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Some movies dont need to shout to leave a lasting impression.
“Unforgiven” is one such film.
I came to it expecting a straightforward Western with dusty towns, gunfights, outlaws and sheriffs.
It has all those things, sure.
But what stayed with me wasnt the action.
It’s the way it lingers on the people left behind after the bullets stop flying.
What is Unforgiven about?
Hes long since given up drinking and killing or at least, hes tried to.
What unfolds isnt a typical revenge story, but something slower and more complicated.
It’s a look at what violence really costs and how hard it is to outrun the past.
Why you should stream Unforgiven on Paramount Plus
Munny isn’t some charming antihero.
Hes a man who cant even ride a horse properly anymore.
Hes awkward, tired, and almost pathetic at times.
His survival mode actions make the movie that much more devastating, though.
Theres a moment later in the movie where Munny picks up a bottle of whiskey.
Its such a small thing barely a few seconds of screen time.
But it knocked the air out of me.
Because you know what that bottle means, and you know whats coming.
You know the man hes about to become again, the one who everyone feared back during his youth.
Gene Hackman is also terrifying as Little Bill.
But not in the way movie villains usually are.
Hes calm, collected, even kind at times.
And then, suddenly, hes not.
Theres a scene with a man building a house.
“Unforgiven” is considered a classic of the “modern cowboy” Western subgenre.
Over atRotten Tomatoes, it’s amassed an impressive 96% rating out of 108 reviews.
It will also likely push you to check out more of Eastwood’s long list of films.
