Unforgiven is true revisionist Western shot in 1992 starring Clint Eastwood as William Munny, a widower who was formerly known as a killer and an outlaw. As a true revisionist Western we see a completely different version of the alpha male cowboy. During the 90's the role of males were substantially different and small progressive changes over the past decades have accumulated and can be clearly seen in the twentieth century male.
William plays a male that can show his emotions and let his guard down. He seeks the company on Ned Logan, who is also a former gunfighter, in order to assassinate wanted cowboys. In the course of the film, Logan dies and when Munny learns of his death he becomes livid and swears to gain revenge for the death of his comrade. The fact that Munny is presented as the alpha male cowboy and he is showing that this death has affected him so greatly that he is clearly angry enough to seek revenge is a true revision of the alpha. Logan is played by Morgan Freeman, a black man, which is accepted by viewers because blacks have advanced in society since the 30's and 40's. By the 90's the civil rights movement has substantially made a difference in the lives of blacks. Although the Civil Rights Act was passed in the 60's it took time for society to adapt, it is one thing to pass an act but for persons to accept is and change attitudes they have known for decades takes time.
Unforgiven presents a great contrast to the classic Western we once knew because it is a film of the 90's which is a completely different America.
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ReplyDeleteAfter World War II and during the civil rights movement and the second feminist movement classic western of the forties and fifties began to evolve into what we know as revisionist westerns. Unforgiven is a true revisionist Western shot in 1992 starring Clint Eastwood as William Munny, a widower who was formerly known as a killer and an outlaw. As a true revisionist Western we see a completely different version of the alpha male cowboy. During the 90's the roles of males were substantially different and small progressive changes over the past decades have accumulated and can be clearly seen in the twentieth century male.
ReplyDeleteNed is played by Morgan Freeman, a black man, which is accepted by viewers because blacks have advanced in society since the 30's and 40's. Throughout their journey we see that they treat each other as equals and share a close bond. Neither man tries to overpower the other; they see each other as equals. It is very unusual that they agree to split the reward equally because Ned is a black man. In a classic westerns a black man would not have played a primary role much less be splitting a reward equally with a white man. In earlier western blacks were did not play any role in the western, Ned was not only treated as an equal but was educated which we see when he discovers that Kid is nearsighted.
By the 90's the civil rights movement has substantially made a difference in the lives of blacks. Although the Civil Rights Act was passed in the mid 60's it took time for society to adapt, it is one thing to pass an act but for persons to accept is and change attitudes they have known for decades takes time. The Equal Pay act was passed in 1963, more than 30 years before this film was made.
William Munny is a retired gunfighter who is trying to be reborn as an alpha male cowboy. Although Munny resorts to grave violence we see Munny’s emotions because we know of his viscous past along with the death of his wife. He seeks the company of Ned Logan, who is also a former gunfighter, in order to assassinate wanted cowboys. In the course of the film, Logan dies and when Munny learns of his death he becomes livid and swears to gain revenge for his comrade. Munny tries to re learn how to shoot a gun in order to proceed with his mission which proves to be a difficult task. Munny is classified as a revised alpha male cowboy due to his desire to be home, his role in the family and his inability to shoot a man. Munny says that “killing a man is a hell of a thing.” The death of Ned greatly affects Munny as he seeks revenge for his comrade’s life. Munny is the ultimate revisionist alpha because he freely shows his depression for the loss of his wife and his friend Ned.
Because the western is a depiction of the cultural and societal happenings in America, if societal culture changes the films must be revised as well. Classic character plots such as the side kick and the alpha male are reformed because the western reflects the acceptance of black men and emotional men by society.