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Customer Reviews:- "It's a hell of a thing, killin' a man. Take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have."
Unforgiven combines two major elements to make it the best Western ever made. First is its brutally realistic depiction of violence and killing in the Old West. Second is the situation of causing a reformed man to revisit the behavior of his past in order to survive.
There are no glorious killings in Unforgiven. This movie lays to rest the notion of high-noon showdowns or fighting for honor. Executions, ambushes, and agonizing gut-wounds are the staple methods of attack. Alcohol, pride, and gold fuel most of the violence in the town of Big Whisky. Most of the scenes with violence are very one-sided, further lending credence to this film.
The main character is almost certainly a wolf in sheep's clothing. Through the efforts of his late wife, he has been able to eliminate his psychopathic tendencies, fueled for the most part by alcohol. His sober days are blanched by regret and remorse over the people he has killed. He is for all intents and purposes an unsuccessful farmer out trying to collect a bounty. But when things go horribly wrong, he is forced to return to the behavior and actions of his past to survive. A simple man with an extraordinary past and consequently extraordinary abilities.
...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 - 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 - anamericancallederik
Unforgiven was a pretty bad western but not as bad as Pale Rider. Again, Eastwood is given the perfect plot - a bad man turned good forced to return to his old ways for the want of money, the job, to kill two cattlemen who sliced up a prostitute's face. These old veterans, reluctantly, go back to their old ways after the girls of the cathouse put together a big enough "steak" to kill them. Again, the movie had too much talk and not enough action. The ending was an improvement, but by the time I got there I felt like I wasted my time. This movie did not merit the best picture Oscar Award. There are many other westerns that are far more deserving. If you liked: the Good the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few More Dollars, A Fist Full of Dollars, High Noon (Gary Cooper) or Stage Coach (John Wayne) do not watch this film unless you want to disappoint yourself. ...more info - Eastwood classic
Clint Eastwoods last ever western is one of the best ever made. Its not a typical Eastwood western as its take on violence and the results of violence is markedly different from the many previous westerns that Eastwood has been involved in.
Early in the film you quickly realise that this is something completly different. Eastwood's character William Munny can't even get on a horse. This scene is the first of many with a running black comedy element. Even without that element the film has other differences, such as the fact that a lot of the characters are very simple folk and as a result use simple language.
In 1992 this film was nominated for 9 oscars and won 4 of them. Gene Hackman who plays Little Bill Daggett (the town Sheriff) deservedly won the best supporting actor role for his performance. Like most films he appeared in in the late 1980's (Mississipi Burning being perhaps his best of the late 80's) Hackman's performance is memerisingly good and as I mentioned earlier in places there are some lovely black comedy moments.
With Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris, as well as Eastwood himself, all giving excellent performances this is a film thats worth seeing over and over. Without doubt a western masterpiece and currently ranked 117 in the IMDB top 250 films. ...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 - great movie!! Much improved picture.
This is one of the best Eastwood movies. Clint bought and sat on this script for years until he though he was ready and aged enough to play his character William Munny. The special edition release is well worth the extra price for the upgraded video transfer alone. ...more info - A Very Good Western
Clint Eastwood directs and starts in 'Unforgiven' He does a great job with both roles.
Clint plays William Munny, a long retired gunfighter. Munny settled down years earlier with his wife and children. Times are rough. Now widowed, he is struggling to get by and raise his two kids. In the midst of this, the son of one of his old cohorts finds him and lets him know about a large reward for killing two thugs who disfigured a prostitute. The other women who she works with pooled their money to buy some justice since the sheriff, Little Bill (Gene Hackman) took virtually no action.
Munny wants to involve his old partner Ned (Morgan Freeman). Soon the three ride off toward Big Whiskey, Wyoming to track down the malefactors. A lot of action including a considerable amount of violence follows.
This is a very well done western that will likely be enjoyed by all fans of that genre....more info - Unforgotten
There's not much to say. Great movie. I had it on VHS. I needed a clean version for my DVD collection. It a class of it's own....more info - 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 - How the West was really won.
Clint Eastwood takes his place beside Western film-making legends John Ford ("The Searchers") and Sam Peckinpah ("The Wild Bunch") with this classic. Eastwood, in effect, questions the genre that made him the way John Wayne and John Ford did in "The Searchers" (through gritty realism). A big question you're left with at the end is "Do these people(Europeans/Americans) really represent civilization or is there a bit more to the story?"
Great cast but even greater approach in the storytelling. "Unforgiven" is unrelenting realism and that is messy. Witness -- clumsy and near-sighted cowboys, outhouse assassinations, moral ambiguity, guilt by association resulting in a man's death, killing prompts remorse (and sometimes not). Essentially, very weighty matters translated to the spaghetti Western (thus showing Old West more like it was than most such films dare depict to their jingoistic audiences).
Eastwood parodies his "Pale Rider" character and the mythic man on the white horse through playing a domesticated gunslinger who can't properly mount his horse or stay on it that well. Gene Hackman plays the cruel yet personable and smiling sheriff who happens to be a lousy carpenter. Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris add to the exotic mix. Harris's British bounty hunter makes light of presidential assassinations, another example of the dark humor that pervades "Unforgiven." This film is not for laughs. "Blazin' Saddles" it ain't.
Eastwood's character delivers one of American cinema's most memorable lines about living and killing. Don't miss it.
...more info - The attractive murderer
"Unforgiven" certainly looks beautiful, especially in HD. And I admit it is a very good film with a lot of good points, perfect timing, excellent acting, good characters, the works. And it has a lot more nuance than westerns normally have.
But I will contend that ultimately it still boils down to the same old thing: admiration for a killer.
When William Munny, in the charismatic and handsome frame of Clint Eastwood, rides out of Big Whiskey in the end, saying that if anybody hurt the prostitutes for putting up the blood money, he will come back and kill everybody, there is pretty much not anybody watching who does not feel deep in his/her gut: "my god, there is a MAN!" You just can't help it, it's in our dark nature.
And you can even see this excemplified in the admiring and longing looks given him by the writer fellow and by the prostitute with the scars, as they watch him leave.
There is no way around it: it is gut-level admiration for a man who by his own admission has killed many innocent men, and women, and children, and who killed several more just minutes ago. And the film aims for it, it is where it gets its marketing power.
I am shocked that I've been unable to find any other reviewers (professional or amateur) who really question this. It is not a "great wrong", but there's certainly nothing beautiful about it, and it needs to be recognized.
In a documentary about Eastwood, the narrator says about Unforgiven: "the sherif has tortured and killed Will's best friend. He has no choice but vengeance." And that's the exact untruth to be uncovered. There is always a choice. Violence begets violence, and he who breaks the chain, wins.
Don't get me wrong, I am not villainizing "the Clint" here. His hyper-violent movie characters are merely reflecting an important aspect of human nature. I'm just saying it's an aspect we'd do well to look at some more.
Another way to express my problem with it: if you listen to the movie, it is clearly against violence. The characters say it many times. But if you look at the movie, it is clearly for it. The violence is presented in a way so it is enjoyable. A friend of mine said that the final big gun battle was "like an orgasm".
By the way, I'm just watching the documentary about the film, and DW Peoples (the writer) does say that the reason people think it's an anti-violence movie is that most other movies are "pro-violence" in the sense that if it is the good guy doing it to the bad guy, it's OK. But that reality is more complex, and that it's often difficult to pinpoint who's the "good guy" and who's the "bad guy". Which I think is wise. You'll notice that each participant in a fight always thinks of himself as the good guy.
I will concede that within the framework of a big, popular, Hollywood movie, this film is probably as far as we can currently go towards an anti-violence movie. If you'd made a movie like this and not made the violence seductive and aesthetic, it would instantly have lost 90% of its audience. At least. ...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 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 - My Favorite Western
I LOVE Westerns, and this is by far my all-time favorite. Here is America's greatest movie genre, the Western, writ large, with three (count 'em) three gunslingers who rise to mythic proportions: William Monie (Eastwood), Little Bill (Gene Hackman), and English Bob (Richard Harris). It's got it all: sex, violence, some tenderness and even plenty of humor. Great lines, and the best shoot-out at the end I've ever seen. I have to grab a bowl of popcorn and turn off all the lights for the last 15 minutes even though I've seen it dozens of times....more info - Second greatest western?
I wrestle with my mind wondering whether this is the second greatest westerb ever made or just where it sits or whether one should divide quality ratings by time period.
I'll just go the simple route and say that in my opinion Clints movie, The Unforgiven, sits only behind Fords, The Searchers, as the greatest western ever brought to film.
I screwed up and bought the DVD after seeing the movie "in house". I should have forseen the development of Blu Ray and waited. Now I am fighting with myself over whether to spring for the bucks to buy the Blu Ray version as well. Might not. Might just wait until Dish brings it to Hi def television and trap in on Tivo....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 - Amazing Transfer!!!
I am sometimes befuddled by Blu-Ray, there are times when a recently released movies only looks so-so and then there are movies like UNFORGIVEN. Throughout the movie Leone's film savvy can be seen in Eastwood's directing style....the movies opening scene sets a mood. We, the audience, are caught in the rain (which by the way makes you want to grab a blanket and light up the fireplace), and almost immediatly start forming opinions about the key characters including Eastwood who plays a somewhat dark character. The movie is nicely placed with a very predictable but enjoyable plot. As for the Blu-Ray aspect it is a 10 with one exception the movie is so "bright" at times the characters seem to become a part, or "get lost" in the natural shadows. Not sure if that makes sense but you will know what I mean when you watch the movie. The audio is stellar if not exciteable...you will not need surround for this one. The final gunbattle is again dark and clint seems to have no contrast to his environment. This aside this is a must own as it was an instant classic the second it was released. ...more info - 18 people gave this one star - bet they eat junk food
This film is rather slow in its build up, but like a great meal which has had hours lavished over it, from firstly buying all the ingredients then spending hours over the stove mixing and cooking. You finally sit down to eat 'mmm mmm, that tastes so darn good' quarter of an hour later you've finished your meal and you feel content. Unforgiven works in a similar way, the film spends large amounts of time bringing the story together, then the climax is short, but it gets me every time, it is so exciting. The film sets to dispel the old myths of the west - regarding cold hearted killers, and the only real cold hearted son of a gun isn't that cold hearted afterall....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 - A Western, One Last Time...
Clint Eastwood revisited his movie cowboy roots one last time in 1992's highly acclaimed "Unforgiven." Eastwood directs and stars as one William Munny, retired gunman and formerly notorious killer, now in unsuccessful retirement as a pig-farming widower with two small children. The opportunity to make some money comes in the person of the Schofield Kid, a young, cocky, and inexperienced gunman wanna-be headed to Wyoming to collect the bounty for a revenge killing in the small town of Big Whiskey. Munny goes along, and recruits his former side-kick Ned Logan (played by Morgan Freeman), also retired.
Big Whiskey is run by its tough-talking, preening sheriff, Little Bill Daggett, played with smooth menace by Gene Hackman. For Little Bill, the free ranging gunmen of an earlier era are meant to be a dying breed, and he runs out of town the first man who shows up to collect the revenge killing bounty (Richard Harris in a nice cameo).
Munny, Logan, and the Schofield Kid reach Big Whiskey and promptly run afoul of the sheriff, who abuses a sick Munny and murders Logan, while the Kid discovers killing is not all it's cracked up to be in the dime novels. Munny will seek his revenge on Little Bill in a final, blazing gunfight in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Eastwood purposely deglamorizes the Western myth. Big Whiskey is barely a muddy wide spot in the run, easily run by a bullying sheriff with a big ego, who tolerates prostitution and the abuse of the prostitutes by ranch hands. Munny and Logan are well past their prime; their killing of two ranch hands for the bounty money is painful in its ineptitude. Munny's final confrontation with Little Bill is fueled by whiskey and grief over Logan's death.
Eastwood's direction is spare and straightforward. The dialogue is laconic but authentic to the period. The cast, beyond the headlining actors, does a nice job of portraying the dreams and struggles of people in a small place. This movie is highly recommended as a masterpiece of Eastwood's movie-making art and as perhaps his last look at the movie cowboy....more info - Citizen Kane in 1880
Not only one of the best westerns, but one of the best films ever made. This subtle look at the human condition as it existed in the 1880s West is graced with a superb script, incredible photography, truly exceptional acting, and a universal theme that reminds us that "we've all got it comin' kid." Proof that Clint Eastwood is an all-time great artist in the media of film. By all means, watch it. Think about it....more info - WTF Amazon?
Am I the only one who has trouble posting reviews here?
Excellent Blu-Ray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...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 movie
Bought this as a gift for my husband as this is his favorite Western. Love the bonus disc!...more info - Good Movie
This movie is very good, and Clint is awesome in this film. I highly recommend this film if you are a Clint Eastwood fan and like westerns. Morgan Freeman is not that bad in this movie either, I like him as well and he does a fine job in this film....more info - No more INSERT Second Disc!
This is a beutiful western with one of the original western stars, Clint Eastwood!
What i'd love about this DVD is that the movie won't be spread over two disc (like the previous DVD edition!)!!
Just for that, this is a Must HAVE!...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 - UNFORGIVEN starring CLINT EASTWOOD
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT MY ORDER WAS RECEIVED WITHNIN THE SPECIFIED TIME AND IN GOOD SHAPE. I HAVED ALWAYS LIKED THIS MOVIE BUT ONLY RECENTLY DECIDED TO ADD IT TO MY COLLECTION. IT HAS A GREAT STORY ABOUT A BAD MAN WHO TURNS GOOD. BUT, WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY COMES TO MAKE MONEY TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF HIS CHILDREN, HE TAKES IT. EVEN THOUGH HE DONE SOMETHING BAD IT TURNS OUT GOOD IN THE END....more info - Greatly executed, ethically challenged
Technically, and acting-wise this is a great movie. The performances, especially by Gene Hackman, Richard Harris and Eastwood, are superlative. Hackman's "Little Bill" is easily his most memorable character since Popeye Doyle in "French Connection" (Too bad he had to do a caricature of it a couple years later in "The Quick and the Dead"). Cinematography, editing and most of the dialogue are also excellent.
My problem is with the plot. So Eastwood's Bill Munny, after arriving in Big Whiskey, has a dark epiphany of sorts in which he sees the harsh reality of death and the terrible consequnces of his murderous past. Yet he then almost casually goes through with the contract killings, even though he now knows that the account of the mutilation of the prostitute that he is supposedly exacting revenge for was exaggerated. To me, this makes all his dark visions and revelations meaningless; they had no effect. Despite all the pretensions of the script, in the end this becomes just another conventional western, with the "good guy" shooting all the bad guys. Despite all his character falws and all the nuances, in the end Eastwood is presented as just another avenging hero like his mid-seventies characters. ...more info - Unforgiven Review
Very good quality transfer to HD DVD. Lacking in sound quality somewhat, but i think this is exagerated by the sound reproduction from my Xbox 360 HD DVD. Fairly extensive extras, particularly if you are a Clint Eastwood fan and not just an admirer of the film. Well worth a buy....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
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