Written by: David Webb Peoples
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett
Rating: [4.5/5]
Stories told do so much of the heavy lifting when it comes to mythologizing individuals throughout history. Whatever actually played out does not matter as much as who was there to record it all for historical purposes. Something Unforgiven becomes astutely interested in exploring as we have Clint Eastwood crafting a film dissecting his very own past within a genre he helped shepherd.
Following the horrific act of disfiguring the face of a sex worker Delilah Fitzgerlad (Anna Thomson) with a knife the women of the brothel do not feel justice has been served by law enforcement. Therefore, they decide to place a bounty on the cowboys who harmed Delilah, which reaches William Munny (Clint Eastwood) as he receives the opportunity for a final payday as he enjoys retirement from this dirty business.
The battle between law enforcement and the outlaws in Westerns has remained the name of the game and defined how we think of Westerns as a genre. With all of these face-offs, law enforcement has generally received the positive portrayal of being the good guys because they uphold order in a society known for having no rules or being quite wild. That’s how these stories typically get captured throughout these narratives, but Unforgiven wants to move away from the popular belief of stories and shed light on something existing beyond what gets written and something real.
With these sex workers who feel they have been wronged and have not received the proper justice through the legal system, they feel their sheriff has let them down leaving them no other choice but to work outside the confines of the law to get their due. The lawman represents the law but does not seek to serve these women as individuals but rather the business owners who see them as nothing more than property. They go through their own route, but as the film explores, it does not come without complications.
Posting this bounty brings forth William Munny and his buddy Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) out of retirement for a final payday as they represent the final vestiges of the American cowboy. Having Eastwood represent this through his characterization of Munny while also directing this feature carries this immense power running throughout the film. Two men who have decided to move on from this more dangerous and exciting life, but choose to jump on this opportunity merely because they need the funds they would provide. Far from their prime as demonstrated by Munny’s inability to shoot a can from a distance that would come with ease in his younger days. Therefore we have this showdown between these older gentlemen past their prime versus a sheriff making it quite clear he wants no bounty hunter trying to come in and collect on what the women of the brothel offered out.
The brilliance of how Eastwood frames these characters in coordination with the screenplay by David Webb Peoples presents the different styles of cowboys that have made the Western genre once revered all colliding in the film. With Munny, we have the old curmudgeon who’s far beyond his years, and with Logan the partner who’s been through it all. However, with The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) we have a character that brings the necessary charisma to be this leading cowboy of the group but the more we learn about him, we get something far more interesting. He initiates Munny and Logan’s involvement with this bounty, harbors the least amount of experience, but approaches this entire ordeal with some strange overabundance of confidence not begetting someone of his stature. Quite the intriguing approach and someone quite critical to what Eastwood seeks to communicate through this narrative as we see the old ways of the West going away and witnessing what now remains as the bastions of this genre. An observation and beautiful reflection communicating the perception of a man who sees the finish line before him.
Portraying the renegade sheriff we have the incredible Gene Hackman. The man has proven to be no stranger to playing some despicable roles, but what he does Little Bill Dagget ranks near the top of his greatest works as a thespian. He brings this irreverent approach to this character in the way he navigates this town and operates with impunity in the way he interacts with bounty hunters. It thus makes sense he would not have any care for Munny and Logan peeking their head into this situation. Equally menacing as he is funny in moments, his presence in this feature never gets old allowing for the third act and the eventual showdown with Munny all the more satisfying.
While never wanting to punctuate a genre through one film, it feels apt that Clint Eastwood, who stood as one of the bridges of when Westerns hit their height and met their decline as we reached the 21st Century would tell this story. Eastwood brings a sense of finality to this narrative in the way he approaches these characters in a world where outlaws could enact justice in ways law enforcement could not. This general melancholic feeling surrounding the film evokes the very feeling, but it does not take away from the fantastic shootout sequences one would expect from a Western on top of the strong character work involved to make this not only a thoroughly enjoyable film but one with plenty to say about the world and this particular genre. Truly one of Clint Eastwood’s greatest directorial efforts and probably his most important when looking at the totality of his career.
Films with Josh 
