There are certain movies that I feel I am not really able to do justice with my words, and 1992’s Unforgiven is one of them. Directed by Clint Eastwood (The Bridges of Madison County, Gran Torino, The Mule) Unforgiven is often regarded as one of, if not THE best, Western movies of all time. For me, it is certainly the best; it is a movie I have seen multiple times, and it has never gotten old.
Where to Watch Unforgiven
Unforgiven was released on August 7, 1992. You can stream the film from a digital platform.
The Movie Review
I have a bit of a funny story about how I ended up watching Unforgiven. It would have been in the mid-90s that I saw this. I had heard of Unforgiven, but my pre-teen and teenage self had no interest in it…. Until one of my heroes, wrestler Bret Hart, said it was one of his favorite movies! Forget the numerous awards, including four at the Oscars, Unforgiven won! It was the endorsement of WWF Champion Bret Hitman Hart that made me want to watch this.
Thankfully, the Hitman was right, Unforgiven was fantastic, and even as a teenager, I could tell that this was a very special movie. The thing is, I do not think that you need to be interested in the Western genre to appreciate this movie. The story is so good, the acting is incredible, and the pacing is perfect. The movie grabs you right from the opening scene, and you are invested until the very end.
A Story of Justice, Vengeance, and Redemption
At its core, I would say that Unforgiven is a story about revenge! A young prostitute is attacked by a cowboy, and the corrupt sheriff, Little Bill (played by Gene Hackman), gives them a very lackluster punishment. The other ladies are mad as hell about this, and they put together their money and decide to place a bounty on the heads of the cowboys they feel are responsible for this injustice.
With the bounty being so high, the bounty captures the attention of a young gunslinger called the Schofield Kid, and he comes to a legend of the West, Will Munny, to ask for his help in collecting that bounty. Will was a notorious gunslinger and murderer, but he now lives on his farm with his kids, trying to leave that life behind him. However, this new, more stable life he is trying to build for his kids is anything but, and he is desperate for the money. This leads Will to get in touch with a gunslinger friend of his in order to team up with the Kid to try and collect this bounty.
A Powerful Cast and Timeless Performances
Well, turns out that this bounty is not going to be all that easy to collect as Sheriff Little Bill is a real piece of work! Gene Hackman has had a legendary career, and while he will always be Lex Luthor to me, it is easy to see why he won an Oscar for playing Little Bill. Likewise, the way that Clint Eastwood brings Will to life is just so believable! Add to this the likes of Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Jaimz Woolvett, and everyone delivers an incredible performance in this movie.
Unforgiven 4K Experience: A Visual Masterpiece
Unforgiven is just an incredible movie from start to end, and it is one of the best 4K transfers of any iconic 90s movie that I have seen. The story is that Clint Eastwood had some say in how the 4K version was produced, and as a result, it looks amazing. This is just an all time classic and one of those movies that I feel every movie fan, no matter what their favorite genre is, needs to watch at least once.
