How Unforgiven Ended The Western (Temporarily)
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One of the many great lines of the film came from William Munny:
"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."
I also love "I guess they had it coming" "we all have it coming kid"
One of my favorite lines in cinema.
@@JacksMovieReviews I just went over the film's IMDb quotes... so many poetic nuggets of truth, it's insane
"He should've armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend"
“Any man don’t wanna get killed, better clear on out the back.”
Favorite line: " Deserves got nothing to do with it "
We all deserve it
Best line
@@blksheep176 yyyyyyyy to bym nie mam sily kompletnie nie liczy się człowiek i morze i góry dziękuję za pomoc popisac albo pogadac nawet nie potrafie zacząć od razu do lodzi i nwm jak sie czujesz się ciąć a nadal nie może być stosowany w leczeniu raka piersi nadruk na koszulce z tym że je sobie damy radę w sensie ja mam introwertyczne stany i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie kojarze i w tym roku i ogarnięcie i wgl nie
whos the fella that owns this shit hole
Why?
"You just shot an unarmed man." "Well he shoud'a armed himself."
Wild owl on the prowl should be playing on the jukebox! Lol
“…if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend”
Hollywood should note: This film 'subverted our expectations' but maintained the integrity of both protagonist and antagonist and respected it's audience and by remaining true to its characters implied past histories provided a consistent, relevant and timeless resolution of character arc and story telling.
It's a masterpiece.
when people use "subverted your / our expectations" as one of the best features of a movie or see it as the only feature worth mentioning then the movie is most likely trash, it's sad how critics are just using bigger and more obscure words and ways of describing everyday occurrences and plots we have seen a hundred times before to try and seem relevant.
Wonder what newish instalment of a much-belloved franchise that was butchered by a subversive director you're referring to hmmm...
@@Murtagh653 I generally find that if the critics don't like it, it's probably pretty good. It's the movies they do like that turn out to be crap. A film critic is about as useful as a referee at a pro wrestling match.
You are talking like one of those mega franchise fans wich try to compare a movie to their beloved "ruined now" franchise.
You said a mouthful. Good assessment. This movie is possibly the best western ever made.
I've been a serious history buff for most of my life and "Unforgiven" is the closest representation of what some of the frontier west was actually like. The line between outlaw and lawman was blurred. They were men of the feud, hard men, often veterans of the civil war who had seen and participated in one of the most troubling slaughters in the history of man.
As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second.
"As film stories go, "Unforgiven" is my favorite is my favorite picture of the genre, because of its powerful realism. "Josey Wales" is a close second." Very good taste sir ;)
that movie about Jesse James with the very long name is the most realistic one, but it doesn't feel like a Western
Watch deadwood
Was actually like towards the end lol buddy it was really shoot first think later in the french and indian war days they genocided those natives that you wont see in cinema how bad they did them. Btw True Grit and The revenant are VERY realistic especially the revenant
I think my favorite exchange in the movie is
Little Bill: I'll see you in hell, William Munny.
Will Munny: Yeah. (Fires)
But, it's the way he says "yeah". It's not arrogant, condescending or mocking in tone, instead it's delivered with the bitterest sense of resignation and acceptance.
It's the little details in exchanges like that that can make a movie great.
to me he's saying, aren't we here, right now, already in Hell?
Completely agree... Such a simple exchange, but it's so damn powerful and coveys so much.
One of the best movies ever made. It had none of the quick draw bravado, so prevalent in earlier westerns. What it did have was a realistic, gritty feel that audiences believed existed in the old west. It didn't have any of the sanitized killing, where someone was shot and the scene shifted to celebrations. People tortured other human beings. People bled to death while crying. Unarmed people were killed on the toilet. A town sheriff was a sadistic monster.
Eastwood's genius here was in making a profoundly violent movie, having an undeniable message of anti-violence. Eastwood has been very good in his film making career, but in Unforgiven, he made something that will be watched for centuries to come
well said
Funny thing it was luck lol like he said he found out while shooting the film not before
"The Duck Of Death"- Lil Bill
_ Gabriel_ u mean duke!!!!!!
@@moritz2464 Duck I says!!
The part after the kid kills his first (and probably last) man and they're sitting in the field, really makes one feel the weight of killing a man. I've never felt that in a movie before - ever. I've often seen scenes where a character would feel regret or disgust of their actions, but this scene just made it so real, it gives me a clump in my stomach every time I watch it. I could see myself in his shoes - and I've actually had dreams where apparantly I've killed someone, and I remember that I get a similar feeling of dread and shame as when I see this scene. It really gets you thinking that a line has been crossed, and you will never ever get to go back.
You can see a lot of inspiration from Unforgiven in the regret Wolverine seems plagued with in Logan.
From what I remember they said this film was pretty much the starting point for making Logan.
With Logan and Taylor Sheridan movies (and now shows) the neo western is in!!
The comic Old Man Logan that inspired the film Logan was 100% inspired, if not a total rip off of this film.
Now that you mention it, I can completely see it.
JAMES
Ross Goodman “Shane” was the starting point for Logan. A classic
I dont think westerns have ended, but more gone into hiding. Movies like The Sisters Brothers and Buster Scruggs show that western still have more to offer. Not to mention movies like No country for old men and Hell or High Water are westerns in modern day. You just need to find because they are out there.
Logan is a good western too.
Like I said, temporarily!
The classic Western transformed into other genres since the mid to late 60's. Just look at Bonnie and Clyde, Taxi Driver or The Untouchables. Even a movie like Die Hard is basically following the Western formula.
I would say that the "Western" isn't so much as dead, but has changed venue. Westerns have become modern "cops & robbers" movie, and has gone into outer space. Some people have called the Star Wars series as outer space westerns.
You just love two of my favorite western. I even prefer them to Unforgiven (gotta watch it again now it's probly been 15 years)
The greatest western of all time in my opinion. "I'll see you in Hell, William Munny"..... "Yeah".
Jason X idk, the remakes of True Grit and 3:10 to Yuma are flawless.
@@slayer45670 no argument here
@@slayer45670 I think they're fantastic, but Unforgiven is always my #1
Then he aims it like he wasn't shooting him at point blank range lmaoo
There is the greatest western and then there is the god of all great westerns "Once Upon a Time in the West".
On a personal level I used to love reading Louie L’Amour western novels. Was a dream life for me. Riding a horse, drinking coffee around a small campfire 🔥, help out a small town and getting the girl in the end.
Then I read Lonesome Dove and I relised that life really sucked in the 1800’s. Haven’t read another western novel since.
This film is an absolute gem, and moves me every time I watch it.. The soundtrack, scenery, and acting is amazing!! Fun fact: Richard Harris was watching High Plains Drifter when he got the call from Clint to play English Bob...
"Let his dark nature roam free." - love that line Jack. Sums up his fall perfectly. Great writing.
Unforgiven has that Meta character/actor thing going on similar to Birdman
Except its not boring and pretentious.
Watched that movie when I was about ten years too young for it, didn't have any exposure to western beforehand either, and I can say that to this day the moods in that movie still populate my consciousness. Many a summer sunset were enhanced with that particular flavour of prairie solitude.
Hunters got to hunt!
Just like Sergio Leone changed the western (hollywood's version) by taking the clean cut and shine out the films, Clint remade it by exposing the humanity of each character's actions. When Eastwood played Blondie (the Good) in the Good, Bad & Ugly, that character was truly a remorseless murderer, motivated by greed. But that was not the story on the screen we were meant to see. I think in part, William Munny was motivated by the money, not redemption, because he really couldn't cut it as a farmer.
Well I grew up on westerns. My folks were rural people--westerners, country people from ranching and farming backgrounds. They loved westerns and so did I. That being said Unforgiven is to my mind absolutely the best western movie ever made and it entirely sums and completes the genre. After Unforgiven I have never watched another western without thinking "This is just crap."
this movie is incredible. it's been one of my favorites for many many years.
Well, Rawhide was also very different from the Dollars trilogy. Before Eastwood broke out as the Man With No Name, he played more traditional wholesome heroes. And Rawhide was very much in line with the original westerns. If spaghetti westerns were a response to traditional westerns, Unforgiven can be seen as a response to spaghetti westerns. The genre probably isn't going to be as popular as it was in the golden age of Hollywood, but it definitely is still evolving. Taking on more nuanced themes and building on what came before.
Those "golden" westerns (with a few exceptions) were not so golden.
@@docsmithdc I was referring to what is widely known as the "Golden Age of Hollywood," namely pre-60s Hollywood.
Understood@@daone1008
That ad at the end is so jarring, after such a moody video, and you even keep the sad music playing
I watched an interview with Eastwood many years ago where he talked about looking for stories that showed how violence brings violence. Even Josey Wales never went looking for violence, but he had no qualms meeting it with more violence.
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean."
I've heard a lot of people make comparisons between Will Munny and the Man with No Name, including Eastwood himself. But... I don't remember that character ever killing any women or children... or shooting members of his own gang in the face for no reason while in a drunken rage. He gives a dying soldier his coat, and then leaves it there out of respect when the guy's dead and it doesn't even matter anymore. Hell, in Fist Full of Dollars he only gets caught playing both sides after freeing the kept woman to go back to her husband and (ridiculously annoyingly dubbed) son, for no tangible reward. In fact, it's been a few years but I think he might've given _them_ some money. I suppose his character might've been a shade darker than that in High Plains Drifter, but still not anywhere near the described level of dark. And that's arguably the darkest character he ever played in a movie.
Young Will Munny sounds more like one of the blood-thirsty main henchmen from those movies who just never came across his own "Man with No Name" equivalent to put him down..
Maybe he felt that, "I raped a woman to shut her up," didn't work as a line for this character, so felt the need to "overdo it" when inserting surrogates
@Tim Mill Enlighten me. Explain how you understand Westerns.
I just got A Fistful of Dollars at my library sale for 1USD. I'll have to watch it over again looking for those details. As I understood, it's an Americanized version of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. I, as well, don't remember The Man With No Name ever killing innocents. I did see Eastwood explain High Plains Drifter on television one year, and I wish I could remember what program it was but company just happened to drop in right at that time. I remember what he said very well, however. You have to imagine the Gary Cooper character from High Noon, facing down the outlaw gang (which included a young Lee Van Cleef) and being killed, then, his vengeful spirit returns from the other side to take vengeance on the townspeople who failed to support him. Eastwood returns to this idea in Pale Rider, but the spirit is much more benevolent, as much a guardian of the innocent as an agent of vengeance.
Incidentally, John Wayne considered the final scene of High Noon, where having defeated the outlaws, Gary Cooper throws away his badge, and rides off with Grace Kelly, "The most un-American thing he'd ever seen in a film." That's a pretty strong statement, but since getting people to agree as to what is and is not "un-American" is like herding cats, I'll leave it for the reader to work out.
JAMES
@@Eoraptor1 Herding wild cats who'd as soon claw your face off as ignore your attempts to herd them.
Y'all forgot outlaw josey Wales , when clint Eastwood played the role of a ex confederate guerrilla
Great breakdown. Movie came out in 1992 and I've seen it many times. I don't look at movies with this much depth. It all made perfect sense.
Took 15 years for a western to become mainstream. It was 2007 where no country for old men won best picture,there will be blood won best actor and jersey James became a cult hit.
This is my second favourite film of all time! Michael Mann's HEAT being no 1
Growing up, I had always written off the entire Western genre as "those boring brown movies my father likes." I went off to college still holding that opinion; but it would not last much longer.
Unforgiven came out during my first semester of college, and it blew my mind. It was smart, it was funny, it was mature... It was like nothing I'd seen before, and I went back to the theater to see it again and again. Toward the end of its run I had the theater all to myself for one screening, which was how I finally heard the second half of one of the film's best lines (audience laughter having drowned out everything after "He shoulda armed himself..." in every previous viewing).
Closing in on 30 years later, it still holds up as one of the finest films I've seen in any genre, and the one that first opened my mind to the idea that Westerns could be worth watching.
Its a new spin on the catharsis through violence movie.
And it did it really well!
True grit
Love unforgiven. I can tell from the video color you got the 4K blue ray. Good choice.
Dude your channel is one of the few film review channels that actually has good content. You have meaningful thoughts with a holistic view on the films. Hope your doing well man
bro how do you have under 100k subs - quality vids!
I give this movie 5 bags of popcorn.
Good analysis. I totally loved the movie as a kid, and enjoyed it again as I watched it recently.
Clint Eastwood is a legend.
If Unforgiven put an end to westerns Open Range brought it back.
Yea, Open Range was a good one for sure which didn’t take killing lightly either.
Open Range is badass!!
And HBO's Deadwood.
@@ussexeter4601 One of the best westerns made.
Open Range is a very underrated movie.....
Eastwood Started The New Era Western"s, It"s Only Right He Basically Make"s The Final 1 To End The Era !!!! Stay Strong....Peace
*'Unforgiven'* is the only movie I've ever seen where KILLING has consequences. It's not just an action, it's an act that digs deep at your soul and makes you live with the guilt for the REST of your life.
Fort Apache, El Topo, Red River, Shane, The Dollar Trilogy, Once Upon a Time in the West, Stagecoach, McAbe & Mrs. Miller, Magnificent Seven (original), True Grit (the remake too), High Noon, Blazing Saddles, The Wild Bunch, Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy & The Sundace Kid, all masterpieces, but imo The Searchers and Unforgiven are the best westerns ever.
One of my favorite movies. Glad you made a video about it.
After Unforgiven, western movie producers were rumored to prosper in dry goods.
Great analysis!
This was an interesting video that you made. I think it is fair to say that Unforgiven can be categorized as a noir western, as it shares many of the ambiguities of noir films.
And 15 years later Andrew Dominik delivered the best western this century!!
Well I'm glad someone else agrees. Why on earth does no one talk about assassination of jesse james?
I agree! th-cam.com/video/vPen6wl3FXE/w-d-xo.html
@@JacksMovieReviews The prostitute wasn`t raped, he sliced her out vengeance for being humiliated.
@Elliott Bronstein The same thing happened to Cimino`s heaven`s gate, the restore version is considered a classic by notable critics.
@Elliott Bronstein okay.
The first time I watch _Unforgiven_ I didn't care for it, but after a second and subsequent viewings I grew to like it. I don't believe you mentioned that the decision to avenge the prostitute was because there was payment involved, and you didn't mention the drinking issue until the end when that was upfront from the beginning. The protagonist knew he needed to get drunk to bring out his rage and to mask his disdain for killing. There was also the memory of his wife who cured him of his evil ways and drinking.
As for the popularity of westerns as a movie genre, I believe that films such as Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Matrix (1999) took over for a bit, and action movies set in the future became a draw for the now younger movie goers, while adults stayed at home and watched DVDs.
I just watched the film and thought the same thing you did: he didn’t drink until the point where he knew he’d lose control and turn into that version of himself. I’m surprised so few people mention it.
As much as I loved this movie, it is true.
Unforgiven killed the Western.
It wasn’t the first it was the wild bunch it made the violence look grotesque and viciously realistic it wasn’t glamorous it was a movie about a bunch vicious men who will do anything to survive they were also unforgiven during shootouts they used civilians as human shields and one of them killed their girlfriend out jealousy
I could not agree more with the analysis. Nicely done.
Great reviews. Great channel. Thanks for sharing!
very well done. thx
You set the premise of Munny's actions incorrectly from the start. He needs to provide for his children. Redemption for his past has nothing to do with it. What I got from the film as a whole was that Munny never really was the infamous character from the past, but a strong man who survived in a harsh land by being good at killing.
Greg Garrison
Agreed!
His desire is to provide for his children, that's the visual goal we see played out through the action of the film. Munny's psychological need is to atone for his past deeds, to actually believe in his heart that he's not the same person he was 20 years ago. That's what he must overcome internally while he struggles to accomplish the external need of providing for his kids. One without the other can be boring (imagine watching a guy think for 2 hours) Great movies like this have both.
Great, great video!!!
Thank you for helping me finally understand the message of the film. For years the end of the movie confused me, but in seeing how “violence only leads to more violence”, I now can see the reason for the end. Great video. Liked and subscribed.
This is actually the second time Eastwood changed the western forever , I remember seeing the good the bad and the ugly in 1966 as a young man who had been raised on westerns where good guys always wore white hats and always won . The good the bad and the ugly erased that , nobody was right and every man in the film operated on greed , much like what historians and history teachers had been saying about Hollywood having it all wrong during my schooling. Eastwood basically did it again with unforgiven . this is only my observation , but I saw the connection as the narrator of the video did . And often thought about what a treat an epilogue to some these characters would be ,I think unforgiven did just that . he's essentially Blondie as an old man , I imagine Tuco is an old man somewhere lamenting his errant ways and the loss of the love and the broken relationship with his priest brother and maybe even his partner in crime .
Just an amazing film. Im ona Western movie binge and i really enjoyed this one👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I was too young to appreciate this movie when it cam out but now that I’m older and a veteran from two tours over seas it’s my favourite
Very, Very good video. This movie has so many significant moments that it transcends the genre. I'm a 50 year old man with older bothers and I grew up on the Eastwood era cinema. I think Unforgiven is his finest work for all the reasons you state. Even though it was an acclaimed movie I feel it is still under appreciated for all the depth in the characters. Apart from the excellent observations you make about the main characters, one is able to see/feel the emotions of all the side characters like English Bob, Beauchamp, Alice etc..and the way they fit into the moral themes. I only own 5 movies on disc and this is one of them.
Almost 100k! :)
Getting close!
In my top three films of all time. Just perfect.
You should add a Western category in your Genre playlists! I'm learning heaps about Westerns from you so I'm finding them all individually. Thankyou you're a super handy resource!
Will Munny : It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.
The Schofield Kid : Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.
Will Munny : We all got it coming, kid.
Do I feel lucky punk? Well do I? Well yes, this channel uploaded a new video.
Wait....wrong Eastwood reference.
Close enough!
Right turn, Clyde
Good analysis. I forgot who said it, but this makes sense to me: when a movie handles violence properly it disturbs you.
My favorite scene is when he rides up in the pouring rain for the final shoot out, and the empty whiskey bottle hits the ground in the pouring rain,
Another Missouri Man, like Josey Wales,
.
I finally saw this gem, christ what a great film
Well done.
i love you review
Actually the film points to him being a drunk and until he takes a sip of whiskey you dont see him transform into his old self. His wife kept him from drinking and showed him humility thats why he appreciates her and doesn’t drink she must’ve told him about himself and he found himself in her. When he drinks he transforms thats why he denies NED he was calm and even cared for the guy he shot drinking water before his death. When he drank he ain’t miss ONE shot.
Great take on it.
I feel, he went the only way he knew that would solve the situation he found himself in. He lost the one Person who showed him Love and affection. He then had a responsibility to his Children and the Memory of his beloved Wife.
Sometimes in Life, the Prose and Cons have to be altered by taking that Chance. For my Kids, in that situation, I would do the same. For my Circle of Brothers, there's no doubting they would do the same for me.
Baptism of Fire, makes the Holy Grail of Bonds, between Soldiers at Arms. In the Hills, in the Mood, our DNA is there. One goes down, we want to know why. We share that experience, we share that Bond.
From an injured British War Veteran
I don't know about Munny setting out on a 'Revenge' or 'Redemption' adventure. I think it was pure economics. He was broke as a pig farmer and he had to feed his kids.
Yea he clearly didn't want to do it. Neither did Ned.
This was my FAVORITE western ever.
My favorite exchange is between Little Bill and Will Munny when Will kills the storekeeper who displayed Morgan Freeman’s corpse in his store.
“You murdered an unarmed man!”
“Well, he shoulda armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his store with the body of my friend.”
Not the first time that Clint Eastwood has been great while playing against type. Very thoughtful review. Thanks for posting.
I remember walking out of the theater when I saw Unforgiven and thinking that this is how every Western ends.
Will you put back your Twin Peaks video? I never got to see it.
This and No Country for Old Men are about as good as it gets when it comes to a western which is a polar opposite to the romanticized 1960s examples.
Great as always! Now, what brought the genre back? And how was the state of the movies that came after Unforgiven?
Always wanted to see this movie😭
As we've become more or less enlightened about our past history, it would be foolhardy, at best, to try to make Westerns as we once did. Movies like 'Unforgiven' have shown us what price was paid for 'manifest destiny'.
So you live in LA, NY or Chicago?
@@kennethfharkin No. I live deep in the Ozarks.
Did I see the same movie? In The Unforgiven I saw The Easrwood character was motivated by MONEY. It all developed because hi pig farm was failing and he was desperate to provide for his children. Desperate, OK, desperate. There's your motivation for the violence.
One of the greatest films ever made. I can always watch it.
once again, great review. more on that but I will have to leave it there , for now
Saw the thumbnail and title of this video so it prompted me to watch the movie this morning and I find it hilarious that the first comic I ever read was Watchmen,a deconstruction of superheros,the first anime I watched to completion was Neon Genesis Evangelion,a deconstruction of giant mecha and now one of the first Westerns I really loved,and its another deconstruction
I think it's cool that you don't need to have a good knowledge of the history of the genre to appreciate it.
Great take. The film is amazing
But you forgot to mention that he took the reward money and gave his kids a better life, therefore he left his violent past behind when he left his dirt farm.
My boy getting sponsorships, I see you. Anyway, great video for a great movie.
Get your gourmet popcorn!
Are you going to do a follow-up on how the western has continued to redefine itself after Unforgiven?
this movie really feels like nothing is wasted not even the slightest details
favourite movie of all time (along with 3 others for a 4-way tie)
1:02 Bad ass forgets what rifle he's holding.
i think Unforgiven along with Tombstone brought a whole new respect to the genre. but yes Unforgiven was also so good and had so many old west elements that it was kind of hard to compete with or equal and probably made people afraid to even try for a good few years.
"Deserve has nothing to do with it"
My favourite one liner,,,
I'm pretty sure this was Clint's last western. And what a way to close the chapter on his Western Movie career.
Love your vids. Could you do a review on some guilty pleasure movies? ;)
It only took 12 years to go from Unforgiven to Brokeback Mountain
I’m a life time western fan, movie and TV and Unforgiven is the best Western ever in my humble opinion.
Which edition of the film did you use for capturing the footage for this video?The resolution is sooooo much better!
This is one of the greatest western ever made.
Violence solves lots of wrongs. I'm amazed at the number of people that dismiss violence as a problem solver. Violence ended slavery in America, violence ended the Holocaust, violence ended the North Hollywood bank robbery, violence ends many criminals lives while they are committing crimes. Violence is not the only answer or the answer to most situations but it's good to be good at delivering violence when the need arises. Or you can hope someone else can save you. I'd rather save myself because I know I'll be there.
Good analysis, but to me the appeal of "Unforgiven" lies in its much simpler view of the characters, almost like characters in a fable or parable. There are five distinct types of killers presented:
1) Will Muny, the truly and simply savage man. Contrary to what this video says, he constantly denies what he is: "I'm not like that anymore," is his go-to line. He was tamed by a good woman and his family, but desperation leads him back to do "one more job." (Not out of compassion or in seek of redemption.) In the end, he is what he is--just a savage, cold-hearted killer. But he returns to his family and settles down to succeed in "proper" society, probably either realizing what truly he is and suppressing it, or still blaming it on the alcohol.
2) Ned is perhaps the most balanced of the killers. He ran with Muny in his wild youth, but settled down, and has truly renounced his evil past. He goes with Will out of loyalty, and, likely, to keep him out of trouble. But when the time comes, he cannot murder any more, to the point where he allows himself to be caught and killed himself.
3) Schofield Kid is a thug and wanabee, a type of killer (or "tough guy") we see so often in real life. He talks big, but his bravado fades when he realizes the price he has to pay when taking another man's life. He realizes that Muny is a false idol: "I ain't like you," "I'd rather be poor and blind."
4) English Bob is a dandy murderer, as opposed to Will's true emotionless killer. More analogous to a street thug, in it just for the notoriety and the flashy clothes and women, and able to legitimize himself by being a bounty hunter, 'cause why would he want to choose the dismal life of being on the run?
5) Finally, Little Bill is the flipside of Muny. Probably not a coincidence that they have the same name. He is a stone-cold killer, too, but is socially acceptable because he wears a badge. Even his own men cringe at his cruelty, as is implied that Ned did toward Muny in the past. But he is a true believer in his own righteousness, to the point where he sets up one of the best lines in the film, "I don't deserve this." Despite Muny's response, we all know that Bill DID deserve it.
I think that the contrasting of these simple representations of a Western cliché, the gunslinging killer, is the true beauty of this movie, and why it is probably one of the best Westerns, and movies in general, of all time.
(BTW, I watched this movie everyday for at least a month, back in the day when it first appeared on "cable TV," and it never got old or boring. In spite of all the recognition it gets, I still think that it's underrated.)
Full of great lines, just off the top of my head:
"Someone give him some goddam water!"
"Well, he shoulda armed himself..."
"I'm lucky that way when it comes to killin' people."
besides the others that are commented on elsewhere.
Dan Vol
One of my top three movies. Great insights.
This analysis doesn’t do justice to the film. Mummy’s alcoholism is barely addressed, he probably doesn’t understand it. Mummy was drinking in his old days and doesn’t remember, but alcohol can be an amazing performance enhancer in certain stages, and certainly with the theme- how difficult it is to actually kill a man. Mummy first goes back to drink before killing again. Note the town name , Big Whiskey.
The film makes great sport of journalists and how they glamorize violence. Also about how injustice creates violence. Lil Bill treated the whores casually, they made the town into a magnet for hired killers. Also a statement of how women are often ( always) at the center of conflict, and a huge reason for the rule of law.
The bad carpentry of little Bill , the leaks in his roof, is a metaphor for his (and society’s) shoddy justice.
I hope my insights were as informative to you as yours on me.
Munny
@@franco91953 : You're right, the film is much deeper, as are each of the characters. Just mentioned the first and strongest impression it made on me.
Thinking about it again after all these years, it's also interesting how each of the killer-types is punished for his sins, with the exception of Munny... Is that why he remains 'unforgiven'?
And as you note, he's probably the most decent of the bunch, as long as he's not drunk... even Ned treated his woman poorly and jumped on the chance to get his 'free ones,' while Will remained dedicated and true to the memory of his wife.
Ah, such a great movie.