Unforgiven (1992)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writer (WGA):

David Webb Peoples (written by)

Release Date:

7 August 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Western

Plot:

Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner and a young man.

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Sheriff | One Last Job | Gunslinger | Prostitute

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	William 'Bill' Munny
Gene Hackman	...	Little Bill Daggett
Morgan Freeman	...	Ned Logan
Richard Harris	...	English Bob
Jaimz Woolvett	...	The Schofield Kid
Saul Rubinek	...	W.W. Beauchamp
Frances Fisher	...	Strawberry Alice
Anna Levine	...	Delilah Fitzgerald (as Anna Thomson)
David Mucci	...	Quick Mike
Rob Campbell	...	Davey Bunting
Anthony James	...	Skinny Dubois
Tara Frederick	...	Little Sue (as Tara Dawn Frederick)
Beverley Elliott	...	Silky
Liisa Repo-Martell	...	Faith
Josie Smith	...	Crow Creek Kate

Also Known As:

The Cut Whore Killings (USA) (original script title)
The William Munny Killings (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, and violence, and for a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Spain:18 | USA:R (certificate #31757) | South Korea:15 | Ireland:18 | Brazil:12 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Israel:PG | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

The film was shot in 39 days, coming in 4 days ahead of schedule. The town had to be built very quickly, with a relatively short run-up time (2 months) to the start of filming; the construction period was used by the stunt coordinator to work on actors' riding skills and stunt choreography.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Munny first shows up at Logan's home and Logan's wife can be seen regarding Munny's rifle, the rifle clearly has a molded plastic butt plate.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Quick Mike: Dammit! Come a-running, lad!
Delilah Fitzgerald: Stop it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: (#6.1)" (2009)

Eastwood & Hackman shine

Unforgiven is about as far from the fantasy mythos of A Fistful of Dollars as Clint Eastwood could get. No pin-point accuracy with 19th century technology, no desire to 'play fair' and face the enemy on even terms. If you can shoot him in the back...then do it.

Eastwood puts in an astonishing performance as the retired killer Muny, saved from his life of thievery and murder by his late wife. Now, desperately trying to support his children with no income, he is tempted back to his killing ways by the bounty offered by the women of a brothel, one of whom's number has been savagely beaten and disfigured by a drunken ranch-hand.

The film follows Eastwood as he wrestles with his desire to honour his wife's memory and his need to feed his children by returning to the killer that, he fears, is his true nature. Meanwhile word of the bounty has spread and the events spiral out of control as the sheriff (Gene Hackman) deals with the guns for hire that ride into town.

While all the supporting cast are excellent Gene Hackman's Oscar winning performance even manages to eclipse Eastwoods as the brutal Sheriff. He beats one of the bounty hunters, English Bob (Richard Harris) almost to death and then explains to a journalist, in one of the film's stand out scenes, how men like he and Muny are so successful at killing. The mood moves from light banter to life threatening seriousness...and back again, with just one move of his head.

One of the greatest Westerns ever made? Certainly. Although the fact it's a western is really secondary. In truth it's a tale of the nature of evil and the nature of man. Eastwood uses the gap between the western myth and reality as an arena to play out his story and does so with consummate style.