of much lower quality as a matter of objective fact.
I always liked the idea that William munny is death, can't be killed, doesn't miss, pale horse etc
So basically, this movie is like how real life is sometimes; there are no heroes.
To protect the sheep, It takes a wolf to catch a wolf, that’s what Denzel Washington taught me lol
Depends on what you define as a hero.
And don't piss off the wrong people.
No heroes just guys that handle business and those that don't
Great viewpoint! I love the comments. I learn so much
My favorite Gene Hackman performance, which is saying a lot considering his prior impressive filmography.
"I've killed everything that walks or crawls at one time or another....now I'm here to kill you Little Bill..."
Chilling and unsettling
One of the greatest westerns ever! And it’s moral ambiguity makes it also one of the most thought provoking films ever!
Definitely you should do one on Nina Myers from the tv series “24.” There’s tons of information on her to help in her back story.
I'm hoping Johnny Ringo is coming next, my favorite villain.
Ambiguous? Willfully ignorant.
Since we're on the topic of Westerns... How about Al Swearengen from the HBO series "Deadwood"?
Al Swearengen was a historical figure too. And he is a very complex character in the show, deep into the moral grey area.
He’d be perfect for this
You should read about the real Al Swearengen and the other Deadwood townsfolk. Some are just as interesting, if not moreso than their theatric counterparts.
4:27
however, she has a legally binding contract to be protected while in the employment of skinny.
and if he cannot deliver (which he did not) she is within her rights to receive compensation.
it works both ways.
"You just shot an unarmed man."
"Well he should have armed himself if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend."
IMHO - best two lines every spoken in a western.
Its not just the line, its the intensity of the storm, the darkness that is outside is brought Inside when Will walks in , his eyes and face shrouded by the hat, the utter silence that followed his cocking that shotgun, his slow calm delivery , the Pronouncement intent of the line, "Well, he Shudda Armed himself then, if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend." Many prices were Paid in that scene. And the end scene line , "you better not cut up or otherwise harm no whores, or I'll come back and kill every one of you son's of bitches" , and then ride off, on that Pale Horse, like death incarnate. Also, i loved the theme music of this movie, Claudia's Theme i think its called, i listed to it now and again , even though it has a forlorn quality to i. I think it fits in great with the overall tone of the movie, and Clint Eastwood wrote that music, so my hat is off to a Master of his craft for this movie in all its various ways.
He not only set the town free from the tyranny of little Bill, but he also freed the whores from the slimy greed of Skinny all on the same dark and stormy night.
Loved how Munny scared the leach, Beauchamp, off as well, without going into detail about the killings for his amusement or self grandiosity. Simple but powerful from beginning to end, without the fanfare of his usual gunslinging characters.
Little Bill Daggett: I'll see you in hell, William Munny.
Bill Munny: Yeah.”
Bro, this is crazy, I was thinking just yesterday that it would be cool if you analyzed multiple characters in one film, and then I thought “what if he just analyzed a whole film”
If you plan on doing more videos like this, I would love analysis on “Prisoners” with Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhal
Towards the end, when he comes in to the bar and sets about getting ready to kill everyone, I dont know how they did it, but its like a dark cloud came in with him. You really wonder if he is not human, but in fact a demon walking the earth. No bullets are hitting him, no matter what. You cant quite see him clearly enough anymore, and every shot he fires, one of you goes down dead.
And then when hes ranting as he leaves, again, its not the storm that makes it so dark, its the very air around him.
The dialogue was brilliant from everyone. But the very atmosphere they made was chilling as hell.
Will Munny is the most interesting shade of evil in this film. He doesn't appear to be evil when we first meet him and it's only when we learn of his past that we understand the monster within him. He doesn't want to kill anyone until he realizes that Ned was killed by Little Bill for what Will did. In my opinion, the most evil thing Will did was murder Skinny. The fact that Will returned to a peaceful life after the bar massacre indicates that despite being a deeply flawed man, Will isn't the most evil man and because of his wife, he does want to be a better man.
I absolutely love when Little Sue is telling Will they killed Ned and you could see her fear building through this exquisite dialogue:
"He said how you was really
Will Munny out of Missouri...
an' Bill said "Same Will Munny
dynamited the Rock
Island and Pacific in '69 killin'
women and children an' all?" An'
Ned says you done a lot worse than
that, said you was more cold
blooded than William Bonney or
Clay Alisson an' how if he hurt Ned again
you was gonna come an' kill him like
you killed a U.S. Marshall in '73"
By the end shes so terrified of Will she starts to cry as if shes not expecting to come back down that hill alive just as the kid hints at when he says he`d rather be broke and blind than dead and Will reassures him hes not going to kill him.
Excellent breakdown and analysis. Here are a few suggestions for future episodes.
- Frank Underwood/ Francis Urquhart from House of Cards
- Petyr Baelish from a Song of Ice and Fire, aka Game of Thrones
- Light Yagami from Death Note
- Dudley Smith from L.A. Confidential
Seconded on Frank/Francis! Especially since both characters let you into their thought process by soliloquying to the screen.
All the characters from L. A. Confidential (especially if you take in the book), could be taken into consideration.
there are so many better characters in ASOIF that are so much more evil
@@joneubanks9686 I believe Ramsay, Joffrey, Euron and the Mountain are more vile than Little Finger. However, I think Petyr, Cersei and Tywin represent a more sophisticated type of evil.
Tom Ripley, Johan liebert(Monster), nagato(Naruto), magua from the movie last of the mohicans, Grindelwald, John doe from seven, sensui (yuyu hakusho) Kuroro lucifer, Joe Goldberg, meruem(hunter x hunter), eren Jaeger, makishima (psychopass), Philip and Elisabeth Jennings(the americans), lalo salamanca(better call Saul), Helen Pierce(Ozark)
Love this movie and I'm glad you called out Munny for being a villain aswell. It's strange, the whole movie is about how he's not a hero yet lots of people seem to come away thinking he is anyway. Being the protagonist or last man standing is not some blank check for moral superiority but apparently it is to some.
Bob you been talkin about the queen again, on Independence Day.
Now this is a go one, I did this one for my film class and I truly love this movie.
I am glad you picked it.
This was fantastic. I still believe there is so much more to unwrap psychologically. This is why I absolutely LOVE this movie. There's so many layers. I've watched this for decades and each time I've walked away with new thoughts and things I need to digest and understand. Amazing film!!
9:42
"The Schofield Kid never had a chance to read The Duck of Death..."
You'd have made Little Bill proud. 😂
Schofield kid “Well I guess he had it coming”
William Money “We’ve all got it coming, kid”
Several of the lawmen of the west were in fact former outlaws in many parts. It was a job not many people wanted to take and you needed a certain set of skills and mentality to do it. That being said its no wonder some of them were less concerned with actually upholding the law while often just outright breaking it.
I love the consistency of this channel giving us a new villain almost every week to analyze.
It never ceases to be entertaining as it is informative
"you just shot an unarmed man!"
"well, he should've armed himself..."
"...especially if he was gonna decorate his saloon with my friend"
This is the first time you took on a whole film full of characters who are or have done evil. That is why the title of the film is Unforgiven because your dark past will remain and will stay with you until death comes calling.
My suggestions for the next villain are
-El Sueno from Wildlands(video game)
-Lord Voldermort from Harry Potter
-Albert Wesker from Resident Evil(video games only)
Great film. Impressive that Clint Eastwood kept the option on this script by David Peoples all these years and shot it with no changes. Peoples also wrote Blade Runner.
Brings to mind another one you might deconstruct: "The Missouri Breaks." Lots of meat in that one, and a great and scary villain, Robert E. Lee Clayton, played by Marlon Brando. John McLiam, Harry Dean Stanton and of course Jack Nicholson all do stellar work.
Of course, there's the subversion of the audience in the shootout at the end. You know Munny's aims are evil, that he is a bad man, and the entire point of the film to that point is that killing isn't the answer, and the consequences of violence are steep. Despite everything you've seen, you *still* want to see the violent outcome, and to see Little Bill pay the highest price for killing Ned.
Munny is in the wrong without question. He kills Skinny in cold blood, and it is his own choices and failings as much as Bill's actions that have brought us to this point. However, no one in the audience wants Little Bill to win at this point. Perhaps this was to illustrate how we're all corruptible by the desire for revenge, and the intoxication and finality of violence....or maybe it's just Eastwood finding a way to kick ass....
Exactly. We've *all* got it comin', kid.
The way I viewed it, I saw the movie as trying to ask us, if William really is the lesser of two evils. Since we get so much insight into the other people he kills are, therefore begin to see that he really isn't.
To be fair Munnys aim was pretty good throughout the film , he didn’t miss
Here's one I think you should do: Lone Wolf of Shogun Assassin. It would be great because he begins the tale as an executioner and is literally forced into the anti hero role.
A continuing theme for Eastwood we saw in "The Outlaw Josey Whales" - violence damages the living even more than the dead. This isn't a fun movie but it is a great one.
I never thought that both men were guilty of a crime. For the partner of Quick Mike, It was more and act of "lay down with dogs..."
Suggestions:
Bill Sikes- Oliver Twist
Gollum-Lord of The Rings
Green Goblin- Spider-Man (original trilogy)
Derek Vineyard- American History X
Everyone from If (1968)
The White Witch-The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Eric Cartman- South Park
Peter Griffin- later Family Guy Seasons
Henry Higgins- My Fair Lady
eric cartman would be an excellent watch.
This is a western designed to subvert the traditional westerns:
The sheriff, little Bill, the traditional good guy, who kills the villain and builds a house where he lives happily ever after, is a murderous sadist, who gets killed.
The brave and dangerous gunslinger, English Bob, is revealed to be a drunken coward, only fit to fight when the odds are heavily stacked in his favor.
And lastly, the villain, who kills for fun and has no morals, is in actuality a good nan who hates violence and stands up for his friends.
I love this series! An aesthetic completely unique to itself. The vile eye’s voice over will surely become iconic.
“And I will see you
Soon”
One of the best movies ever made, that ending with W.Munny riding off slowly into the night is akin to the Devil being released onto the world….still gives me goosebumps
Another great film to analyze in whole, like Unforgiven, is The Hateful Eight.
Watchmen
OB isn't evil
Hateful Eight wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. It was like a comic book. I love QT but I think Pulp Fiction was his only film worthy of Best Picture.
The Hateful 8 is The Thing as a western.
@@Johnnybojangles664 Instead of aliens, it's outlaws.
Outstanding choice! There are a few movies out there where it's hard to distinguish who's evil, or rather to what degree they're evil.
When william starts drinking again I get chills. Its so subtle but so powerful
Same here. Also the subtle blink and you'll miss it moment where he drops the empty whiskey bottle in the street while riding to Greeley's to kill Little Bill. You know then that old Will Munny, killer of women and children, is back.
I'd love to see Gul Dukat from DS9 analyzed here. He would be a fascinating study.
Agree completely, in my opinion he and Garak were the best of that show. Also I think Kai Winn would be interesting and the Female shape shifter.
Great choices by all I would even toss Quark in there because in the second half of the series he does become a hero during the first half he was an outright villain.
The next episode should be called the "Nicest Episode of Analyzing Evil".
Please do Toby Flenderson from The Office
I saw this in a drive-in during pouring rain. The movie was dark, but I was captivated. One of the best westerns ever made.
I think I'd like to see a Metal Gear villain, mainly Big Boss, Liquid Snake, or Senator Armstrong
This was one of the last westerns I watched with my Dad before he passed away .
Good choice as always.cheers👌
I am so sorry for your loss RIP to your dad
I'm 21 and I'm a huge Clint Eastwood fan, he's one of my heroes, he will leave behind an everlasting legacy.
What’s your age have to do with anything?
@@keithmccall5170, I don't think many young people my age really know how great and classic Clint is.
@@adamcuneo7189 Especially considering how most of the films he played in were made in the 70s
Amazing analysis as always. Unforgiven is one of my favorite films of all time. It doesn't seek to be flashy or have anything artificial about it. Instead it tells an important tale complete with all of the classic elements of what makes a great story.
Can we get an Analyzing Evil of The Outlaw Josey Wales in the future?
The Schoefield Kid's repentance and Will Money's vengeance on Little Bill were the best moments to me. Ironic since one shows a man wanting to be evil turning away from it, and the other shows a man wanting to turn away from evil return to it.
Th Rock Island was a railroad line that ran from Chicago as its eastern most point to points as far south as Texas and west as California. It is probable that Willam Munny in robbing the train and dynamiting the safe in the mail car caused the deaths of multiple innocent passengers on the train with no remorse for doing it.
I was under the impression he derailed the train with dynamite, making it easier to rob the safe.
Thanks for doing one of my suggestions and great analysis as always! Please do these:
Conal Cochran - Halloween 3 Season of the Witch
Eli Sunday - There Will Be Blood
Krug Stillo - The Last House on the Left (1972)
Herbert West - Reanimator
Hyman Roth - The Godfather Part II
David Kleinfeld - Carlitos’s Way
Stuart Richards - Cruising
Sheriff Will Teasle - First Blood
Beauchamp is one of the most interesting characters in the movie, and doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. There is alot to be said about what he represents (symbolically) and how fickle he is.
The subtle transformation of Munny from a man trying to a man who excepted what he is at the news of his friend’s death is to this day some of the best acting I’ve ever seen. Nothing grand but you could tell that it wasn’t the same man anymore
Can't believe that you didn't mention Mike Ehrmentraut. He's my favorite character from 'Breaking Bad' (and certainly from 'Better Call Saul'); Gus and Todd are simply evil, true psychotic murderers. Mike is a killer so accomplished as to make either of the other two take an intimidated step back, but he is also one of the most complex, nuanced characters I have ever seen on television. Coldly lethal, wryly humorous, deeply empathic (even toward some of his victims), Mike is, above all, an honorable man, an honest man, a true archetypal warrior living in a world where he can never belong. Maybe he should have stayed in the 'Nam.
👏
Apparently most of the characters in Unforgiven are villains. So instead of listing one character, he just uses the title of the movie.
Well, yea, I dont think there is a single "good" charachter in it, everyone is shades of grey
Well done as usual. Succinctly presented, even while juggling the evils of a whole cast of characters. You make it look easy.
One of the most legendary actors of all time. At least top 5.
Here's one for you, if you haven't already done it;
- Jack Torrance from The Shining.
He already did that one.
i believe he has already done a video on him.
Another great thing about this movie is every single main character is depicted with some level of redeeming quality.
William Munny- was apparently a loving husband and just wants to provide for his children. He is also the only one that reassured Delilah that she was still beautiful in spite of her scars.
Ned Logan- seemed to be the most calm and rational. The one that realized that he was no longer a killer. His older self had found a level of compassion that prevented him from taking life even if he felt it was just.
The Schofield kid- although he puffed himself up as a killer he is revealed to be anything but and vows to renounce violence forever.
Little Bill Daggett- a former gunslinger himself dedicated to keeping his town a safe and peaceful place even if it meant some unusual methods. The fact that he was often mocked for his poor carpentry skills had the desired effect of making him seem more relatable despite his sometimes menacing presence.
The girls- They just wanted it to be known that they couldn't be pushed around, attacked and brutalized without repercussion. They wanted to remain safe in a world that hardly guaranteed that.
W.W. Beauchamp.- As a writer he wanted to spread the mythos of the wild wild west to the wider world. To provide a little escapism and some proxy adventures to the people reading back east. If he made a little money off of it, so much the better.
English Bob- although hardly the gentleman that his manner of dress and speaking would have you believe he was apparently also a gifted storyteller. Even through his arrogance his stories seemed capture the attention of all those around him.
Quick Mike- clearly one of the most villainous characters of the film he is still shown to be a valued co-worker and loyal friend to those at the ranch. The fact that others would risk their lives to defend him shows they must have seen something in him that clearly we did not.
Davey- a fairly young man, after initially being on board with Quick Mike's attack on Delilah he very quickly changed his trajectory once he saw how brutal the attack was and tried in vain to prevent it from going any further. Of the two he is also the one who seemed to show any remorse for the attack in his inability to stop it from being carried out. His death seemed to cause out and our distress to his friends as opposed to the death of Quick Mike which mostly just seemed to provoke anger.
Clint Eastwood is really the best
Great choice!
I would love to see you do John Fitzgerald from “The Revenant” or Bobby Peru from “Wild at Heart”
I wonder if he’ll ever cover John Ryder from The Hitcher.
Give it time and he will.
Hell he managed to do a video on Griffith from Berserk and I never thought he'd cover that.
I think you make a great point with the characters only being human. Never realized how much influence that trait has on the choices they make in the world.
I would love to see Big Smoke and Officer Tenpenny from San Andreas analyzed
Both are iconic GTA villains and really funny
"See you in hell, WIlliam Munny!"
"Yeah."
Im still only part way through the video, but I had to stop to say that I disagree with what you said about how the women should have just paid someone to bring the 2 guys to them so they could hurt them like they hurt Delilah.
That would have never worked logistically. Had the woman attacked those men but let them live, either the men would return and do even worse to the women (most likely rape, torture, and kill), or they would have pressured the sheriff to do something similar, such as whip, jail and/or hang them. It was a misogynistic culture and those women were considered the lowest of the low. Sub-human. Property more than people.
That left the women with the option of either doing what they did, or doing nothing at all. Maybe they took it to far by putting a hit on Quick Mike's friend, but I think, given the world they lived in, it was perfectly understandable for them to want Mike dead. He would have been a continual danger to those women anyway and who knows what else he might have done to other women over the years if he hadn't been killed when he was.
Typical…
"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever going to have."
The Sheriff is easily the most evil character ever featured on this channel. I mean, trying to take people’s guns? Still gives me shivers.
He did it for their safety, they should just trust him.
@@JValor As a red blooded Merican, I must respectfully disagree. Now git on outta here, git.
@@gs4011you are cringe af
This is one of my favorites. I used to wake up in the morning in college and just put it on in the background. I could quote the whole movie at one point. The rock island and pacific was a railroad not a place. Will likely dynamited it “killing women and children” in the midst of a robbery.
Excellent! So glad you covered this film.
I'd suggest Bill from Kill Bill for a future episode. Keep up the great work!
I like to imagine the movie where Mr. Beauchamp is the main character. Then it becomes sort of a morality play as he hops from one evil character to the next, trying to find the ultimate badass for his stories. But in a way, he is in fact descended into hell (metaphorically speaking) and the ultimate badass is in fact the devil, and he does not give a damn about Mr. Beauchamp and his pretentions.
"Unforgiven" is arguably the best western ever!
The story is much more complex than presented since it's actually a commentary on race relations in Los Angeles. Race has been a running theme in Eastwoods recent films exposing the stereotypes created in past western.
No hero dressed in White.
No bad guy dressed in Black.
No good hearted prostitute.
No educated doctor left to tell the tale.
The West was harsh and "unforgiving".
The title doesn't say "The Unforgiven", but simply "Unforgiven".
Each character is flawed.
Little Bill beats The Duck of Death which resembles the beating of Rodney King. Just look at the camera angles Eastwood uses for a comparison.
Little Bill is building a crooked house. A parody of the town and the people in it.
I could go on.
But, this is one great movie and Clint is a great story teller.
Though that is an interesting theory. The only link between the unforgiven and race relations in the LA was Hackman saying that he based his performance off of Daryl Gates.
It’s not really that deep
@@bryce8696 ,
Oh, I think I make a very good argument.
Especially when considering the commentary on race evident in Eastwoods recent films.
Peace
@@utopiabuster despite him having more race related films as of his recent catalogue. The script for the film had little to no changes, and was created in 84’ while the LA riots were 92’. I’m not saying that there were no race related issues in LA before 92’. Just saying that it’s not likely that this movie was about race issues.
@@bryce8696 ,
I'll accept all that.
But, I gotta ask what motivated Gene Hackman to base his performance on Darryl Gates and if it's possible that translated to the final product on screen.
The Rodney Kind incident occurred in 1991.
Peace
Quite possibly thee most honest western film ever made. especially The fact that it showed you that the line between the good guys and the bad guys in the old west was a lot thinner than people would like to admit.
Here are some suggestions…….
The Kurgen from Highlander
Ozai from Avatar: The Last Airbender
Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones
Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones
Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones
Agent Smith from The Matrix
Angel Eyes from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Penguin from Batman Returns
The T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Raoul Silva from Skyfall
Jim Moriarty from Sherlock
Bojack Horseman from Bojack Horseman (Not evil, but he has done shitty things)
The Gang from It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
The Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Captain Hadley from The Shawshank Redemption
The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill
You don't get many stories that really tell the tales of various degrees of evil in such a grounded manner and in all its varied forms and depths.
Some towns back then had a “turn in your guns when you enter town and get them back when you leave”. Especially when a fair or large event happened. Still didn’t stopped the trouble makers from bringing in smaller pistols like darangers and such.
Best western ever made in my humble opinion.
Oh, and it's the Duke of death.
a particularly challenging villain for you to cover could be the monster baby from eraserhead. yeah, i know, eraserhead is one of the most talked-about cult classics of all time, but you seem to have a knack for pointing out things no one else has noticed before. besides that, it would be fun to see your literal, matter-of-fact style tackle such an ambiguous and difficult to decipher film. one of my favorite things about eraserhead is that, while its esoteric and elusive by nature, theres still a clear story in mind and david lynch had a definitive point he wanted to make.
Like most Hollywood movies, it's an interesting take on an idea. Eastwood has said in a number of interviews that he made this movie, not to glorify violence and murder, but to speak out against it. I think this movie is a very progressive view of what killing another person means to someone. It's somewhat of a misguided perception based on morals and ethics that not everyone holds. There are people who have no issue gunning a person down. They aren't mentally ill and they don't always come from a poor upbringing. They can look the person in the eye, be stone cold sober and any of the other things this movie (and movies like it) claim people need to cope with the act of killing. There are just some people in the world that don't care about killing. They can do it and they can live their lives with indifference to their actions.
This movie is really good.
Thanks for this. This movie was so layered and I was struggling to wrap my head around everything it was doing. It was a problem that baffled me because I don't usually struggle with analyzing the themes of a movie in my own head. Your analysis helped me connect all of the dots. Cheers.