Review of Unforgiven (68)

Plot
A prostitute in the town of Big Whisky is brutally attacked by a couple of cowboys, who are brought to justice by the local sheriff.  The cowboys pay for their crimes but a bounty is put on their head which attracts an unlikely posse to go on the lookout for them.

Jason's Thoughts
Out of the seven westerns that are on the AFI 100 Years 100 Movies list, Unforgiven was the one I was looking forward to the most and had the highest expectations for.  A lot of that was due to the fact it was filmed more recently when compared to the other westerns that were all done before 1970.  I thought that a newer western may be better suited for me and my tastes.  Suffice to say, it didn't live up to my expectations.

To me Unforgiven seemed brutally boring.  The movie slowly dragged on for the most part up until William Munny snaps after seeing his dead friend, Ned Logan, on display in front of a saloon in the middle of town.  Once this happens the movie quickly picks up and becomes fun to watch.  It's just that it takes a majority of the movie to get to that point.  

Add to the fact that the film uses a limited amount of lighting that makes it hard to see what is happening.  Some scenes are lit solely by things such as campfires, candle lights or lanterns, which can make for a very dark movie.  Sure, it may give it a sense of realism and set the mood, but it does not make for an enjoyable movie experience.

After watching three westerns so far on this list I have come to the conclusion that western genre is just not for me.  I'll watch the next four on the list but I doubt I could ever sit through a western movie by choice.

Crystal's Thoughts
I wouldn't say I am a huge fan, but I truly enjoy watching Clint Eastwood in films.  What made this one more intriguing was that he also produced and directed it.  I am sure I've seen other films by him in which this was the case, but I gave it more thought for this one since it is supposedly one of the greatest movies of all time.  Carrying out the role of three for this film takes true talent as it would for any being.  Since it was Eastwood though, I feel he made the movie happen and put in it in the upper ranks of being one of the greats based on the Eastwood name.

In some cases, I feel Eastwood bit off more than he could chew.  While I will admit that we had to watch this in two different viewing sessions (don't start a movie after 10pm), I feel in any case the film is too long and drawn out.  I felt like I was twiddling my thumbs until the final 30-45 minutes of the movie.  Then finally, the action began, and the purpose of the gunslingers finally came to light.

The storyline was strong, introducing William Munny as a possible changed man struggling to raise his family after the death of his wife.  To ensure the livelihood of his family though he has to return to his old gun slinging, murderous ways.  The movie then stops for about an hour, as different characters discuss and work through what seems to be the same issues over and over that seem somewhat meaningless to the story.  In the end though, the movie held a sense of humor, action and then sadness.  It just took a while to get there.  Would I recommend watching it?  Yes, but it's not a must see either.  I am starting to wonder when we'll get to those movies on this list of 100.

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