The Unforgiven

Alan LeMay is a gifted writer and I've loved all his books, short stories and pretty much all his work adapted to the big screen. this is no different, it is not your usual western, it is more real and a bit off center compared to Zane Grey, Max Brand and Loius L'Amour and I think it makes a better read for those who really love the west and the early period of western settlement. If you liked the Movie "The Searchers" with John Wayne, you should really read the books by Alan LeMay, including this one, The Unforgiven, it is not your run of the mill cookie cutter western, good guy wins girl and only bad guys die. Give it a try.

Description from the book back cover: The Texas Panhandle was a wild and lonely place in the 1870's. But even after his Pa's death, Ben and the rest of the Zachary family held on to the land. It was all they had. But then the Kiowa Moon came and one of Pa's old enemies saw an opportunity to get even ... A story of human courage and family love, The Unforgiven is the powerful novel from which the American film classic starring Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, and Audie Murphy was made.

Redemption can only succeed if the past doesn't haunt the redeemed. Clint Eastwood stars as former outlaw Will Munny. Munny has changed his ways after meeting a woman who literally helped him turn his life around. Now she's gone and he's a struggling farmer with two small children desperate for money to fuel his last chance at staying honest and straight. Munny decides along with his former partner (a marvelously understated Morgan Freeman)and a young kid to kill two cowboys that cut up a prostitute for a $1000.00 bounty. The only thing standing between him and the money is Little Bill (Gene Hackman who picked up an Oscar for Best Supporting actor)a brutal Sheriff. Munny doesn't know it but he's caught an express train to hell as the cold blooded killer he was comes to the fore again.Unforgiven is as much about the inability to escape our past as it is about the violence and bloodshed that was later glossed over in the westerns of the 30's and 40's. Munny realizes that killing is a nasty business for both the killer and his victim. Despite his years of hard work and the saving grace of his wife, Munny could easily tip over into the abyss of alcholism and cruelty that dominated his youth. It's a marvelous portrayal and Eastwood, arguably, deserved the Best Acting Oscar as much as the directing and Best Picture Oscars.This new 10th Anniversary edition has been digitally remastered and looks beautiful. The opening sequence is a good example of the care taken in the transfer. The smoke from Munny's house during sunset snakes gently against the bright orange sky. Eastwood and his collaborators (writer David Webb Peoples who also wrote Blade Runner and the underrated film science fiction adventure Solider with Kurt Russell)have fashioned a morality play as much about the present as it is about the past. The cast is filled with Eastwood regulars but two particular performances shine aside from Eastwood and Freeman--Gene Hackman as the sadistic and brutal Little Bill and the late Richard Harris in a glorified cameo as gunfighting legend English Bob. Harris plays Bob as a dandy with a pistol until Bob encounters Little Bill. We then discover how much of his legend is myth designed to gloss over a nasty reputation and dishonorable actions.The extras included are very good as well. There's a documentary called Eastwood on Eastwood which ran on one of the cable channels. As a performer we get glimpses of Eastwood in early supporting roles (from his first movie the horrible horror film Revenge of the Creature with John Agar)to the television role that gave him enough fame to jump to Leone's A Fistful of Dollars in Rawhide. The clips provide a good summation of Eastwood's performing style over the years. It's also a canny if slightly self serving assessment on Eastwood's themes as a director and smart observations about the true quality of his uneven body of work as a director. There's also an episode of Maverick featuring James Garner where Eastwood plays a

There are no heroes in Unforgiven. Just the living and the dead. Critics hailed this as a "revisionist western," but if you look back over Clint Eastwood's entire career, you see that Unforgiven is just par for the course. Eastwood's westerns have always been brutally violent, but unglamorously so. From the vicious lynching that opens Hang 'Em High, right on through to Unforgiven, Eastwood has unflichingly looked at violence and seen in it our desperation to live. He rarely has music over violence. Punches are often soft and wet sounding, instead of always sounding like whipcracks. It is brutal. It is difficult. It hurts. So, while I don't sing the praises of this movie for any innovation, I do praise it for two things. First, it embodies and summarizes Eastwood's examination of the Western and American violence. Second, for the absolutely incredible performance of Gene Hackman as Little Bill Dagget. Hackman's performance is one of the best pieces of acting ever captured on film. David Webb Peoples' script is obviously a big part of that performance, but Hackman's portrayal of the man for whom brutality is a mere tool, who wants only peace, order, and to finish his house, is amazing. His character is the only one that has figured out that being a dangerous man IS dangerous. He is the only one of the dangerous men in this film to have found a way out. Or so he believes.This movie has a lot to say about America. About the Western genre. About our voyeuristic love of violence. And it says it well. It leaves you with much to consider. That's much more than you get from most mainstream Hollywood fare.

"Unforgiven" is much more than a breathtaking Western, it's an amazing film altogether. With elements of drama and film noir, this is a picture that shows us that there are some demons you can never put to rest, no matter how hard you try. Clint Eastwood stars as William Munny, a once notorious and violent killer and thief. If Munny didn't like you, chances were that you wouldn't live long enough for him to tell you so. However, that was in the old days. Now, he's just a quiet and tired farmer who is a devoted father still in mourning of his dead wife. He's been straight for years and is trying to put all of his demons to rest, but you still get the feeling that no matter how hard he tries, he will always be haunted. An opportunity comes to him in the name of `The Schofield Kid.' He gives him a chance to be his partner and have him help on a bounty. Knowing that the money could help his family out, Munny finally decides to take the Kid up on the offer. He also brings with him Ned Logan; an old friend and partner. Little Bill Daggett is the Sheriff in town, and the thing he hates most are assassins. He will do anything in his power to take care of them and make sure they do not succeed on their killing. The last remaining part of the film stands out the most and is so well executed that it catches you off guard. This really is a great film and it surprised me like I would've never expected. I don't like Westerns all that much, but this isn't your typical Western. That is probably why I enjoyed it so much. There is so much story and character development. You really are able to sympathize with Munny, despite his dark and violent past. You want him to be able to get on with his life and forget the past, although you know deep down that things will never be put to rest, and agreeing to go on this bounty only increases the chance of Munny returning back to his old ways. This isn't a Western where the line between good guys and bad guys are clear and the storyline is simple; good guy kills bad guys and gets the girl in the end. No, you won't find any of this here. In this story there are no clear good guys or bad guys, just regular people. This is a real story with real characters that you can feel for. There is a huge issue of morality that takes place, which is something you don't see much in Westerns. Not only does Eastwood do a terrific job in acting, he also does an amazing job as director. He's a man with vision, and who more qualified to direct a film of this magnitude. I don't think the film would had been as successful had it been done by someone else. The cast is also outstanding. Morgan Freeman really does his role justice. Gene Hackman spreads fear inside of you as the mean and tough Sheriff. Richard Harris also deserves mention for his part as well. (He is sorely missed. He was a very gifted actor.) Everyone really did great in their roles and really knew how to bring the film together. This new DVD edition really does the movi