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Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett ... see more see more... , Saul Rubinek , Frances Fisher , David Mucci , Rob Campbell , Anthony James , Beverley Elliott , Tara Dawn Frederick , Greg Goossen , Larry Joshua , Robert Koons , Henry Kope , Aline Levasseur , Anna Levine , Jefferson Mappin , Walter Marsh , Shane Meier , John Pyper-Ferguson , Jeremy Ratchford , Liisa Repo-Martell , Josie Smith , Ron White , Michael Maurer , George Orrison , Frank C. Turner , Ben Cardinal , Stuart Aikins , Phyllis Huffman , Chad Dowdell , Philip Maurice Hayes , Mina E. Mina , Lochlyn Munro

Dedicated to his mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, Clint Eastwood's 1992 Oscar-winner examines the mythic violence of the Western, taking on the ghosts of his own star past. Disgusted by Sheriff "L... read more read more...ittle Bill" Daggett's decree that several ponies make up for a cowhand's slashing a whore's face, Big Whiskey prostitutes, led by fierce Strawberry Alice (Frances Fisher), take justice into their own hands and put a $1000 bounty on the lives of the perpetrators. Notorious outlaw-turned-hog farmer William Munny (Eastwood) is sought out by neophyte gunslinger the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) to go with him to Big Whiskey and collect the bounty. While Munny insists, "I ain't like that no more," he needs the bounty money for his children, and the two men convince Munny's clean-living comrade Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) to join them in righting a wrong done to a woman. Little Bill (Oscar-winner Gene Hackman), however, has no intention of letting any bounty hunters impinge on his iron-clad authority. When pompous gunman English Bob (Richard Harris) arrives in Big Whiskey with pulp biographer W.W. Beauchamp (Saul Rubinek) in tow, Little Bill beats Bob senseless and promises to tell Beauchamp the real story about violent frontier life and justice. But when Munny, the true unwritten legend, comes to town, everyone soon learns a harsh lesson about the price of vindictive bloodshed and the malleability of ideas like "justice." "I don't deserve this," pleads Little Bill. "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it," growls Munny, simultaneously summing up the insanity of western violence and the legacy of Eastwood's Man With No Name. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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91% liked it

103,998 ratings

Critics

97% liked it

64 critics

R, 2 hr. 11 min.

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Release Date: August 3, 1992

Keywords: western

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DVD Release Date: March 26, 1997

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Stats: 7,074 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (7,074)

  • ironclad1609
    April 15, 2013
    ironclad1609
    Clint Eastwood's modern Western classic is a slow yet oddly engaging deconstruction of the traditional Western roles, expectations and stereotypes. The first time we see our hero he is running behind some pigs and falls into the mud, never gets tired of mentioning the terrible th... read moreings he's done in the past and yet you feel for the character and follow him on his hunt for a bounty. The film refuses to make easy dark or light moral distinctions, but shows characters and a world of grey. That may not be very easy to stomach for some viewers but is probably one of the more realistic takes on this era of American history. The acting and cinematography are outstanding, even through a couple of slower parts. And in the end, when the villains have driven a man who wanted to leave his demons behind, back to being a monster everyone gets what they deserve.
  • garyX
    January 15, 2013
    garyX
    An ex-gunslinger comes out of retirement to collect the bounty on a pair of cowpokes who disfigured a young prostitute. Clint Eastwood directs and stars in a deconstruction of the myth of the old west that examines the kind of man who would exist in a society which provides mean ... read moredrunks and arrogant, prideful boys with lethal weapons. Saul Rubinek's author of the romanticized versions of the stories provides the eyes through which the myths are dispelled as Gene Hackman reveals the truth behind them. But even Little Bill, himself little more than a brutal thug with delusions of grandeur, revels in his own exploits and it is only Eastwood's reformed killer who shows any shame or wish for redemption for his past actions. In the hostile environment of the American west it is not the most noble or even brave who thrive, but the most cold-blooded and the abilities of a gunslinger could be measured by something as arbitrary as the standard of his eyesight. Also containing comments on the gleeful pleasure the media glean from the violence of others and the consequences of murder, the intelligent, insightful script combines with masterful performances by some of the best actors of their generation to form one of the best westerns ever made. One of the high points of Eastwood's long and illustrious career.
  • allan913
    November 18, 2012
    allan913
    A triumph from Director, Clint Eastwood. A great and incredible film. A masterful piece of work. It's brilliant, epic, terrific, powerful, gripping, excellent and sometimes effective. An astonishing and breathtaking work of art. I don't think I've seen a picture of this rare cali... read moreber before. Gene Hackman gives a raw, powerful and brutally charming performance. Clint Eastwood is extraordinary, some of his finest work as a director and as an actor. Morgan Freeman is terrific. One of the best westerns ever made. An unforgettable instant classic in the genre. It shows the beauty of the west and the darkness that roams in the hearts of men of which violence has corrupted their souls. A riveting, dramatic, compelling and mesmerizing movie. It separates from the original formula of the gun singer western into a quest of redemption. A dark, rich-in-character and absorbing western.
  • blacksheepboy
    June 3, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    Eastwood deconstructs the myths of the Western with this dark, realistic film devoid of any romanticism of the Wild West - but which also serves as a glorious farewell for the genre, with a melancholic score and an epic cinematography, escalating the tension to a brutal, fantasti... read morec ending.
  • fb1664868775
    March 29, 2012
    fb1664868775
    One of the best westerns of all time. Hands down.
  • fb100000716838411
    March 3, 2012
    fb100000716838411
    Loved the cast, loved the subtle intensity, loved the characters, loved everything. Easily the best of all Westerns.
  • emilkakko
    January 7, 2012
    emilkakko
    Solid western with dark undertones. One of the better films from Eastwood. This is in a way kinda anti-western with a "hero" possessed by his past and limited by his physical condition. This film is all about the characters, not the shoot-outs or escapes. Still it feels a bit ove... read morerlong and thin. Though acting is very good and not to blamed.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    Not that great. There was some good scenes...but overall it wasn't so good. The final scene was pretty fun (I think I've seen it before). Not Clint at his best. Didn't deserve the best picture oscar.
  • UniversalDreamer
    August 13, 2011
    UniversalDreamer
    Eastwood's rousing and resounding humble human answer to every other Western ever made: there are real consequences to violence of every kind. It"s not cool, not glorious. It's ... inhumane, violence. Inhuman. The debunking of longheld myth, movie myth, and even Eastwood's ow... read moren mythology, is a work of poetry.
  • jamers2011
    August 4, 2011
    jamers2011
    A classic Western! I really haven't seen too many Westerns, but this is the best one that I have ever seen. Nominated for 9 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director, Unforgiven is a true example of a film that proved the Western could be legit again.

    The writing a... read morend cinematography are excellent here, both recieving Oscar nominations, but the thing that really sets Unforgiven apart from other Westerns I have seen is the acting. The cast is excellent here. Star and Director Clint Eastwood, again, gives a phenomenal performance as Bill Munny. Alongside Eastwood is Morgan Freeman; their chemistry was really nice, and Freeman also gives a great performance. The supporting cast was good too...Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett, and Frances Fisher give extremely solid performances.

    The best performance of the entire film though is Gene Hackman as the Sheriff. I think the Sheriff is one of the best villains in cinema history, and Hackman completely owned the character perfectly. He won Best Supporting Actor for his performance and it was completely deserved!

    Another thing that I really liked was the pacing. A lot of westerns are boring, usually with an exciting shoot out or two, but this one was different. The story was full of excitement and executed to perfection!

    I completely recommend this classic!

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Critic Reviews

Michael Sragow
February 20, 2013
Michael Sragow, New Yorker

This is the finest set of performances ever to grace a Clint Eastwood movie, and this time Eastwood even does a good job directing Eastwood. Every bullet in this movie matters. Full Review

Dave Kehr
February 20, 2013
Dave Kehr, Chicago Tribune

This dark, melancholic film is a reminder-never more necessary than now-of what the American cinema is capable of, in the way of expressing a mature, morally complex and challenging view of the world. Full Review

Richard Corliss
October 26, 2008
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

Eastwood's meditation on age, repute, courage, heroism -- on all those burdens he has been carrying with such good grace for decades. Full Review

James Berardinelli
June 10, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

One of Unforgiven's assets is the way it overturns conventions, taking the man who is typically the hero and making him the villain, while transforming the traditional bad guy into a sympathetic prota... Full Review

Todd McCarthy
February 19, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

A classic Western for the ages. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 5, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

There's not much dramatic urgency apart from the revisionist context. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

In this dark, timeless terrain, the film achieves a magnificent intensity. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Unforgiven is a most entertaining western that pays homage to the great tradition of movie westerns while surreptitiously expressing a certain amount of skepticism. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 3, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

That implacable moral balance, in which good eventually silences evil, is at the heart of the Western, and Eastwood is not shy about saying so. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

In three decades of climbing into the saddle, Eastwood has never ridden so tall.

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    • Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett: I'll see you in hell Bill Munny.
    • Will Munny: I've killed women and children. I've killed everything that walks or crawls at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you done to Ned.
    • Will Munny: What I said the other day, you looking like me, that ain't true. You ain't ugly like me, it's just that we both have got scars.
    • Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett: This guy here is the Duck of Death...
    • W.W. Beauchamp: Duke
    • Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett: Duck I say
    • Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett: I don't deserve this... to die like this. I was building a house.
    • Bill Munny: Deserve's got nothin' to do with it.
    • Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett: Well sir, you are a cowardly son of a bitch. You just shot an unarmed man.
    • Bill Munny: He should have armed himself....... if he's going to decorate his saloon with my friend.
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Unforgiven Trivia

  • Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven" is dedicated to which two legendary directors?  Answer »
  • In what movie did Steven Seagal NOT play in.  Answer »
  • Which actor played retired cowboy William Munny in Oscar winning 1992 film Unforgiven?  Answer »
  • True or false: Clint Eastwood won an academy award for best picture for Unforgiven  Answer »
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