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Product Description
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman play retired, down-on-their-luck outlaws who pick up their guns one last time to collect a bounty offered by the vengeful prostitutes of the remote Wyoming town of Big Whiskey. Richard Harris is an ill-fated interloper, a colorful killer-for-hire called English Bob. And Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Gene Hackman is the sly and brutal local sheriff whose brand of law enforcement ranges from unconventional to ruthless.
Winner of four Academy Awards, including best picture, director, supporting actor, and best editing, Clint Eastwood's 1992 masterpiece stands as one of the greatest and most thematically compelling Westerns ever made. "The movie summarized everything I feel about the Western," said Eastwood at the time of the film's release. "The moral is the concern with gunplay." To illustrate that theme, Eastwood stars as a retired, once-ruthless killer-turned-gentle-widower and hog farmer. He accepts one last bounty-hunter mission--to find the men who brutalized a prostitute--to help support his two motherless children. Joined by his former partner (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky greenhorn (Jaimz Woolvett), he takes on a corrupt sheriff (Oscar winner Gene Hackman) in a showdown that makes the viewer feel the full impact of violence and its corruption of the soul. Dedicated to Eastwood's mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel and featuring a colorful role for Richard Harris, it's arguably Eastwood's crowning directorial achievement. --Jeff Shannon
Winner of four Academy Awards, including best picture, director, supporting actor, and best editing, Clint Eastwood's 1992 masterpiece stands as one of the greatest and most thematically compelling Westerns ever made. "The movie summarized everything I feel about the Western," said Eastwood at the time of the film's release. "The moral is the concern with gunplay." To illustrate that theme, Eastwood stars as a retired, once-ruthless killer-turned-gentle-widower and hog farmer. He accepts one last bounty-hunter mission--to find the men who brutalized a prostitute--to help support his two motherless children. Joined by his former partner (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky greenhorn (Jaimz Woolvett), he takes on a corrupt sheriff (Oscar winner Gene Hackman) in a showdown that makes the viewer feel the full impact of violence and its corruption of the soul. Dedicated to Eastwood's mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel and featuring a colorful role for Richard Harris, it's arguably Eastwood's crowning directorial achievement. The digital video disc offers standard and widescreen formats and a remastered soundtrack. --Jeff Shannon
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Customer Reviews: - Best Western of the last few decades
This is a magnificent film. Clint's best wild west flick since his work with Leone. It's such a different sort of film though. It is much more moral, in the same vein as High Noon. Gene Hackman's performance is also phenomenal and really makes the film, especially in the final confrontation. I'm kinda a sucker for special editions, but this special edition is certainly worth it. The 2nd disc is loaded with interesting featurettes which is just what I expect and want from special editions. I hate it when I get nothing but typed up bios of cast. This one has got the bios too, for completeness's sake I'm sure. :)...more info - Border Wars come to Wyoming
"Unforgiven" is a deconstruction of the classical Western. There are no 'good guys', only different degrees of wrong. The killings aren't idealized. They are the filthy business that murder always is. Eastwood's character, Muny, is a man with a troubled past. He was a border raider in Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War although we never learn which side he was on. All we know is that he was brutalized and committed atrocities. His wife, however, tried to set him straight and he makes his life as a poor and simple farmer.
Temptation comes to him in the form of bounty money offerred for the killing of men who cut and scarred a prostitue in Little Whiskey, Wyoming. The prostitutes couldn't get the law to arrest the culprits so they have raised money and, in so doing, they have taken the law into their own hands. Muny, at the urging of a very young, very inexperienced wannabe gunfighter, complies. The result is a series of brutal killings with one culprit shot to death while sitting in an outhouse.
The local sheriff, Little Bill, is, himself, a sadistic man and exacts retribution on Muny's little gang. Muny, all veneer of civilization now completely stripped away, exacts bloody vengeance. It's all so very satisfying which, I'm afraid, speaks volumes about our basic human nature.
This is, in my opinion, an excellent film. Clintwood, as director, shows that his attitudes about who we are may very well parallel those of Sam Peckinpah, as in 'Pat Garret and Billy the Kid' and 'The Wild Bunch.'
Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico...more info - Great Film
I bought the 2 disc version with alll the extra's on disc two. I haven't watch disc two yet. The movie disc played fine. sound and picture quality was good.
I fell off the couch with laughter when Morgan Freeman asks Clint if he's gone to town for a woman after his wife died. Clint said he promised his wife he wouldn't pay for sex. Morgan Freeman then asks Clint, "Do you use your hand"?.............LOL.....Clint jsut glares at him....more info - All Star cast = 5 star western
The combination of Eastwood, Hackman , Freeman and Harris make this one of the greatest westerns ever filmed. The Acting, Script and Cinematography are superior to almost any western I can think of. Great story with plenty of tension, action and memorable lines. Eastwood's best work in my opinion but Gene Hackman steals the film as the hardnosed sheriff of Big Whiskey, Wyoming....more info - HD DVD
I bought my husband the HD DVD of Unforgiven for his birthday and he loves it! he said the picture is better than any movie he ever watched!! when either of us need anything, from movies and music or books, or ANYTHING we go to Amazon .com first. We dont know what we would do without you!
Thank you so much for all you do for your customers, it is much appreciated!
Sincerely,
S. Kipp...more info - Video Quality Review(Blu-Ray)
Wow, what a transfer. The feature film quality of Unforgiven is flawlessly maintained in this release. The source is perfectly clean; all colors, as well as blacks, are pure and natural. There is a drastic increase of detail from the standard DVD. Every wrinkle on the actors faces shows up and in this film there are quite a few wrinkles to look at. (High Definition never looks so real and stunning as when it is fed all the details of an aging face.)
Unforgiven was shot on film so slight and consistent film grain can be seen throughout and the picture lacks the same perfect clarity that can be found on digitally shot features. But it is as good a reproduction of the film as it appeared in theatres as any I have seen.
Recommended to any fan of the movie who is considering upgrading their standard DVD of the film.
(PS3 - 1080p projector - 92")
...more info - Excellent
UNFORGIVEN
**** Out of 5
Release Date- August 7th, 1992
Running Time- 131-Minutes
Rating- R
Screenplay- David Webb Peoples
Director- Clint Eastwood
Starring- Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, Anna Levine and Gene Hackman as Little Bill Daggett
Unforgiven was Clint Eastwood's big return to the Western genre and is by considered by many as one of the all time greats of the genre and won four Academy Awards, which included best editing for Joel Cox, Gene Hackman for best supporting actor, best director for Eastwood and best picture and while Unforgiven is deserving of it's praise the movie isn't without it's flaws and quite honestly as much as I liked the movie it wouldn't make my top 5 Eastwood movies.
The screenplay by David Webb Peoples is quite solid with some really great characters. Unforgiven does feature plenty of action, but the movie is driven more by the characters rather than the action. The characters are all mostly well written for, but some aren't as interesting as others. None of the characters are boring or anything, but some work better than others. The script is well thought out and works on pretty much every level
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for Unforgiven and he delivers a very well made movie. As I stated even with the action, Unforgiven is much more driven by the characters and Eastwood does a great job at brining the script to life. His scenes are generally well paced and he delivers some great action, suspense and real life human emotions. The only problem I really had was the running time. I personally felt the 134-minute running time was a little overly long. While none of the scenes are filler scenes and they all add to the plot and to the characters I did feel a few minutes here and there could have been edited out and it wouldn't hurt the movie at all.
But regardless Eastwood delivers an excellent movie and the final act was nothing short of brilliant. The suspense level is excellent and while the shoot outs don't drag out, but they aren't too brief either and while the whole movie was well done I think the final act is where Eastwood really shines as director.
Besides directing and producing Clint Eastwood stars as William Munny and this might be the best character Eastwood has ever played or at least the most complex. The thing about Eastwood is he is a great actor in the sense that he's best known for that tough guy role and even in his lighter movies he still has that tough guy persona and you'll be hard pressed to find someone better at that role than Eastwood, but he doesn't have a lot of range as an actor. That isn't a knock against him since he's great at what he does, but in Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood shows more range than anything before or after this movie.
William Munny was a cold blooded killer who once married changed his ways and is seeking a sort of redemption. He knows what he's done in the past and he knows it was wrong, but what's done is done and in many ways William Munny is a broken man since the death of his wife. William Munny may not be as cool and entertaining as say Dirty Harry, but like I said he is the most complex of all Eastwood's characters. There was a lot of depth to William Munny and Eastwood really delivers a performance of a lifetime. We've seen characters like this before, but Eastwood as director and actor manages to make it seem fresh and different. Clint was nominated for best actor, but lost out to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman, but I personally feel of all the nominated actors that year Eastwood was by far the best with a very complex character.
The supporting cast is excellent with Morgan Freeman as Ned Logan, who like Munny has done bad things in the past and is trying to put it behind him. Gene Hackman like always is great and was very deserving of his Oscar win, but I don't understand how Freeman wasn't nominated. Jaimz Woolvett as The Schofield Kid nearly steals the show as a wannabe gunslinger.
Like I said Unforgiven is a great picture and it's one of those movies as I think back to I like it even more, but still wouldn't place it in my top 5 Eastwood flicks. Unforgiven though is a really complex movie with excellent characters and like I said Eastwood is great at what he does, but doesn't have a lot of range, but here he shows all that range and more. William Munny is truly a great character and despite any problems I had with Unforgiven it comes highly recommended to Eastwood and Western fans.
The Blu-ray has excellent quality and makes the movie look like it was done recently and not in 1992. The extra features are great with some good behind the scenes, plus the documentary Eastwood on Eastwood, which is a must see for fans of the Iconic actor....more info - Excellent
UNFORGIVEN
**** Out of 5
Release Date- August 7th, 1992
Running Time- 131-Minutes
Rating- R
Screenplay- David Webb Peoples
Director- Clint Eastwood
Starring- Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, Anna Levine and Gene Hackman as Little Bill Daggett
Unforgiven was Clint Eastwood's big return to the Western genre and is by considered by many as one of the all time greats of the genre and won four Academy Awards, which included best editing for Joel Cox, Gene Hackman for best supporting actor, best director for Eastwood and best picture and while Unforgiven is deserving of it's praise the movie isn't without it's flaws and quite honestly as much as I liked the movie it wouldn't make my top 5 Eastwood movies.
The screenplay by David Webb Peoples is quite solid with some really great characters. Unforgiven does feature plenty of action, but the movie is driven more by the characters rather than the action. The characters are all mostly well written for, but some aren't as interesting as others. None of the characters are boring or anything, but some work better than others. The script is well thought out and works on pretty much every level
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for Unforgiven and he delivers a very well made movie. As I stated even with the action, Unforgiven is much more driven by the characters and Eastwood does a great job at brining the script to life. His scenes are generally well paced and he delivers some great action, suspense and real life human emotions. The only problem I really had was the running time. I personally felt the 134-minute running time was a little overly long. While none of the scenes are filler scenes and they all add to the plot and to the characters I did feel a few minutes here and there could have been edited out and it wouldn't hurt the movie at all.
But regardless Eastwood delivers an excellent movie and the final act was nothing short of brilliant. The suspense level is excellent and while the shoot outs don't drag out, but they aren't too brief either and while the whole movie was well done I think the final act is where Eastwood really shines as director.
Besides directing and producing Clint Eastwood stars as William Munny and this might be the best character Eastwood has ever played or at least the most complex. The thing about Eastwood is he is a great actor in the sense that he's best known for that tough guy role and even in his lighter movies he still has that tough guy persona and you'll be hard pressed to find someone better at that role than Eastwood, but he doesn't have a lot of range as an actor. That isn't a knock against him since he's great at what he does, but in Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood shows more range than anything before or after this movie.
William Munny was a cold blooded killer who once married changed his ways and is seeking a sort of redemption. He knows what he's done in the past and he knows it was wrong, but what's done is done and in many ways William Munny is a broken man since the death of his wife. William Munny may not be as cool and entertaining as say Dirty Harry, but like I said he is the most complex of all Eastwood's characters. There was a lot of depth to William Munny and Eastwood really delivers a performance of a lifetime. We've seen characters like this before, but Eastwood as director and actor manages to make it seem fresh and different. Clint was nominated for best actor, but lost out to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman, but I personally feel of all the nominated actors that year Eastwood was by far the best with a very complex character.
The supporting cast is excellent with Morgan Freeman as Ned Logan, who like Munny has done bad things in the past and is trying to put it behind him. Gene Hackman like always is great and was very deserving of his Oscar win, but I don't understand how Freeman wasn't nominated. Jaimz Woolvett as The Schofield Kid nearly steals the show as a wannabe gunslinger.
Like I said Unforgiven is a great picture and it's one of those movies as I think back to I like it even more, but still wouldn't place it in my top 5 Eastwood flicks. Unforgiven though is a really complex movie with excellent characters and like I said Eastwood is great at what he does, but doesn't have a lot of range, but here he shows all that range and more. William Munny is truly a great character and despite any problems I had with Unforgiven it comes highly recommended to Eastwood and Western fans.
The Blu-ray has excellent quality and makes the movie look like it was done recently and not in 1992. The extra features are great with some good behind the scenes, plus the documentary Eastwood on Eastwood, which is a must see for fans of the Iconic actor....more info - *****
My favorite movie of all time. My dad shared this one with me, one of the closer moments in our relationship was watching this together. Incredible pic....more info - yummy junk food - enjoy!
As far as grandiose Westerns go, this is about my favorite - along with McCabe and Mrs. Miller. It's a story of two old retired gunfighters, long reformed in their ways, stepping back into the ring for one last hurrah of badness - assassination for hire. The movie builds tension wonderfully, creates a magical vibe of reality (minus the rather cheesy acting of the young guy who plays the "Scofield Kid"), is full of flesh-and-blood, fallible characters with whom you can empathize and whom you can hate - or be sickened by, or root for... And best of all this movie has QUITE the payoff. It WORKS. Mostly Hollywood stinks. Not here. And frankly, Clint Eastwood rocks. He plays his part to the T.
Okay, two more little criticisms:
1) The scene where Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood discuss sex and masturbation came out of left field and deflated the reality of the moment. So cheesy. Morgan to Clint, set in 1880: "Do you use your hand?" WHATEVER!
2) The violence at points went a bit far for me. Yes, it added to the drama and reality of the movie, but how many times does a guy need to get kicked in the bloody face?...more info - What true gem...a pleasure to watch.
This movie is my favorite of Clint Eastwood's films. It is certainly one of the best westerns ever filmed as well. As others have already written, it is dark, rich in both visuals and in characters. Eastwood's character is really a anti-hero lost in who he is and seems to be looking for a bit of redemption.
Totally worth every penny. I was fortunate enough to have been working at a theater when this movie was released and for the many nights, weeks, and months that it was shown, I watched every minute of it I could. As nice as it is to watch a movie in the luxury of one's own home, nothing can compare to a movie like this on the big screen. I sorely miss those days....more info - GREAT GIFR
MY SON WANTED THIS FOR THE LONGEST TIME. HE IS SO HAPPY WITH IT. GREAT MOVIE....more info - Masterful and Compelling
It don't better than this - everyone in this game contributes to a great cinematic experience that deserves all the praise and appreciation 99.9% of the reviewers here share - GO CLINT et ALL - thanks for a movie i will watch repeatedly and remember one has to accept one's past while having the courage to face the future - making the best of each as circumstances require. Makes one reflect on his/her own path through life and the consequences/effects it has on one's chance of survival in this dark and predatory world we live in. Who will be the survivor?...more info - One of the best westerns around? "I guess so"
Despite the fact he's one of the most respected actors/directors around, the films that I've seen him direct haven't really been that good for me. I despised Mystic River and I didn't get why there was so much love for Million Dollar Baby. However, most people will just end up saying "well then watch Unforgiven" so not being one to dismiss something outright, I thought sure, why not? Well I don't regret it one bit. While it's certainly a different western than others I've seen, that's kind of what makes it unique as well: a character-based study set in the West as opposed to outlaws tearing up the Wild West.
After being ridiculed by the size of his manhood, Quick Mike cuts up a prostitute named Delilah, leaving her face scarred. Quick Mike and his partner however get punished by the town sheriff, Little Bob, by giving up some of their ponies. Outraged at the lack of severity in the punishment, the mother figure Alice gets the other women to pool their savings and offer a bounty on the 2.
Reluctantly answering the call is William Munny, a pig farmer living with his 2 children. It's a different life for him and one he desperately needs since not only did his wife pass but he used to be a very ruthless killer once. Since the money's too good to pass up, he goes for it and along the way, he brings his buddy Ned, who's quite the sharpshooter. Only things don't go exactly as planned since not only is a no firearm policy heavily enforced but the 2 men are actually protected. For both this is not just a simple bounty and the whole thing plays out like a morality play with no clear winners.
One thing that first hits you about the film is how untypical of a western it is. Unlike, let's say, Tombstone, this town almost seems eerily quiet and without life. There's a stillness that's new to me and I liked seeing it. Reminded me of visiting my grandparent's cabin where it was just you and nothing else. It's also perfectly shot with very lush camera shots of valleys and the skies. Also, the film doesn't really have that huge gun shootout you often see. For some, it might be disappointing since gun battles are brief and not as dynamic as say, Open Range's is or other ones. It does set the film from most other ones since there's not really a melancholy but a certain relaxed feeling or a subdued feeling rather than big dynamic Wild West gunplay.
Acting of course is spot-on from Eastwood to Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman. While Richard Harris does do a great job in his scenes, the actual character can probably be taken out and it wouldn't do a huge blow to the film. It mainly shows what happens to people who try to go for the bounty or break the no firearm policy but it's not ultimately that important. Also, there's a young sidekick William and Ned take along with them that was so irritating I wish one of them would shoot him and say "shut up already". The pacing also might get people, since as I said, it's more subdued than the more energetic Tombstone was. Besides the might-be troublesome pacing and that annoying brat, the film's quite great regardless.
The film in a way isn't like most Best Picture winners where they're larger-than-life and big and epic but it's also well-made with surprising direction by Eastwood and a good message concerning guns. So far it's the best Eastwood film I've seen although I haven't seen Flags or Iwo Jima yet....more info - Great film transfer
Pretty much everything has been said about this movie...it is Eastwood's best Western, which it achieves by dropping all the trappings of Western films. It's ironic, but this film can be considered an anti-western, anti-violence film, because it depicts it in such a truthful and brutal way, which makes for a stark difference to the usual glorification of violence/gunplay seen in the Westerns of old.
The blu-ray transfer is just about perfect. For the age of the film, it's quite beautiful, especially when you see the panoramic views and harsh beauty of the West the film represents.
This blu-ray disk is also loaded with extras...many featurettes about Clint Eastwood, as both a director and an actor. There is also a full episode of "Maverick," an old Western TV show, that features Clint Eastwood in one of his earlier performances.
I highly recommend you get this film, period. ...more info - The reality of the gunfighter
To clarify, I do not own this particular DVD. This review concerns the movie itself. Plot elements are vaguely revealed in this review, so don't read it if you haven't seen the movie yet. There is a warning in the review before any potential spoilers are revealed.
People have called this film many things, dull, plodding, what have you, but they do not understand the point of it. This film was never meant to be an action packed romp through a fictional western ideal.
This film deals with real men, imagined, perhaps, but real in their plight and manner. Death is heavy subject matter, and this is perhaps one of the few movies that gets the point across. There are no heroes in Unforgiven. It is not a director's self indulgent pat on the back, either. This film is as good as anyone ever said it was, and is by far, the most relevant story of violence told on the silver screen. It is at times vulgar, distasteful, and flat out cold, but such was the life of this kind of man. This was the reality of the myth, and no punches are held in laying that fact out for the viewer to observe.
After this point, I discuss plot.
There is an evolution throughout the film, where the viewer tags alongside the main character. At first, he is innocuous, and one is lead to believe that perhaps the days are truly over, or maybe this man isn't so bad, after all. Throughout the film, the journey follows him, and his fellow riders, as he is laid low by the plot, forcing the viewer to identify with him slowly. You get to know his character as a man, as varied myths of the west are smashed to pieces in action and conversation around him. Throughout it all, there is talk by many characters of just what a real killer truly is.
This man begins to grow on you, as others talk of killing, and even accomplish it, to their own ability. Mention is made of his devotion to his wife, and the viewer is left to identify further with him, and begin to really like him, before the bottom falls out, and the man reveals the true colors of such a legend, and the monster is revealed.
The gunfight is sudden, and the killings are meant to shock. Things are presented things actually are in such a situation. The viewer watches as violence fuels this character to a bitter end for others, you can feel the adrenaline flowing in his veins as he steels himself after the fight, murdering the survivors and promising death to everyone who would oppose him, right on down the family line, starting with women and children.
He knows the use of fear and blood, and you can see him slump away on his horse as the moment leaves him, riding not into a sunset, but into a dark, wet, cloudy night, rain dripping off of his hat, hoping to leave town before his spell wears off of them.
This is a film about death, and the reality of death. It does not color over the harsh reality of the men we like to idolize. 5 men killed at the end of this film feels like 500, it weighs on you, if you let yourself be absorbed by it. This film does not idolize a gunfighter, it obsesses, it twists and writhes with the reality of the coldness and hate that is required of a killer, and the detached irrelevance of life after the act.
If you only see one western film in your life, make it this one....more info - Some of Eastwood's Best
The west is revisited in this beautifully transferred HD DVD version of the Academy Award winning "Unforgiven".
Extras include a 1959 episode of "Maverick" featuring a young Clint Eastwood - most certainly a lot sharper than seen before - this is one of the high points that add great value to this HD DVD in my opinion. Hours of other extras about "Unforgiven" and about Clint Eastwood and his career also accompany this HD DVD.
"Unforgiven" isn't the "best" western I've ever seen, nor does it quite capture an authentic west so much as it captures a more "studio-and-costumer" west, but that's just me. It is a gritty western painted with vigilante justice of severe consequences, along with life-lessons, old-west style.
The performances were very nice - Gene Hackman played his character well, but I didn't quite "get" him...maybe a second viewing will do the trick. The story moves along a bit slowly, but plays out effectively. I didn't get "lost" in it, but I did like it.
The lightning is clearly a studio lamp, but the low, rolling thunder sets a nice dark mood.
I would guess that you've got to like westerns to like this film, as it may not make you a fan of the genre on its own, as the classics might. But as far as value goes, there are plenty of extras and the movie is well done....more info - The best western
Unforgiven is definitely my favorite western of all time. Clint directs and stars in this film. This is a must watch for any western film fan....more info - OVERrated, but still good
It's all these guys in their later years so kind of goofy to see them as trying to be studs. Hackman is the best thing in the movie. BR continues to miss on the extras. ...more info - Great Film
I bought the 2 disc version with alll the extra's on disc two. I haven't watch disc two yet. The movie disc played fine. sound and picture quality was good.
I fell off the couch with laughter when Morgan Freeman asks Clint if he's gone to town for a woman after his wife died. Clint said he promised his wife he wouldn't pay for sex. Morgan Freeman then asks Clint, "Do you use your hand"?.............LOL.....Clint jsut glares at him....more info - A FINE WESTERN DRAMA FROM CLINT EASTWOOD.
"Unforgiven" is one of the many entries into THE American film genre. According to Clint Eastwood, the film's star and director, it "summarizes everything I feel about the western." And it is a fine western film, filled with fascinating characters, exciting gunfights, and beautiful choreography. The story itself is fascinating, though it is a bit slow and uneven in some places.
Clint Eastwood gives what is arguably his best performance as Bill Munny, a former gunslinger and cold-blooded killer, who's changed his ways, but agrees to collect one more bounty in order to support his two children. We see how violence can corrupt a human being, and how past demons can truly eat at him, and Eastwood plays this perfectly. Morgan Freeman, one of my all-time favorites, gives another terrific performance as Ned Logan, Munny's old partner. Gene Hackman is brutal, but also scarily likable, as the villainous Little Bill Daggett, the corrupt sheriff of the town. It isn't hard to see why he won an Oscar for his performance. The rest of the cast turn in solid performances as well, and help to keep the story both interesting and involving.
Overall, "Unforgiven" is a fine, if slow and uneven, entry into the genre with great performances and well-done gunfights. Fans of western and drama alike will find much to enjoy in this modern-day western.
Movie/DVD Grade: B+...more info - Husband's 2nd favorite
Because my husband likes this movie so much, purchased for a friend who also likes it. Don't make movies like this too much - too bad. ...more info - Clint Eastwood's LEGACY and GREATEST film!
I believe that "Unforgiven" will be the film that Clint Eastwood will most be remembered for, and deservedly so. It was the first Western to show the ramifications and results of gratuitous violence. I think everbody knows by now that the scene toward the end of the film where Will Munny is alone with the Scofield Kid and he gives the "We all have it comin' kid" speech is the definitive moment of Clint Eastwood's entire career.
I have always thought that Gene Hackman is Hollywood's GREATEST character actor. Here he gives his all-time GREATEST supporting performance and deservedly won the Oscar for it. Morgan Freeman is one of our GREAT actors and gives his usual flawless performance.
I saw "Unforgiven" eight times back in 1992. Then it was still common to see a film numerous times in the theater. Today it is very different because a film will be released on DVD a few months after the theatrical release.
I cannot recommend this movie enough. "Unforgiven" is one of the GREATEST Westerns ever made. I'm proud to say that Clint Eastwood is my all-time favorite actor and star. The #1 LEGEND in Hollywood.
"It's a hell of a thing killin' a man. You take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have."
"We all have it comin' kid"...more info - GREAT GIFR
MY SON WANTED THIS FOR THE LONGEST TIME. HE IS SO HAPPY WITH IT. GREAT MOVIE....more info - Excellent service , hasta Mexico
I always fan from Clin Eastwood Movies and here in Monterrey, Mexico is hard to find special editions , only under order and is always is the double priced. But this is my first buy from amazon and recomended a lot, the time arrival estimated was by 1 month , and i receive my DVD in only 4 days , amazing ,specially from this seller, SO have the security of you receive your product any place in Mexico or Latin America.
Gracias....more info - Unforgiven DVD purchase
Received in a very timely manner and in great condition. I would definitely order from this vendor again!...more info - the epitome of realistic westerns
outlaw turned bounty hunter... some old tag line... but this movie stands out because of it's dark atmosphere, great acting, and realistic action sequences.
When I want to sit and watch a serious, adult western... this is it.
It makes you think about all the aspects of life, and all the different times of your own life, like how cocky you were when you were young, how many bad things you might have gotten away with, how powerful you can still be if you had to, and what lies ahead in the future and how you can control your own destiny. ...more info - No reason to review this, EVERYONE already knows its AWESOME!
One of the best movies of all time.
It's gritty and its not afraid to show it.
It's much more realistic than the typical draw in a millisecond and shoot ten guys in the eye at 1000 yards kind of movies.
It showed that not all heros are perfect and that there is weakness in even the strongest of men. It even showed that even scumbags have a likeable side. And, it even showed that sometimes a tough guy image is just a cover to hide vunerabilities.
This certainly wasn't Hollywood's typical lets make some big explosions to hide our weak story line kind of movies....more info - The reality of the gunfighter
To clarify, I do not own this particular DVD. This review concerns the movie itself. Plot elements are vaguely revealed in this review, so don't read it if you haven't seen the movie yet. There is a warning in the review before any potential spoilers are revealed.
People have called this film many things, dull, plodding, what have you, but they do not understand the point of it. This film was never meant to be an action packed romp through a fictional western ideal.
This film deals with real men, imagined, perhaps, but real in their plight and manner. Death is heavy subject matter, and this is perhaps one of the few movies that gets the point across. There are no heroes in Unforgiven. It is not a director's self indulgent pat on the back, either. This film is as good as anyone ever said it was, and is by far, the most relevant story of violence told on the silver screen. It is at times vulgar, distasteful, and flat out cold, but such was the life of this kind of man. This was the reality of the myth, and no punches are held in laying that fact out for the viewer to observe.
After this point, I discuss plot.
There is an evolution throughout the film, where the viewer tags alongside the main character. At first, he is innocuous, and one is lead to believe that perhaps the days are truly over, or maybe this man isn't so bad, after all. Throughout the film, the journey follows him, and his fellow riders, as he is laid low by the plot, forcing the viewer to identify with him slowly. You get to know his character as a man, as varied myths of the west are smashed to pieces in action and conversation around him. Throughout it all, there is talk by many characters of just what a real killer truly is.
This man begins to grow on you, as others talk of killing, and even accomplish it, to their own ability. Mention is made of his devotion to his wife, and the viewer is left to identify further with him, and begin to really like him, before the bottom falls out, and the man reveals the true colors of such a legend, and the monster is revealed.
The gunfight is sudden, and the killings are meant to shock. Things are presented things actually are in such a situation. The viewer watches as violence fuels this character to a bitter end for others, you can feel the adrenaline flowing in his veins as he steels himself after the fight, murdering the survivors and promising death to everyone who would oppose him, right on down the family line, starting with women and children.
He knows the use of fear and blood, and you can see him slump away on his horse as the moment leaves him, riding not into a sunset, but into a dark, wet, cloudy night, rain dripping off of his hat, hoping to leave town before his spell wears off of them.
This is a film about death, and the reality of death. It does not color over the harsh reality of the men we like to idolize. 5 men killed at the end of this film feels like 500, it weighs on you, if you let yourself be absorbed by it. This film does not idolize a gunfighter, it obsesses, it twists and writhes with the reality of the coldness and hate that is required of a killer, and the detached irrelevance of life after the act.
If you only see one western film in your life, make it this one....more info - "It's a hell of thing, Killin' a man."
When talking about westerns you couldn't begin to muster a word without first mentioning Clint Eastwood. Eastwood didn't start the most popular genre in American cinema but he helped to romanticize the idea of a gunslinger with a heart of stone to people the world over with his "man with no name" series directed by Sergio Leoni. My personal favorites of all the spaghetti westerns were his. He continued this tradition when he stared directing westerns of his own like High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider, and the Outlaw Josie Wales to name a few. He began to come into his own as not just an actor on screen but as a storyteller to.
The Unforgiven is Eastwood at his peak as a storyteller and his first real master piece as a director. He sheds his badass, no fear, bent on revenge gunslinger persona that he made famous behind for a character with more depth. A man with more demons and layers upon layers of baggage, fears and insecurities. In this film Eastwood Plays William Muddy, an ex outlaw turned family man and pig farmer from Missouri. William has a bit of a past that he has long left behind, mayhem, gambling, boozin' and of course killing folks. His long dead wife cured him of those evils and he is just a simple yet inept farmer. William has two youngins that he is struggling to provide for when a young gunslinger wanna be comes riding in, looking to team up with Muddy, to collect on a reward offered by a whore who was disfigured by two cowboys.
Muddy who is flat broke with children to tend to feels he has no choice and agrees to help find and kill these men but only if he can also team up with his old partner, Ned (Morgan Freeman). The three men soon find out this bounty has many more obstacles to over come besides just finding and killing these men. The biggest being the Sheriff of Old Whiskey, Little Bill (Gene Hackman). Little Bill keep a tight hold on what goes on in his town and outlaws all fire arms in city limits. He has little respect for assassins and hired guns and enforces his law with the most brutal of measures.
The thing that makes this film so different that the other Eastwood films is the depth of the characters, mainly Muddy played by Eastwood himself. In the beginning he is old, out of shape and soft spoken farmer who hasn't even held a pistol in a decade. He has lost all taste for killing and wants to leave the past where it belongs, in the past. Muddy is not only regretful and ashamed of his past but has become fearful of it as well. On the servace he almost looks like a coward... but no, he's no coward. Muddy is afraid of letting out the monster he was in his youth, knowing full well there is no turning back, if your gonna kill someone you have to be all in or all out. His partners learn this the hard way when you set to kill a man, a bit your own soul dies with it.
The progression and transformation this character takes is amazing done and explodes in the films climax. Eastwood took a huge chance gracing the film for an hour and a half before ever giving what the true fans want. When Eastwood finally delivers with the goods its well worth the wait and you find out that he is meaner, nastier than you could have ever dreamed. This film has superb directing, writing, acting and pacing, nothing in this movie is off in the slightest and each character is more fleshed out and deep than any other western that I've ever seen.
This movie is about more than just badass gunslingers, this movie has a message about what killing does to a man and how few people have the stomach for it. Even the badest of them all is kept awake at night from the horrors he's inflicted on others.
You will not find a better modern day western. Even if you're not a fan of this genre you will enjoy this film immensely and walk away feeling satisfied.
The title of this move sums up Eastwood character to a tee...Unforgiven. Not just by others but himself as well. You can change yourself all you want but something you do in life will follow you and haunt you for the rest of your days. One of the best lines of Eastwood's in the movie that really sums up what it's about is when the kid said that they had it comin' to `em, and Eastwoon responds, "We All have it comin' kid."
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