Being the tomboy that I am, I have decided to see more masculine films. And not too long ago, I saw the best example of a guy film. That movie is Unforgiven. The town of Big Whiskey is full of nornal people trying to lead quiet lives. Cowboys try to make a living. Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett (Gene Hackman) tries to build a house and keep a heavy-handed order. The town whores just try to get by. Then a couple of cowboys cut up a whore. Unsatisfied with Bill's justice, the prostitutes put a bounty on the cowboys. The bounty attracts a young gun billing himself as "The Schofield Kid" (Jaimz Woolvett) and aging killer William Munny (Clint Eastwood). Munny reformed for his young wife, and has been raising crops and two children in peace. But his wife is gone. Farm life is hard. And Munny is no good at it. So he calls his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), saddles his ornery nag and rides off to kill one more time, blurring the line between heroism and villainy, man and myth.
Even though I've seen four Westerns prior to Unforgiven, this takes the cake as the best of the bunch. Even though Daggett is a lawman and people respect him, I think they also fear him for his sadistic ways on enforcing the law. I learned one important thing from watching Unforgiven: you DO NOT mess with Eastwood.
My Rating: *****
I love the final sequence in the film. Sort of a awakening of the dormant monster moment for Eastwood's character. Hinted at throughout the film you see what he was really like before his marriage.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention the piano score for this movie is just beautiful