For me, it's behind Clint's "Outlaw Josey Wales", and the Sergio Leone westerns. Great script and cast, but not in my top tier for westerns. I saw it in the theater when it was released, and have stuck with that opinion since. I'm definitely in the minority.
I agree with your take on it: it's brilliant and one-of-a-kind. I like films where ALL the characters are bad. In real life, a LOT of drama occurs in situations where everyone is at least mostly bad, lol. Another EXCELLENT film where everyone is bad is The Way of the Gun (2000). Highly recommended, and I think it would make a great reaction video.
I love Unforgiven. Other westerns I love are Dead Man (!!!!), The Proposition, and The Dollar Trilogy, of course. So off-westerns that challenge the genre whilst being a weird barrel of fun are my bag! The original Django and The Great Silence are highlights!
Unforgiven is in the tradition of Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" and "Ride the High Country". It's even darker if you consider that William Munny cannot escape his real nature and fate. He's shown initially as a bumbling farmer who has tried to convince himself that his wife changed his nature. He quotes Bible passages, fed to him by his late wife, but he hasn't really been transformed by them, or her. As soon as he is triggered by the desire for revenge and booze, which he falls right back into once he reenters the dark world away from the farm, he easily rejoins the world of violence and killing. He doesn't have to struggle to relearn violence, once he accepts his nature and fate, it comes right back to him. Killing is the only thing William Munny has ever done well.
I've heard such great things about "The Wild Bunch". Still waiting for it to become available on a streaming service I have access to. Eagerly waiting to watch that one. Great points regarding the character of of William Munny. It's what he knows. He may prefer the life he had with with his wife and kids but his old ways fit like a hand in a glove.
I have to disagree with your assessment of his actions. ....I don't see him joining in this contract killing for his desire for booze and revenge. ..For one what revenge ? He has no relationship with the girl who was cut as he could've took to drinking instantly after his wife passed 3 years earlier than the offer from the kid gunslinger. ...Also he could've took to drinking the first few times he was offered once he was on the trip to the town where the money was offered....If you remember his daughter says she suspects most of their livestock hogs had come down with an illness so his return to his former occupation was merely for the money ....This is my opinion anyway....Also throughout the trip he makes it clear he has no intention of returning to that way of life after the job they're on is done ....Now revenge DOES come into play AFTER his friend Ned is killed by the town Sheriff.
@@ThomasFerner My comment concerns his transformation after Ned is slaughtered. I mention "triggered by" to make that distinction. Before that he seems to be in it for the $$ and his commitment isn't whole hearted, until he re-enters the dark side, once triggered by Ned's slaughter and a desire for revenge. I don't find the characterization convincing. He apparently was held in check by his wife, who made him a Bible thumper and teetotaler. I just don't think the film works overall. Apparently after his wife died, he had no idea how to do anything on a farm. But before her death he was a contented Christian and hard working farmer. Something needed to be shown, during the period of his family life, to make his transformation after the death of his wife convincing. I think the similar characterization of Walt in Gran Torino was much better drawn. There an inwardly wounded Walt, beset by guilt for his actions in the Korean War, redeems himself by self sacrifice for others. Walt was held together by his wife, but the guilt was still eating at him, until he could release it after her death by helping the Hmong. Munny, on the other hand, does not have any of that intervening period of life with his wife filled in at all. He goes from cold blooded killer, to self deluded Christian farmer, back to stone cold killer, then on to successful dry goods merchant in San Francisco. However, there are an abundance of standalone scenes in Unforgiven that are excellent.
@@snootybaronetyou apparently watched a different movie, or in the absence of onscreen depiction assume too much. Quoting a few bible verses, doesn't make you a "bible thumper"...or a "Christian". It makes you a guy who knows a few bible verses, which William Munny strikes me as. What makes you think he had "no idea" what to do on a farm? He was LITERALLY doing what you do on a farm with sick livestock, when the "kid" rode up...seperating the sick hogs, from the healthy ones. Homesteading was a tough life. I suspect it was just as tough when his wife was alive. The difference being...he had help. He was STILL a "hardworking" farmer, as was clearly depicted. A hardworking farmer, with two small children, and in need of money. YOU say he transformed after the death of this wife. I suggest he was the same "hardworking farmer" after her death, that he was when she was alive, and that the only transformation took place in your mind. I would also suggest that like the character in Gran Torino, William Munny was also beset by guilt. Not by what he had done in a war. But by ALL that he had done BEFORE meeting his late wife. When he was the "meanest son-of-bitch alive". She died when she was 29 yrs. old. William Munny was obviously considerably older, judging from the age of the children. He had lived a lot of life, and obviously did a lot of drinking, and killing before settling down with her. He wasn't looking so much for redemption...he knew who he was. He obviously struggled with the question posed by the film, in the title...are we ever truly forgiven for the bad things we do? As for his "desire for booze, and revenge". As you stated, after Ned was brutally killed he was "triggered". His repeated refusal to drink alcohol, shows no such "desire" existed. He simply reverted back to the familiar, once he was triggered. Not unlike any other recovered alcoholic, or addict. Was he 'self-delusional' in thinking he truly had changed...perhaps. But the fact that it was reported by OTHERS, that he packed the kids up, and started a successful dry goods business in San Francisco, suggests he wasn't 'self-delusional' at all. No person is JUST one thing. We all have different sides to us. William Munny WAS a "cold-blooded killer", AND a devoted husband, and father...depending on what the situation called for.
Hackman's character was no hero. The line "Innocent of what?" tells you everything about Little Bill. He was a tyrant, a bully. He enjoyed being in power over others. The amazing part of Eastwood's character is that you can see the moment he transforms into the killer William Munny. He takes that whiskey and starts drinking. At that point, he is the killer again.
Indeed, he was not a hero. I just felt in that final scene, where he called out Munny for shooting an unarmed man, that he took on that typical John Wayne like role. It was a fleeting moment but it worked so well.
None of the characters were good people in this which was the point. In one sense the hackman character was the way he was because he knew the type of evil men who were out there he had to deal with & any type of leniency as a sheriff would be portrayed as weakness.
The local sheriff/marshal was often little different from the criminals he faced off with. Many were, in fact, outlaws in other territories, former gumman, or criminals between jobs. Hackman's character likely was one of these; he knew English Bob from the old days, remember, and he must not have been a lawman then, because he didn't arrest Bob for the murder he describes. As to his hatred of "assassins" and his words about Eastwood shooting an unarmed man, he beat an unarmed prisoner to death. His "morals" are just hypocrisy. He is no different than any of the others, perhaps worse, as he seems to enjoy what he does.
Richard Harris was great in "The Field". My late parents were from Connemara, and had a similar outlook to the Harris character. I think his greatest performance was in "The Sporting Life", about a wild Yorkshire rugby player.
I wasn't sure anyone would have heard of it when I mentioned "The Field" 😄. Beautiful spot, Connemara. I haven't seen "The Sporting Life". Might be another for the channel.
High Planes Drifter, one of Eastwood's classics, also has some pretty brutal whipping scenes. The title of the movie in Finland was literally "Ruoska" (Whip), because of them.
So some interesting tidbits about this movie. Unforgiven was written by screenwriter David Webb Peoples. He’s also very well known for writing the screenplays to the science fiction films “Blade Runner” and “12 Monkeys” Please react to these films as well. David Webb Peoples actually wrote the screenplay for Unforgiven back in the mid-70s. Clint Eastwood bought the script back in the 70s and just sat on it for years, knowing that one day he would make the film. In the 70s Eastwood would have been too young for the role of William Munny as written in the script. The writer David Webb Peoples cited as being inspired to write Unforgiven after seeing the Martin Scorsese film “Taxi Driver” He said he was very intrigued by the approach to violence in that film and how the taking of life was dealt with. Thanks you for listening to those around you and not rushing to this particular western just because it’s a popular choice on TH-cam. I do believe the film is so much more impactful if one understands the western as a genre and knows the legacy of Clint Eastwood as a western icon.
Delighted Eastwood got the rights to the script and had the patience to wait until he felt he was the right age. Danny Boyle did something similar, waiting nearly 20 years before making a sequel to Trainspotting as the characters are supposed to be significantly older rather than just ageing the characters up. "Blade Runner" I have seen but "12 Monkeys" I'll have to keep in mind for a future reaction.
@@IrishGuyReacts Have you seen “Taxi Driver” Another essential classic! Be interesting to see if you watch that, if you could pick up on the elements that would inspire Peoples to write Unforgiven. Imagine the writer as a young screenwriter struggling in Hollywood in the 70s. He got a big check from Eastwood for his western script, but then no one probably believed him about selling the script to Eastwood for years afterwards LOL. “The Wild Bunch” next please. Have you tried a VPN to access streaming from other territories?
I have seen "Taxi Driver". Very good movie. Great breakdown of a character and loneliness. Haha it must have been all the more sweet when it became hot news that his script was being adapted by Eastwood in the early 90's. "The Wild Bunch" is currently embroiled in a battle on my poll, but it looks like "Shane" has a healthy lead.
A lot of folks take Unforgiven as Clint's "last word" on the western genre itself (and Clint has mentioned that himself). I don't think it's a repudiation of the genre at all. It's to underline that the dark side of human nature was as influential in the old west as everywhere else. I've seen interviews with Clint where he mentions John Wayne wrote him a scathing letter after seeing High Plains Drifter. Wayne said that Clint's approach was destructive of the genre. Wayne was upset and Clint didn't go into great detail. I don't think they had any kind of rapport. Though it's interesting that, many years later, Eastwood gave a heartfelt tribute to Maureen O'Hara at an Oscar event, she'd been kind to him on set as an unknown actor. O'Hara adored Wayne and she might have given Clint a better idea of where Wayne was coming from.
Yeah, I head read somewhere that it was almost like an anti-western but I think it's more a case of looking at the old west from a different angle/set of goggles. I appreciate those classic form of Westerns but I also appreciate a Western of this tone and format. It's such a shame that Wayne and Eastwood didn't make that Western the latter had in the works. The two most iconic figures in the genre.
It took me many times watching, but the jux to position of the biographer telling tales about the Duke, but Clint’s character actually did those kind of feats.
Eastwood said that Unforgiven was his final word on the western genre, that it summed up everything he had to say about the western. So, what does this film say about the western? In the words of William Money, "It's a hell of a thing killing a man; you take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have." Eastwood critiques the western genre's normalization and even glorification of killing. Killing is an ugly thing, an utterly terrible thing. In classic westerns, killing is sanitized. In reality, people don't just spin around and drop down dead when they're shot. In reality, it takes a man who has been shot a while to die; he cries out in thirst and terror as he gasps out his last raspy breaths. William Money said that during his killing days he was drunk off his ass the whole time and hardly cognizant of what he was doing. There's nothing noble about this and nothing noble about the men who do it. Even when killing seems like just retribution for a crime, like the killing of the two cowboys who cut up the woman, it is still ugly and horrible. As Will says in the final scene, "Deserves got nothing to do with it." And the myth about the quick draw is bunk, too. Most of it comes down to luck and who can remain calm in the moment, which has a lot to do with how drunk a man happens to be. The writer of the cheap dime western novels gets an education, first from Little Bill and then from Will Money, about the difference between fact and fiction. And so do we.
It's fantastic how the film focuses so much on the aftermath of these killings. What a person goes through when they've been shot and also the person who pulled the trigger. It's very much drawn in reality. As much as I've enjoyed a lot of Westerns, you often don't bat an eyelid when the hero kills someone. It's just another way in which "Unforgiven" is so unique.
You made it, finally! So weird you'd run into so many problems after everyone else has reacted to this one! It's so random! I like this movie, mostly because of Gene Hackman, but also just because it's good. The 80s were not the era of westerns at all (nor were the 70s), and most of the times they tried to jumpstart the genre they failed, either commercially, artistically, or both. "Unforgiven" felt like the first real western in many years, it was like a reset on the entire genre and is still the only one from the 90s that I have any affection for. But Clint and Gene Hackman come from the era when westerns were still king, Clint obviously acting in plenty, Hackman in a couple. Cops became the new cowboys in the 70s and both Clint and Gene Hackman made lots of films where they were cops. Here Hackman gets to play both! lol. Anyways, that's where "Unforgiven" ranks for me. It's my favorite modern western (80s-present). If Gene Hackman wasn't in it, it's hard for me to say how much I'd still love it. I'm not crazy about some of the other performances. But Clint's fine, Morgan Freeman's fine......it's a damn good movie!
Would you believe this was actually my first time watching a Gene Hackman movie. What a way to start. Terrific performance. "The French Connection" is another on my list. Loved Eastwood's portrayal too. In comparison to the more "Modern" Westerns I've seen, I enjoyed "Tombstone" quite a bit and "Silverado" was decent, but "Unforgiven" was on a whole other level for me.
@@IrishGuyReacts I like Tombstone too! But when it came out it didn't make that much of a splash. And I liked Silverado, too, and it was billed as "the return of the western" when it was released, but that didn't take either. "Unforgiven" really felt like a reset on the entire genre and restored a sort of "respectability" to it again, lol. As you said, it's on a whole other level, it felt like an instant classic. As far as Hackman, wow, you are in for a treat!!! Bonnie And Clyde (1967), Coppolla's "The Conversation" (1974), and Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001) are my favorite performances of his, but he has MANY great performances, in many, many great movies, iconic, blah blah blah. I mean, he's great as Lex Luther in the original "Superman"! He's great in "The Posideon Adventure"! He just always elevates whatever movie he's in, and in the case of "Superman" (and "Unforgiven") it was total stunt casting! He's one of what I call "The Magnificent Six": Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall. And I almost want to put Michael Caine in there, but we'll leave it American! These dudes were all game changer actors in the 60s-90s (and beyond), each other's greatest competitions, with a string of "iconic", groundbreaking performances....and interchangeably referred to as "the best" during those years (and probably still are). Hackman in "The Conversation", that's often cited as his greatest performance and I know he rates it pretty high himself. Coppolla directed that THE SAME YEAR as "The Godfather Part 2", can you believe it? Anyways, great reaction, and looking forward to the Buster....which you just posted! Woo-hoo!!! See you over there!!!!
🎶 "What I've felt, What I've known Never shined through in what I've shown. Never free. Never me. So I dub thee Unforgiven." 🎶 Fun Fact: Feature film debut of Jaimz Woolvett. Music Enthusiast Fact: Although the score was arranged by Lennie Niehaus, the main theme was written by Clint Eastwood. Legendary Director Fact: Shot in 39 days, coming in four days ahead of schedule. The town had to be built very quickly, with a relatively short run-up time (two months) to the start of filming. The stunt coordinator used the construction period to work on actors' riding skills and stunt choreography. Legendary Boots Fact: The boots Clint Eastwood wore are the same ones he wore in Rawhide (1959). These boots are now part of Eastwood's private collection. In 2005 they were loaned to the Sergio Leone exhibit at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, CA. The boots basically book-ended Eastwood's career in Westerns. Family Affair Fact: Clint Eastwood's mother Ruth Wood toiled through an uncomfortable day (wearing a heavy dress) as an extra, filming a scene where she boards a train. However, the scene was eventually cut, with her son apologizing. All was forgiven when he brought her to the Academy Awards and thanked her prominently in his acceptance speech. Historical Fact: Deputy Clyde's (Ron White) line about why a one-armed man needed to carry three pistols, is sometimes attributed to James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. He usually carried two pistols around his waist, another in a shoulder holster, sometimes another stuck in the back of his belt, and usually had at least one Derringer hidden somewhere. While working as a lawman, he usually carried a sawed-off shotgun as well. Hickok also laughed at Ned Buntline's report about his killing 20 men with 20 shots, saying that his theory was to start shooting, and keep shooting, until the man you were shooting at was dead.
For some reason, when I first saw this movie, I thought that Clint Eastwood's character, William Munny, was really "Josey Wales", 20 years latter. It fit with his background and the reference by Little Bill that Munny was out of Missouri. Just an observation.
"We all have it coming." "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." There's a justice in that the first victim of Munney's revenge is the saloon owner whose greed sort of created this situation.
Finally. My fave westerns; #1 and one of my favorite films in general; the Proposition, screenplay written by Nick Cave and, of course the soundtrack. With Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt (unbelievable performance. His last film) and Emily Watson. I love hundreds of films but this little sleeper sits in my top ten. It's an Australian western. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Outlaw Josie Wales Unforgiven True Grit High Plains Drifter The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Once Upon a Time in the West For a Few Dollars More.
Very good list. "For A Few Dollars More" was my number 1, but "Unforgiven" may have just eclipsed it. "Outlaw Josey Wales" and "The Proposition" will both be watched. 👍
If you want to "neo westerns", too there are quite a few to watch: The Missing 2003 - a very underrated movie with some mystical elements Rango 2011 - though an animated film, it has the story line of a classical western Django Unchained 2012 - a Tarantino classic The Homesman 2014 - produced and directed by Tommy Lee Jones, unusual story, great movie Lonestar 1996 - a multi-layered masterpiece by John Sayles (one of my favorite films) with Kris Kristofferson (who is a great villian), Sam Cooper, Matthew McConaughey and Elisabeth Peña
If you love Eastwood's work as much as I do, a film to check out is one that many years ago Clint said was his favorite of all the films he's made. That film is Bronco Billy. He's made films after that so he may have changed his mind though I doubt it. It's small sweet comedy, a love letter to westerns. It has a message, once you see it you will understand why Clint loves it.
One important difference between the final gunfight in Unforgiven and pretty much every western before it is how, just like Bill said, a cool head is more important than speed. While all the deputies panic, jerk their guns out in a hurry, and fan the hammer like Eastwood in one of his old westerns; they all miss. Will brings his gun up to his eye, levels it on them, shoots, and hits every shot. Many real life gunfighters have echoed Bill's advice ("Fast is fine but accuracy is final, you must learn to be slow in a hurry"-Wyatt Earp), and the Navy SEALS even teach a version of this for defensive shooting (slow is smooth and smooth is fast).
I always liked this one, but it's a slow burn and feels a lot longer than it should. I didn't get into any Westerns until the late 80's/90's, when I first watched 'Young Guns', so with the exception of 'True Grit', I'm partial to the newer films like Young Guns, The Quick and the Dead, Tombstone, and Posse over those of the 60's and 70's. They were just what I grew up with.
Hey thanks for the shoutout with the comparison with The Shootist! And spot on with the pro wreslting metaphor!! Some lawmen/outlaws and Cowboys specifically would have been very similar too pro wrestlers i never thought of that 😂. Cowboys meaning people that worked with cows and horses would go on long cattle drives. Drift from different operations for work or find a ranch that they loved like Undertaker WWE. I love the scene with Curly Bill where he explains how hard a gunfight really is. Fulltime gunman were like UFC fighters. There a decent amount of them but really a small amount of the population. Conor Mcgregor would be able to beat our ass as quick and with as much skill as Arizona Ranger Comadore Perry could shoot three men with guns on him. Which i belive is the inspiration for him doing the reverse too three lawmen. For the end gunfight it really reminds me of Wyatt Earp said about gunfights. He wasnt a quick drawl at all. He said the only reason he lived was he stayed calm and stood still. While everyone else flailed and tried to dodge during the gunfight. Amazing reaction as always!!! Hope the weather gets better in Ireland! Its a 100 in Illinois and dry so send that rain over here!
No problem and you were definitely right. The similarity between The Shootist and Unforgiven in regard to ageing and that one last hurrah helps to make both films very powerful. Indeed, failing to keep one's composure will always increase their chances of not making it out on top in a gunfight. The realism really hit home in this one. To use another metaphor, it's like a penalty shootout in soccer. If you don't keep that composure, good chance you're going to balloon the ball over the bar of the goals or blaze it wide. Delighted you enjoyed the reaction and thanks for the kind words 👍 I'll be sure to send some rain you're way, just send some of that hot, dry weather my way 😉
@@IrishGuyReacts of course man! This channel is great you notice parts of the movie i miss and you're hilarious! yes! And they really show the difference in the actors take on the west as well! Waynes was more hopeful while Eastwoods just like the westerns they made. That is a really good metaphor with the one on one aspect. If you want another movie similar in how realistic it is try Appaloosa with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen . About to traveling gunmen/lawmen. That tame and old west town. Stacked cast as has one of my favorite shootouts were "eveyone knew how to shoot." So it goes a little different then the standard movie shootout.
I think the essence of this film is that there are no “good guys” among the gun fighters. They are all killers and there is no redemption available for any of them in this life.
Exactly how I see it. We root for Eastwood's character because he is the one we are following but another version of this film could see us rooting for Bill. It's the same with "The Sopranos" or "Game Of Thrones". We are often siding with characters who have done terrible things in their past.
Of ALL Eastwood's movies you MUST see The Outlaw Josey Wales ....It's his Opus for sure !.....Probably the BEST Western ever made in many people's opinion including mine !
Just found your channel and watched around 10 of ya vids so far, rare to find someone who does a lot of westerns (lot of other obscure movies too now that I think about it) My fav Eastwood western is High Plains Drifter which ya did, (and I love it cuz it's supernatural/horror too, he's a vengeful ghost, very unique western) but you can tell why this one won an Oscar, back when that might have meant something, yeah just great film, and great reactions from you, keep 'em comin' (and just on a side note ya mentioned wrestling and I watch the OSW guys from your neck of the woods, the way you guys and well all british guys say film always sounds f'n insane to me, lol, I watch a lot of british/irish shit and thas the only word that gets me, anyways great stuff)
Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Haha yeah we have a very distinct way of saying "Film". More like "Fill-Um". Yeah I've watched OSW Review many times over the years. Love there stuff on the old WWF days.
Great reaction to a classic, and it’s my first of yours. Westerns have never been my favorite genre, but there are two or three dozen that rise high among the greats of any genre. Another great Eastwood that I strongly recommend is Pale Rider, which after this, are my two favorites from him. Another modern masterpiece is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). It’s a true epic.
Hey thanks for the kind feedback. Glad you enjoyed it. "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is on the watchlist 👍 Here's my reaction to "Pale Rider" if you'd like to check it out. th-cam.com/video/iPAMY9zblEU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qMSnFS8XhwJMnpNl
@@IrishGuyReacts lol... that's a good question! If you'd like to analyze it as a deconstruction of the classic Western, it fits Wednesdays.... or if you'd like to watch it as 'just' a kick-ass contemporary film with an iconic and terrifying bad guy, Fridays work fine too. ( that's Big help). I personally would do it on Wednesday, because I think it would be fun to view it via the lens of an 'art house-contemporary Western' (I think I just made up that genre).
The genius of Unforgiven is that all of the characters are flawed, morally grey or complicated instead of being just good or evil. Also, it actually shows the effects of violence and revenge, unlike other westerns where these acts would otherwise be celebrated.
One of the westerns you should get around to one day is “McCabe & Mrs Miller”. It’s a very unconventional look at the west, but it shares a lot of ideas with this on the finality of death and the distance between the mythology of the west and the reality. Like this it’s sometimes seen as an “anti-western”, but it was much earlier.
You should really follow this movie up with "The Quick and the Dead," a Sam Raimi western with Gene Hackman playing a similar role to what he plays here. Also has Sharon Stone, Russel Crowe, Leonardo DeCaprio, Lance Henricksen, and Keith David. All about a quick-draw gunslinger competition. Great movie, lots of fun.
This film plays a lot with our perceptions of traditional Western roles. If you think about it, and judge their actions objectively, Little Bill is the closest thing to an actual good guy in Unforgiven. All he's trying to do is stop hired murderers from painting his town red, and his crime against Ned is based on that. Even though we sympathize with them for their plight, the women are murderers for putting out the bounty and refusing the second guy's honest attempt to make good. Ned and Wil might be decent and reformed guys, but they did set out to commit murder for money, and Wil went through with it. Beauchamp is a horrible and amoral ghoul, even though he's not technically accomplice in anything, and the audience is forced to see itself in him.
Yeah, it's that ambiguity and the fact the protagonists can easily be seen as the villains that makes it such a great and different watch from the other Westerns
Well done at the end with your thoughts. I've seen some people talk about this movie and they really miss a lot. What does it say about arguably the greatest western ever made that people easily miss some of the messaging?
Yeah, unforgiven is a masterpiece. I’m not even a huge western fan but it’s a cut above, & imo, along with another film, Mcabe & Mrs Miller, is the best of the genre. McCabe & Mrs Miller stars Warren Beatty & Julie Christie, & like unforgiven, thwarts expectations and uses and twists archetypes. It’s unusual film and perhaps not for everyone but you bringing up The Field makes me think you might appreciate it. It’s from the early 70’s and directed by Robert Altman who was anarchic maverick director that took various genres and flipped them upside down and McCabe & mrs Miller is his foray into the western which is in many ways a precursor to unforgiven. I don’t know if it would receive a lot attention from an audience reaction video, cuz, though highly regarded, is a cult film. Another great Western that’s much more well known and would probably receive a larger audience is high noon. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, it’s from the 50’s & stars Gary Cooper & Grace Kelley
I just found your channel and I think it's a great idea of Western Wednesdays. Have you seen "The Quick and The Dead"? I have only seen one reactor do that film. It is a very underrated western with an all star cast, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone, Leo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gary Sinise, and others. Sam Raimi is the the Director and shot in his typical style, if you don't like his style of filmmaking you might not like it, but I thought it was brilliant.
A very humane and perceptive reaction. One spect of the film I’d like to highlight is it’s existentialist outlook. You alluded to the theme of the universality of death. Eastwood’s character wants to believe as his wife did, but he can’t help picturing her rotting in the ground. The implication is that this life is all there is, so our choices here matter. He’s constantly making choices, for good and for ill. But his victims are gone, his wife is gone, and there’s no God out there. No one is left to forgive him- so he remains unforgiven.
Thank you very much for the kind words. It's one of those movies that makes think. Great way of summing up the film too. Probably the most layered Western I've seen so far.
''The Field'', excellent film, by the great Jim Sheridan (who made one of my all time favorite movies ''In the Name of ther Father''), saw it only once in the early 90s, and indeed, I remember it mostly of the amazing performance by Richard Harris. ''The Field'' reminded me at the time a bit of the incredible (two part epic) French movies ''Jean de Florette'' & ''Manon des Sources''.
So nice to see people in the comments have seen "The Field". I really wasn't sure how known it was outside of Ireland. Interesting, I'll have to seek out those two French movies you mentioned.
A movie suggestion: Rob Roy, starring Liam Neeson, Tim Roth, Brian Cox and whole host of other talents. It is a story of Robert Roy McGregor, a Scottish folk hero played by an Irish natural treasure. It came out the same year as Braveheart, and even though the accents are much more authentic and the plot really good, Mel's torture fantasy overshadowed this should-be-classic.
Where are you from? My mother immigrated to the states at 16 and my step dad in the 90's some time. He's a musician. I grew up on Bhoys of the old brigade and Come out ye black and tans.
@41:41 When you paused it to point out you're ironically rootin for this killer of women and children, I thought was interesting comment lol. But mind you, I'm pretty sure that the casualties of that were regarding when William Munny used explosives on a mine to kill his enemy and the women children were actually just collateral damage, so he never intentionally killed women and children by his own hand, but nonetheless he is solely responsible for those deaths, and so people mention it just to add to his rep. So, yes, it's a true fact but out of context it sounds more menacing to his legend. Btw when Munny blast Gene Hackman away with that thunderous sound both your biceps flexed lol! It's a scary moment, he's Clint Eastwood.
You're comment just further illustrates my point of this film having so many layers and no character is clear black or white. One could analyse this film for days as there is so much to the narrative. Haha I never noticed that my biceps flexed on that moment.
@@IrishGuyReacts : You got some guns haha, and yes the film is just deep overall and yet simple. Can't wait to see more reactions from you to any future Clint movies! Peace
In old school war movies like for example _The Dambusters_ you’ll find scenes in which an aeroplane explodes in the background and the protagonist pilot will nonchalantly turn to his flight engineer and maintaining a stiff upper lip casually remark “Looks like Johnny’s crew has bought it” Similar scenes are all too frequently observed in westerns which stretch the suspension of disbelief. Now if you were flying a Lancaster over Germany every night in 1943 it may well be the case that you encountered death daily (and the death of those you knew personally). However, even in towns on the wild frontier this would not be the case. This is one of the few westerns in which people react with shock and alarm at violent assaults and killings in the same fashion as any normal person would, instead of merely shrugging it off as no more noteworthy than seeing a horse crap in the street. The only thing that slightly spoils the gritty realism is the final scene in which Clint reverts to the same fearless solo avenging angel taciturn badass stereotype that he plays in the majority of his westerns (although it is admittedly very cool to watch). If I’d written the story he’d have been shot in the back by an unseen gunman from the shadows whilst he was taking a drink after the final gun battle. For a western with a similar tone I’d recommend “Open Range” with Robert Duval, Kevin Costner and Michael Gambon (although as the conflict in this film has the same roots as that between Cain and Abel I’d perhaps suggest that you watch “Shane” first to get the perspective of the opposing side).
The reality of death and the authentic way of dealing with the aftermath brings immense depth to the narrative. I was convinced he was going to be killed in that final shootout. I guess it added to the tension given the realism that preceded it, as you felt no one was safe. "Open Range" is on the list to watch as is "Shane". Thanks for the suggestions and the very informed comment.
the moment -when he grabs the bottle and silently starts drinking again begins realization you've been cheering for a very bad man all along. maybe Eastwood wants you to realize this about most westerns. revenge films
Little Bill is a bully. But this movie makes great effort to blur the lines no real goid guys or bad guys. Like you see that one guy who brought the poneys, the one they end up shooting you see he really felt bad about that whole story.
The first cowboy's is death is probably the most difficult scene to watch. It's agonising. And yes, they brilliantly blur the lines of the "good guys" and the "bad guys". The fact it has me questioning who I was rooting for is a testament to the impact of the narrative.
A recent western currently streaming you should check out: "Old Henry" (2021), very small cast, but well cast film, great action sequences, an interesting story.
Sounds like you were torn between who you should root for, Will Munny or Little Bill. If Little Bill hadn't protected his two men & served them the proper justice for slashing the prostitute, the other prostitutes wouldn't have felt the need to put up a bounty to have the two men killed. So, IMO, Little Bill was the "bad guy" for not giving his two men the appropriate justice they deserved. There wouldn't have been no need for The Kid, Ned, or Will. Appreciate your insightful reaction. FYI, you might want to work on your video's sound. I could hear what you were saying very well. But the sound from the movie was VERY WEAK. It would be great if you could balance your sound better in the future. Otherwise, great job! Thank you.
That was probably more about getting around TH-cam than any balancing issues. It seems that TH-cam makes it especially hard for smaller creators to post any cooyrighted material for reactions. Some have to mirror the image, add water marks, lower volume, shrink the screen, et cetera to get by, whereas large channels can show the film practically unadulterated.
You can definitely view it as Bill being the bad guy. I think my final view was that netiher of them were "good guys". Thanks for the tip about the volume. I'll keep that in mind. Sometimes awkward with copyright, I had to mute a few clips to avoid it being blocked. Thanks for checking out the video.
@@RexFuturi Its a real struggle sometimes. I don't even mind the copyright claim so much. It's just when they outright block it after spending hours editing it together.
The second the video started playing you earned a 👎. Playing the video backwards is INFURIATING and gives one a headache. It's also COMPLETELY unnecessary. Tons of reaction channels don't do that garbage. smh
I had extreme difficulty getting this past copyright. About 5 upload attempts. Flipping the screen was a move that seemed to help get it past copyright.
This reversed video shit is not what's keeping this online. That's a myth. It's unnecessary and annoying. Motion Picture is a visual language, meant to be read in one direction. In the Western World, that's left to right. What keeps this safe from copyright strikes is transformative content: Commentary, etc. Will not be subscribing.
A lot of unnecessary comments and relating to other movies etc. This movie is singular for its realistic characters and script.Not your typical shootem up!
Where does "Unforgiven" rank among your favourite Westerns?
For me, it's behind Clint's "Outlaw Josey Wales", and the Sergio Leone westerns. Great script and cast, but not in my top tier for westerns. I saw it in the theater when it was released, and have stuck with that opinion since. I'm definitely in the minority.
I agree with your take on it: it's brilliant and one-of-a-kind. I like films where ALL the characters are bad. In real life, a LOT of drama occurs in situations where everyone is at least mostly bad, lol. Another EXCELLENT film where everyone is bad is The Way of the Gun (2000). Highly recommended, and I think it would make a great reaction video.
Such a heartbreaking film! I just love anything with Gene Hackman. Congrats on your 50th westernaversary!🎉🎉 🤠🤠
Definitely top 5.
I love Unforgiven. Other westerns I love are Dead Man (!!!!), The Proposition, and The Dollar Trilogy, of course. So off-westerns that challenge the genre whilst being a weird barrel of fun are my bag!
The original Django and The Great Silence are highlights!
Unforgiven is in the tradition of Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch" and "Ride the High Country". It's even darker if you consider that William Munny cannot escape his real nature and fate. He's shown initially as a bumbling farmer who has tried to convince himself that his wife changed his nature. He quotes Bible passages, fed to him by his late wife, but he hasn't really been transformed by them, or her. As soon as he is triggered by the desire for revenge and booze, which he falls right back into once he reenters the dark world away from the farm, he easily rejoins the world of violence and killing. He doesn't have to struggle to relearn violence, once he accepts his nature and fate, it comes right back to him. Killing is the only thing William Munny has ever done well.
I've heard such great things about "The Wild Bunch". Still waiting for it to become available on a streaming service I have access to. Eagerly waiting to watch that one.
Great points regarding the character of of William Munny. It's what he knows. He may prefer the life he had with with his wife and kids but his old ways fit like a hand in a glove.
I have to disagree with your assessment of his actions. ....I don't see him joining in this contract killing for his desire for booze and revenge. ..For one what revenge ? He has no relationship with the girl who was cut as he could've took to drinking instantly after his wife passed 3 years earlier than the offer from the kid gunslinger. ...Also he could've took to drinking the first few times he was offered once he was on the trip to the town where the money was offered....If you remember his daughter says she suspects most of their livestock hogs had come down with an illness so his return to his former occupation was merely for the money ....This is my opinion anyway....Also throughout the trip he makes it clear he has no intention of returning to that way of life after the job they're on is done ....Now revenge DOES come into play AFTER his friend Ned is killed by the town Sheriff.
@@ThomasFerner My comment concerns his transformation after Ned is slaughtered. I mention "triggered by" to make that distinction. Before that he seems to be in it for the $$ and his commitment isn't whole hearted, until he re-enters the dark side, once triggered by Ned's slaughter and a desire for revenge.
I don't find the characterization convincing. He apparently was held in check by his wife, who made him a Bible thumper and teetotaler. I just don't think the film works overall. Apparently after his wife died, he had no idea how to do anything on a farm. But before her death he was a contented Christian and hard working farmer. Something needed to be shown, during the period of his family life, to make his transformation after the death of his wife convincing.
I think the similar characterization of Walt in Gran Torino was much better drawn. There an inwardly wounded Walt, beset by guilt for his actions in the Korean War, redeems himself by self sacrifice for others. Walt was held together by his wife, but the guilt was still eating at him, until he could release it after her death by helping the Hmong. Munny, on the other hand, does not have any of that intervening period of life with his wife filled in at all. He goes from cold blooded killer, to self deluded Christian farmer, back to stone cold killer, then on to successful dry goods merchant in San Francisco.
However, there are an abundance of standalone scenes in Unforgiven that are excellent.
@@snootybaronetyou apparently watched a different movie, or in the absence of onscreen depiction assume too much. Quoting a few bible verses, doesn't make you a "bible thumper"...or a "Christian". It makes you a guy who knows a few bible verses, which William Munny strikes me as. What makes you think he had "no idea" what to do on a farm? He was LITERALLY doing what you do on a farm with sick livestock, when the "kid" rode up...seperating the sick hogs, from the healthy ones. Homesteading was a tough life. I suspect it was just as tough when his wife was alive. The difference being...he had help. He was STILL a "hardworking" farmer, as was clearly depicted. A hardworking farmer, with two small children, and in need of money. YOU say he transformed after the death of this wife. I suggest he was the same "hardworking farmer" after her death, that he was when she was alive, and that the only transformation took place in your mind.
I would also suggest that like the character in Gran Torino, William Munny was also beset by guilt. Not by what he had done in a war. But by ALL that he had done BEFORE meeting his late wife. When he was the "meanest son-of-bitch alive". She died when she was 29 yrs. old. William Munny was obviously considerably older, judging from the age of the children. He had lived a lot of life, and obviously did a lot of drinking, and killing before settling down with her. He wasn't looking so much for redemption...he knew who he was. He obviously struggled with the question posed by the film, in the title...are we ever truly forgiven for the bad things we do?
As for his "desire for booze, and revenge". As you stated, after Ned was brutally killed he was "triggered". His repeated refusal to drink alcohol, shows no such "desire" existed. He simply reverted back to the familiar, once he was triggered. Not unlike any other recovered alcoholic, or addict.
Was he 'self-delusional' in thinking he truly had changed...perhaps. But the fact that it was reported by OTHERS, that he packed the kids up, and started a successful dry goods business in San Francisco, suggests he wasn't 'self-delusional' at all. No person is JUST one thing. We all have different sides to us. William Munny WAS a "cold-blooded killer", AND a devoted husband, and father...depending on what the situation called for.
I think Sam Peckinpah would have loved this movie.
Hackman's character was no hero. The line "Innocent of what?" tells you everything about Little Bill. He was a tyrant, a bully. He enjoyed being in power over others.
The amazing part of Eastwood's character is that you can see the moment he transforms into the killer William Munny. He takes that whiskey and starts drinking. At that point, he is the killer again.
Indeed, he was not a hero. I just felt in that final scene, where he called out Munny for shooting an unarmed man, that he took on that typical John Wayne like role. It was a fleeting moment but it worked so well.
None of the characters were good people in this which was the point. In one sense the hackman character was the way he was because he knew the type of evil men who were out there he had to deal with & any type of leniency as a sheriff would be portrayed as weakness.
The local sheriff/marshal was often little different from the criminals he faced off with. Many were, in fact, outlaws in other territories, former gumman, or criminals between jobs. Hackman's character likely was one of these; he knew English Bob from the old days, remember, and he must not have been a lawman then, because he didn't arrest Bob for the murder he describes. As to his hatred of "assassins" and his words about Eastwood shooting an unarmed man, he beat an unarmed prisoner to death. His "morals" are just hypocrisy. He is no different than any of the others, perhaps worse, as he seems to enjoy what he does.
Richard Harris was great in "The Field". My late parents were from Connemara, and had a similar outlook to the Harris character. I think his greatest performance was in "The Sporting Life", about a wild Yorkshire rugby player.
I wasn't sure anyone would have heard of it when I mentioned "The Field" 😄. Beautiful spot, Connemara. I haven't seen "The Sporting Life". Might be another for the channel.
Sporting Life is a classic
High Planes Drifter, one of Eastwood's classics, also has some pretty brutal whipping scenes. The title of the movie in Finland was literally "Ruoska" (Whip), because of them.
Yes that whipping scene was brutal in High Plains Drifter. Probably the most unique Eastwood Western I've seen, in regards to the premise.
So some interesting tidbits about this movie.
Unforgiven was written by screenwriter David Webb Peoples.
He’s also very well known for writing the screenplays to the science fiction films
“Blade Runner” and
“12 Monkeys”
Please react to these films as well.
David Webb Peoples actually wrote the screenplay for
Unforgiven back in the mid-70s.
Clint Eastwood bought the script back in the 70s and just sat on it for years, knowing that one day he would make the film.
In the 70s Eastwood would have been too young for the role of William Munny as written in the script.
The writer David Webb Peoples cited as being inspired to write
Unforgiven after seeing the Martin Scorsese film
“Taxi Driver”
He said he was very intrigued by the approach to violence in that film and how the taking of life was dealt with.
Thanks you for listening to those around you and not rushing to this particular western just because it’s a popular choice on TH-cam.
I do believe the film is so much more impactful if one understands the western as a genre and knows the legacy of Clint Eastwood as a western icon.
Delighted Eastwood got the rights to the script and had the patience to wait until he felt he was the right age. Danny Boyle did something similar, waiting nearly 20 years before making a sequel to Trainspotting as the characters are supposed to be significantly older rather than just ageing the characters up.
"Blade Runner" I have seen but "12 Monkeys" I'll have to keep in mind for a future reaction.
@@IrishGuyReacts Have you seen
“Taxi Driver”
Another essential classic!
Be interesting to see if you watch that, if you could pick up on the elements that would inspire Peoples to write Unforgiven.
Imagine the writer as a young screenwriter struggling in Hollywood in the 70s.
He got a big check from Eastwood for his western script, but then no one probably believed him about selling the script to Eastwood for years afterwards LOL.
“The Wild Bunch” next please.
Have you tried a VPN to access streaming from other territories?
I have seen "Taxi Driver". Very good movie. Great breakdown of a character and loneliness.
Haha it must have been all the more sweet when it became hot news that his script was being adapted by Eastwood in the early 90's.
"The Wild Bunch" is currently embroiled in a battle on my poll, but it looks like "Shane" has a healthy lead.
A lot of folks take Unforgiven as Clint's "last word" on the western genre itself (and Clint has mentioned that himself). I don't think it's a repudiation of the genre at all. It's to underline that the dark side of human nature was as influential in the old west as everywhere else. I've seen interviews with Clint where he mentions John Wayne wrote him a scathing letter after seeing High Plains Drifter. Wayne said that Clint's approach was destructive of the genre. Wayne was upset and Clint didn't go into great detail. I don't think they had any kind of rapport. Though it's interesting that, many years later, Eastwood gave a heartfelt tribute to Maureen O'Hara at an Oscar event, she'd been kind to him on set as an unknown actor. O'Hara adored Wayne and she might have given Clint a better idea of where Wayne was coming from.
Yeah, I head read somewhere that it was almost like an anti-western but I think it's more a case of looking at the old west from a different angle/set of goggles. I appreciate those classic form of Westerns but I also appreciate a Western of this tone and format.
It's such a shame that Wayne and Eastwood didn't make that Western the latter had in the works. The two most iconic figures in the genre.
It took me many times watching, but the jux to position of the biographer telling tales about the Duke, but Clint’s character actually did those kind of feats.
Eastwood said that Unforgiven was his final word on the western genre, that it summed up everything he had to say about the western. So, what does this film say about the western? In the words of William Money, "It's a hell of a thing killing a man; you take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have." Eastwood critiques the western genre's normalization and even glorification of killing. Killing is an ugly thing, an utterly terrible thing. In classic westerns, killing is sanitized. In reality, people don't just spin around and drop down dead when they're shot. In reality, it takes a man who has been shot a while to die; he cries out in thirst and terror as he gasps out his last raspy breaths. William Money said that during his killing days he was drunk off his ass the whole time and hardly cognizant of what he was doing. There's nothing noble about this and nothing noble about the men who do it. Even when killing seems like just retribution for a crime, like the killing of the two cowboys who cut up the woman, it is still ugly and horrible. As Will says in the final scene, "Deserves got nothing to do with it." And the myth about the quick draw is bunk, too. Most of it comes down to luck and who can remain calm in the moment, which has a lot to do with how drunk a man happens to be. The writer of the cheap dime western novels gets an education, first from Little Bill and then from Will Money, about the difference between fact and fiction. And so do we.
It's fantastic how the film focuses so much on the aftermath of these killings. What a person goes through when they've been shot and also the person who pulled the trigger. It's very much drawn in reality. As much as I've enjoyed a lot of Westerns, you often don't bat an eyelid when the hero kills someone. It's just another way in which "Unforgiven" is so unique.
You made it, finally! So weird you'd run into so many problems after everyone else has reacted to this one! It's so random! I like this movie, mostly because of Gene Hackman, but also just because it's good. The 80s were not the era of westerns at all (nor were the 70s), and most of the times they tried to jumpstart the genre they failed, either commercially, artistically, or both. "Unforgiven" felt like the first real western in many years, it was like a reset on the entire genre and is still the only one from the 90s that I have any affection for. But Clint and Gene Hackman come from the era when westerns were still king, Clint obviously acting in plenty, Hackman in a couple. Cops became the new cowboys in the 70s and both Clint and Gene Hackman made lots of films where they were cops. Here Hackman gets to play both! lol. Anyways, that's where "Unforgiven" ranks for me. It's my favorite modern western (80s-present). If Gene Hackman wasn't in it, it's hard for me to say how much I'd still love it. I'm not crazy about some of the other performances. But Clint's fine, Morgan Freeman's fine......it's a damn good movie!
Would you believe this was actually my first time watching a Gene Hackman movie. What a way to start. Terrific performance. "The French Connection" is another on my list. Loved Eastwood's portrayal too.
In comparison to the more "Modern" Westerns I've seen, I enjoyed "Tombstone" quite a bit and "Silverado" was decent, but "Unforgiven" was on a whole other level for me.
@@IrishGuyReacts I like Tombstone too! But when it came out it didn't make that much of a splash. And I liked Silverado, too, and it was billed as "the return of the western" when it was released, but that didn't take either. "Unforgiven" really felt like a reset on the entire genre and restored a sort of "respectability" to it again, lol. As you said, it's on a whole other level, it felt like an instant classic. As far as Hackman, wow, you are in for a treat!!! Bonnie And Clyde (1967), Coppolla's "The Conversation" (1974), and Wes Anderson's "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001) are my favorite performances of his, but he has MANY great performances, in many, many great movies, iconic, blah blah blah. I mean, he's great as Lex Luther in the original "Superman"! He's great in "The Posideon Adventure"! He just always elevates whatever movie he's in, and in the case of "Superman" (and "Unforgiven") it was total stunt casting! He's one of what I call "The Magnificent Six": Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall. And I almost want to put Michael Caine in there, but we'll leave it American! These dudes were all game changer actors in the 60s-90s (and beyond), each other's greatest competitions, with a string of "iconic", groundbreaking performances....and interchangeably referred to as "the best" during those years (and probably still are). Hackman in "The Conversation", that's often cited as his greatest performance and I know he rates it pretty high himself. Coppolla directed that THE SAME YEAR as "The Godfather Part 2", can you believe it? Anyways, great reaction, and looking forward to the Buster....which you just posted! Woo-hoo!!! See you over there!!!!
🎶 "What I've felt,
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown.
Never free.
Never me.
So I dub thee Unforgiven." 🎶
Fun Fact: Feature film debut of Jaimz Woolvett.
Music Enthusiast Fact: Although the score was arranged by Lennie Niehaus, the main theme was written by Clint Eastwood.
Legendary Director Fact: Shot in 39 days, coming in four days ahead of schedule. The town had to be built very quickly, with a relatively short run-up time (two months) to the start of filming. The stunt coordinator used the construction period to work on actors' riding skills and stunt choreography.
Legendary Boots Fact: The boots Clint Eastwood wore are the same ones he wore in Rawhide (1959). These boots are now part of Eastwood's private collection. In 2005 they were loaned to the Sergio Leone exhibit at the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, CA. The boots basically book-ended Eastwood's career in Westerns.
Family Affair Fact: Clint Eastwood's mother Ruth Wood toiled through an uncomfortable day (wearing a heavy dress) as an extra, filming a scene where she boards a train. However, the scene was eventually cut, with her son apologizing. All was forgiven when he brought her to the Academy Awards and thanked her prominently in his acceptance speech.
Historical Fact: Deputy Clyde's (Ron White) line about why a one-armed man needed to carry three pistols, is sometimes attributed to James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok. He usually carried two pistols around his waist, another in a shoulder holster, sometimes another stuck in the back of his belt, and usually had at least one Derringer hidden somewhere. While working as a lawman, he usually carried a sawed-off shotgun as well. Hickok also laughed at Ned Buntline's report about his killing 20 men with 20 shots, saying that his theory was to start shooting, and keep shooting, until the man you were shooting at was dead.
I LOVE the fact about being the same boots he wore on "Rawhide". A tv show I need to start watching too.
Not just a Western, a story of real men doing men stuff.
Winner of best picture & director by Eastwood. Also Gene Hackman won his 2nd oscar for this
Worthy of all three. Such a great movie.
For some reason, when I first saw this movie, I thought that Clint Eastwood's character, William Munny, was really "Josey Wales", 20 years latter. It fit with his background and the reference by Little Bill that Munny was out of Missouri. Just an observation.
Haven't see that one yet to comment on that viewpoint. But will be a future watch. Thanks for checking out the video.
"We all have it coming." "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." There's a justice in that the first victim of Munney's revenge is the saloon owner whose greed sort of created this situation.
Yeah, I can see that. He also had no real remorse for the woman who's face was cut up.
Finally.
My fave westerns;
#1 and one of my favorite films in general; the Proposition, screenplay written by Nick Cave and, of course the soundtrack. With Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, John Hurt (unbelievable performance. His last film) and Emily Watson. I love hundreds of films but this little sleeper sits in my top ten. It's an Australian western.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Outlaw Josie Wales
Unforgiven
True Grit
High Plains Drifter
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West
For a Few Dollars More.
Completely agree. The Proposition is an underrated classic, also in my top ten movies of all time.
Very good list. "For A Few Dollars More" was my number 1, but "Unforgiven" may have just eclipsed it. "Outlaw Josey Wales" and "The Proposition" will both be watched. 👍
The Proposition is a great film, and yeah although he is not in much of it John Hurt steals every scene he is in.
@@IrishGuyReacts Oh. Thank you. You know I'll be there.
"Deserves got nothin' to do with it" - damn right.
Another two great westerns with similar themes is “Tom Horn” with Steve McQueen and “Shane”
I'll more than likely be watching "Shane" at the end of the month. Appreciate the suggestions.
This is my #1 movie. Not just in Westerns but it's above all movies for me.
It may have become my number 1 of the 50 Westerns I've seen to date. Absolutely brilliant film.
@@IrishGuyReacts Have you seen Shane (1953) yet? That's another classic Western.
@@ayingtorres5938 Not yet but I intend to watch it for sure.
If you want to "neo westerns", too there are quite a few to watch:
The Missing 2003 - a very underrated movie with some mystical elements
Rango 2011 - though an animated film, it has the story line of a classical western
Django Unchained 2012 - a Tarantino classic
The Homesman 2014 - produced and directed by Tommy Lee Jones, unusual story, great movie
Lonestar 1996 - a multi-layered masterpiece by John Sayles (one of my favorite films) with Kris Kristofferson (who is a great villian), Sam Cooper, Matthew McConaughey and Elisabeth Peña
Nice suggestions. "Rango" and "Django Unchained" were on the watchlist but I'll have to look into the other ones. Thank you kindly.
If you love Eastwood's work as much as I do, a film to check out is one that many years ago Clint said was his favorite of all the films he's made. That film is Bronco Billy. He's made films after that so he may have changed his mind though I doubt it. It's small sweet comedy, a love letter to westerns. It has a message, once you see it you will understand why Clint loves it.
Thanks for the recommendation. It's on my Eastwood watchlist.
I’m sure you noticed, but didn’t mention it, when she told him Ned is dead he started drinking again. Then it was all over for the “good guys”.
Indeed a really powerful moment in the narrative. Symbolic really.
One important difference between the final gunfight in Unforgiven and pretty much every western before it is how, just like Bill said, a cool head is more important than speed. While all the deputies panic, jerk their guns out in a hurry, and fan the hammer like Eastwood in one of his old westerns; they all miss. Will brings his gun up to his eye, levels it on them, shoots, and hits every shot.
Many real life gunfighters have echoed Bill's advice ("Fast is fine but accuracy is final, you must learn to be slow in a hurry"-Wyatt Earp), and the Navy SEALS even teach a version of this for defensive shooting (slow is smooth and smooth is fast).
Yeah, it's dripped a lot more in realism. Makes it more intense too in a lot of ways.
I think Unforgien is closer to John Wick in spirit. He got out and now he's getting sucked back in.
I haven't seen "John Wick" yet but even more intrigued to watch it now after reading your comment.
I always liked this one, but it's a slow burn and feels a lot longer than it should. I didn't get into any Westerns until the late 80's/90's, when I first watched 'Young Guns', so with the exception of 'True Grit', I'm partial to the newer films like Young Guns, The Quick and the Dead, Tombstone, and Posse over those of the 60's and 70's. They were just what I grew up with.
I have some of the more recent ones on my list too. "Tombstone" was a fun movie. Michael Biehn was great in it.
Hey thanks for the shoutout with the comparison with The Shootist!
And spot on with the pro wreslting metaphor!! Some lawmen/outlaws and Cowboys specifically would have been very similar too pro wrestlers i never thought of that 😂. Cowboys meaning people that worked with cows and horses
would go on long cattle drives. Drift from different operations for work or find a ranch that they loved like Undertaker WWE.
I love the scene with Curly Bill where he explains how hard a gunfight really is. Fulltime gunman were like UFC fighters. There a decent amount of them but really a small amount of the population. Conor Mcgregor would be able to beat our ass as quick and with as much skill as Arizona Ranger Comadore Perry could shoot three men with guns on him. Which i belive is the inspiration for him doing the reverse too three lawmen. For the end gunfight it really reminds me of Wyatt Earp said about gunfights. He wasnt a quick drawl at all. He said the only reason he lived was he stayed calm and stood still. While everyone else flailed and tried to dodge during the gunfight.
Amazing reaction as always!!! Hope the weather gets better in Ireland! Its a 100 in Illinois and dry so send that rain over here!
No problem and you were definitely right. The similarity between The Shootist and Unforgiven in regard to ageing and that one last hurrah helps to make both films very powerful.
Indeed, failing to keep one's composure will always increase their chances of not making it out on top in a gunfight. The realism really hit home in this one. To use another metaphor, it's like a penalty shootout in soccer. If you don't keep that composure, good chance you're going to balloon the ball over the bar of the goals or blaze it wide.
Delighted you enjoyed the reaction and thanks for the kind words 👍
I'll be sure to send some rain you're way, just send some of that hot, dry weather my way 😉
@@IrishGuyReacts of course man! This channel is great you notice parts of the movie i miss and you're hilarious!
yes! And they really show the difference in the actors take on the west as well! Waynes was more hopeful while Eastwoods just like the westerns they made.
That is a really good metaphor with the one on one aspect. If you want another movie similar in how realistic it is try Appaloosa with Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen . About to traveling gunmen/lawmen. That tame and old west town. Stacked cast as has one of my favorite shootouts were "eveyone knew how to shoot." So it goes a little different then the standard movie shootout.
I think the essence of this film is that there are no “good guys” among the gun fighters. They are all killers and there is no redemption available for any of them in this life.
Exactly how I see it. We root for Eastwood's character because he is the one we are following but another version of this film could see us rooting for Bill. It's the same with "The Sopranos" or "Game Of Thrones". We are often siding with characters who have done terrible things in their past.
Of ALL Eastwood's movies you MUST see The Outlaw Josey Wales ....It's his Opus for sure !.....Probably the BEST Western ever made in many people's opinion including mine !
Fully intend to watch it later this year. With only two Eastwood Westerns remaining I don't want to rush into watching them just yet.
This great Western won the Oscar for Best Movie in 1993.
Just found your channel and watched around 10 of ya vids so far, rare to find someone who does a lot of westerns (lot of other obscure movies too now that I think about it) My fav Eastwood western is High Plains Drifter which ya did, (and I love it cuz it's supernatural/horror too, he's a vengeful ghost, very unique western) but you can tell why this one won an Oscar, back when that might have meant something, yeah just great film, and great reactions from you, keep 'em comin' (and just on a side note ya mentioned wrestling and I watch the OSW guys from your neck of the woods, the way you guys and well all british guys say film always sounds f'n insane to me, lol, I watch a lot of british/irish shit and thas the only word that gets me, anyways great stuff)
Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Haha yeah we have a very distinct way of saying "Film". More like "Fill-Um".
Yeah I've watched OSW Review many times over the years. Love there stuff on the old WWF days.
Might I suggest "Pale Rider" another Eastwood western. Or the remake of "3:10 to Yuma"
Both are on the watchlist and will definitely be reacting to both in the future.👍
@IrishGuyReacts Cool I just discovered your channel.
Great reaction to a classic, and it’s my first of yours. Westerns have never been my favorite genre, but there are two or three dozen that rise high among the greats of any genre. Another great Eastwood that I strongly recommend is Pale Rider, which after this, are my two favorites from him.
Another modern masterpiece is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). It’s a true epic.
Hey thanks for the kind feedback. Glad you enjoyed it. "The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford" is on the watchlist 👍
Here's my reaction to "Pale Rider" if you'd like to check it out.
th-cam.com/video/iPAMY9zblEU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qMSnFS8XhwJMnpNl
The Field. Sounds good. Anything with John Hurt.
Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy John Hurt.
You know things are about to go up a notch when he starts drinking again.
I noticed that when I went back to edit my reaction. A subtle but significant moment.
The secret to "English Bob's" excellent marksmanship shooting the birds: NES classic Duckhunt with the light pistol.
I was always a sega mega drive (sega genesis) guy growing up
Oddly enough, I lump this in with "No Country For Old Men" for its deconstruction of Western story telling. Excellent flick and excellent reaction.
Was curious, would "Country For Old Men" fall into my Westerns Wednesdays series or should I watch it on the Friday (All other genres) ?
@@IrishGuyReacts lol... that's a good question! If you'd like to analyze it as a deconstruction of the classic Western, it fits Wednesdays.... or if you'd like to watch it as 'just' a kick-ass contemporary film with an iconic and terrifying bad guy, Fridays work fine too. ( that's Big help). I personally would do it on Wednesday, because I think it would be fun to view it via the lens of an 'art house-contemporary Western' (I think I just made up that genre).
The genius of Unforgiven is that all of the characters are flawed, morally grey or complicated instead of being just good or evil. Also, it actually shows the effects of violence and revenge, unlike other westerns where these acts would otherwise be celebrated.
Couldn't agree more with you. Amazing film full stop.
One of the westerns you should get around to one day is “McCabe & Mrs Miller”. It’s a very unconventional look at the west, but it shares a lot of ideas with this on the finality of death and the distance between the mythology of the west and the reality. Like this it’s sometimes seen as an “anti-western”, but it was much earlier.
1970's I believe. Yes, It's on the Western watchlist. Doesn't Bob Dylan compose the soundtrack, or am I mistaken?
@@IrishGuyReacts
I don’t know if Dylan had a hand in selecting music, but I know Leonard Cohen is all over the soundtrack.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly and Jeremiah Johnson are my favorite Westerns of all time. I'd like to see your reaction to Jeremiah Johnson.
I will be watching "Jeremiah Johnson". Probably in the Winter schedule.
You should really follow this movie up with "The Quick and the Dead," a Sam Raimi western with Gene Hackman playing a similar role to what he plays here. Also has Sharon Stone, Russel Crowe, Leonardo DeCaprio, Lance Henricksen, and Keith David. All about a quick-draw gunslinger competition. Great movie, lots of fun.
It's definitely on my watchlist although I had planned to watch the "Lonesome Dove" miniseries next.
I liked it. Very Leone-like.
@@IrishGuyReacts Lonesome Dove. I love that!
This film plays a lot with our perceptions of traditional Western roles. If you think about it, and judge their actions objectively, Little Bill is the closest thing to an actual good guy in Unforgiven. All he's trying to do is stop hired murderers from painting his town red, and his crime against Ned is based on that. Even though we sympathize with them for their plight, the women are murderers for putting out the bounty and refusing the second guy's honest attempt to make good. Ned and Wil might be decent and reformed guys, but they did set out to commit murder for money, and Wil went through with it. Beauchamp is a horrible and amoral ghoul, even though he's not technically accomplice in anything, and the audience is forced to see itself in him.
Yeah, it's that ambiguity and the fact the protagonists can easily be seen as the villains that makes it such a great and different watch from the other Westerns
Well done at the end with your thoughts. I've seen some people talk about this movie and they really miss a lot. What does it say about arguably the greatest western ever made that people easily miss some of the messaging?
Special movie that is great to analyse after viewing it.
Yeah, unforgiven is a masterpiece. I’m not even a huge western fan but it’s a cut above, & imo, along with another film, Mcabe & Mrs Miller, is the best of the genre. McCabe & Mrs Miller stars Warren Beatty & Julie Christie, & like unforgiven, thwarts expectations and uses and twists archetypes. It’s unusual film and perhaps not for everyone but you bringing up The Field makes me think you might appreciate it. It’s from the early 70’s and directed by Robert Altman who was anarchic maverick director that took various genres and flipped them upside down and McCabe & mrs Miller is his foray into the western which is in many ways a precursor to unforgiven. I don’t know if it would receive a lot attention from an audience reaction video, cuz, though highly regarded, is a cult film. Another great Western that’s much more well known and would probably receive a larger audience is high noon. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, it’s from the 50’s & stars Gary Cooper & Grace Kelley
Thanks for the suggestion. "McCabe & Mrs Miller" is on my watchlist. Not sure when I'll get to it yet but it will definitely be a future watch.
Good choice of movie and great review, as always, but the image of the movie was often a little dark.
Watched it on youtube. That's how bright it was presented.
Glad you enjoyed the review.
After them few gulps of whiskey, hearing what happened to Ned; he became what he loathed again, William Money
It was "THE MOMENT"
I just found your channel and I think it's a great idea of Western Wednesdays. Have you seen "The Quick and The Dead"? I have only seen one reactor do that film. It is a very underrated western with an all star cast, Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone, Leo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Gary Sinise, and others. Sam Raimi is the the Director and shot in his typical style, if you don't like his style of filmmaking you might not like it, but I thought it was brilliant.
Hey, thanks very much. Glad you like the concept. I haven't seen "The Quick And The Dead" yet but it is on my Western watchlist.
I agree, The Field is fantastic. Richard Harris is fantastic.
Very powerful performance from him.
A very humane and perceptive reaction.
One spect of the film I’d like to highlight is it’s existentialist outlook. You alluded to the theme of the universality of death. Eastwood’s character wants to believe as his wife did, but he can’t help picturing her rotting in the ground. The implication is that this life is all there is, so our choices here matter. He’s constantly making choices, for good and for ill. But his victims are gone, his wife is gone, and there’s no God out there. No one is left to forgive him- so he remains unforgiven.
Thank you very much for the kind words. It's one of those movies that makes think.
Great way of summing up the film too. Probably the most layered Western I've seen so far.
''The Field'', excellent film, by the great Jim Sheridan (who made one of my all time favorite movies ''In the Name of ther Father''), saw it only once in the early 90s, and indeed, I remember it mostly of the amazing performance by Richard Harris. ''The Field'' reminded me at the time a bit of the incredible (two part epic) French movies ''Jean de Florette'' & ''Manon des Sources''.
So nice to see people in the comments have seen "The Field". I really wasn't sure how known it was outside of Ireland.
Interesting, I'll have to seek out those two French movies you mentioned.
A movie suggestion: Rob Roy, starring Liam Neeson, Tim Roth, Brian Cox and whole host of other talents. It is a story of Robert Roy McGregor, a Scottish folk hero played by an Irish natural treasure. It came out the same year as Braveheart, and even though the accents are much more authentic and the plot really good, Mel's torture fantasy overshadowed this should-be-classic.
Never heard of that one before but I'm always up for watching period movies.
Where are you from? My mother immigrated to the states at 16 and my step dad in the 90's some time. He's a musician. I grew up on Bhoys of the old brigade and Come out ye black and tans.
I'm from Tipperary. Those are some flat out Irish Rebel songs you grew up on
Have you heard of the movie "Shane?" It's a pretty important western that was based on a novel.
I have indeed. I had the ending spoiled for me but I still intend to watch it for the channel.
@41:41 When you paused it to point out you're ironically rootin for this killer of women and children, I thought was interesting comment lol.
But mind you, I'm pretty sure that the casualties of that were regarding when William Munny used explosives on a mine to kill his enemy and the women children were actually just collateral damage, so he never intentionally killed women and children by his own hand, but nonetheless he is solely responsible for those deaths, and so people mention it just to add to his rep. So, yes, it's a true fact but out of context it sounds more menacing to his legend.
Btw when Munny blast Gene Hackman away with that thunderous sound both your biceps flexed lol! It's a scary moment, he's Clint Eastwood.
You're comment just further illustrates my point of this film having so many layers and no character is clear black or white. One could analyse this film for days as there is so much to the narrative.
Haha I never noticed that my biceps flexed on that moment.
@@IrishGuyReacts : You got some guns haha, and yes the film is just deep overall and yet simple. Can't wait to see more reactions from you to any future Clint movies!
Peace
@@paulpolpiboon9535I'll be doing plenty more Eastwood movies. "Pale Rider" should be up in December.
@@IrishGuyReacts : Excellent choice!
My favorite of Clints Westerns
In old school war movies like for example _The Dambusters_ you’ll find scenes in which an aeroplane explodes in the background and the protagonist pilot will nonchalantly turn to his flight engineer and maintaining a stiff upper lip casually remark “Looks like Johnny’s crew has bought it”
Similar scenes are all too frequently observed in westerns which stretch the suspension of disbelief. Now if you were flying a Lancaster over Germany every night in 1943 it may well be the case that you encountered death daily (and the death of those you knew personally). However, even in towns on the wild frontier this would not be the case. This is one of the few westerns in which people react with shock and alarm at violent assaults and killings in the same fashion as any normal person would, instead of merely shrugging it off as no more noteworthy than seeing a horse crap in the street.
The only thing that slightly spoils the gritty realism is the final scene in which Clint reverts to the same fearless solo avenging angel taciturn badass stereotype that he plays in the majority of his westerns (although it is admittedly very cool to watch). If I’d written the story he’d have been shot in the back by an unseen gunman from the shadows whilst he was taking a drink after the final gun battle.
For a western with a similar tone I’d recommend “Open Range” with Robert Duval, Kevin Costner and Michael Gambon (although as the conflict in this film has the same roots as that between Cain and Abel I’d perhaps suggest that you watch “Shane” first to get the perspective of the opposing side).
The reality of death and the authentic way of dealing with the aftermath brings immense depth to the narrative.
I was convinced he was going to be killed in that final shootout. I guess it added to the tension given the realism that preceded it, as you felt no one was safe.
"Open Range" is on the list to watch as is "Shane". Thanks for the suggestions and the very informed comment.
Big Whiskey is a gun-free zone.
the moment -when he grabs the bottle and silently starts drinking again
begins realization you've been cheering for a very bad man all along.
maybe Eastwood wants you to realize this about most westerns. revenge films
That was part of the genius of the film for me. So well constructed.
Little Bill is a bully. But this movie makes great effort to blur the lines no real goid guys or bad guys. Like you see that one guy who brought the poneys, the one they end up shooting you see he really felt bad about that whole story.
The first cowboy's is death is probably the most difficult scene to watch. It's agonising. And yes, they brilliantly blur the lines of the "good guys" and the "bad guys". The fact it has me questioning who I was rooting for is a testament to the impact of the narrative.
You got a like and sub for the nosferatu shadow mention.
One of my all time favourite Horror films.
You missed the part where will started drinking again 👍
There were some moments I had to edit out unfortunately to get it past copyright.
A recent western currently streaming you should check out: "Old Henry" (2021), very small cast, but well cast film, great action sequences, an interesting story.
Thank you kindly for the suggestion. Much appreciated.
Pale Rider is another good one
On the schedule for December 👍
It's about legend and reality when it comes to killing in the old west good guys and bad guys were not that different
Very true I would think
I recommend you watch (Open Range), you won't regret it :)
Thanks for the recommendation but I have. Reaction is also on the channel.
All about the whiskey.
Awesome movie
Indeed! Absolute class!
Have you watched the Coen Bros. True Grit It's a classic.
Not yet. but I will be. I had always intended to watch the original first.
I'd say that you've earned your PhD in the Western genre. What more is there to explore?
Haha, perhaps. Still a lot of in the genre I need to explore though. "The Wild Bunch", "The Outlaw Josey Wales" "Stagecoach" to name but a few.
Well he should have armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.
Great moment!
🤘💯
A deconstruction of westerns. Clint’s westerns were very mythical. Unforgiven is the exact opposite.
Definitely had it's own unique tone compared to the other Westerns of his I've watched.
That $1,000 wou;d be about $30,000 today.
Not a sum of money to be sneezed at.
Sounds like you were torn between who you should root for, Will Munny or Little Bill. If Little Bill hadn't protected his two men & served them the proper justice for slashing the prostitute, the other prostitutes wouldn't have felt the need to put up a bounty to have the two men killed. So, IMO, Little Bill was the "bad guy" for not giving his two men the appropriate justice they deserved. There wouldn't have been no need for The Kid, Ned, or Will. Appreciate your insightful reaction. FYI, you might want to work on your video's sound. I could hear what you were saying very well. But the sound from the movie was VERY WEAK. It would be great if you could balance your sound better in the future. Otherwise, great job! Thank you.
That was probably more about getting around TH-cam than any balancing issues. It seems that TH-cam makes it especially hard for smaller creators to post any cooyrighted material for reactions. Some have to mirror the image, add water marks, lower volume, shrink the screen, et cetera to get by, whereas large channels can show the film practically unadulterated.
You can definitely view it as Bill being the bad guy. I think my final view was that netiher of them were "good guys".
Thanks for the tip about the volume. I'll keep that in mind. Sometimes awkward with copyright, I had to mute a few clips to avoid it being blocked.
Thanks for checking out the video.
@@RexFuturi Its a real struggle sometimes. I don't even mind the copyright claim so much. It's just when they outright block it after spending hours editing it together.
The second the video started playing you earned a 👎. Playing the video backwards is INFURIATING and gives one a headache. It's also COMPLETELY unnecessary. Tons of reaction channels don't do that garbage. smh
I had extreme difficulty getting this past copyright. About 5 upload attempts. Flipping the screen was a move that seemed to help get it past copyright.
This reversed video shit is not what's keeping this online. That's a myth. It's unnecessary and annoying. Motion Picture is a visual language, meant to be read in one direction. In the Western World, that's left to right. What keeps this safe from copyright strikes is transformative content: Commentary, etc. Will not be subscribing.
Many upload attempts were made with this unreversed.
A lot of unnecessary comments and relating to other movies etc. This movie is singular for its realistic characters and script.Not your typical shootem up!
I’m sure it was 8 Oscars for this movie
A movie worthy of such awards.