Unforgiven
Identification Western film
Director Clint Eastwood (1930- )
Date Released on August 7, 1992
Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, this Oscar-
winning film is widely considered one of the greatest Westerns
of all time and is critically acclaimed for its character develop-
ment, ambivalent play on morality, and epic stor y line.
Written by David Webb Peoples and originally titled
“The William Munny Killings,”Unforgivenfollows
the story of William Munny (Clint Eastwood), an
Old West gunfighter and criminal who has given up
his unlawful ways to settle down. A young upstart
calling himself the “Schofield Kid” (Jaimz Woolvett)
shows up at William’s farm, asking him to partner up
for a reward being offered by a group of prostitutes.
The reward is on behalf of a fellow prostitute who
was badly cut up by cowboys and goes to anyone who
kills the men responsible. William declines the offer
at first, crediting his deceased wife with “curing” him
of whiskey and other bad habits. He changes his
mind, however, and decides to take up the Schofield
Kid on his offer, picking up his old cohort Ned Lo-
gan (Morgan Freeman) on the way.
As the movie progresses, the lines between jus-
tice, revenge, and morality become increasingly
blurred. The antagonist of the film, “Little Bill”
Daggett (Gene Hackman), is a sheriff who believes
his methods are just. Although he is on the side of
the law, his use of violence against reward collectors
coming to his town is seemingly excessive. When the
armed William is found in the local saloon in viola-
tion of the town ordinance against firearms, Little
Bill beats him savagely to within an inch of his life.
William barely escapes and is nursed back to health
by the prostitutes. During William’s recovery, Ned is
captured by Little Bill and killed under interroga-
tion. Upon hearing this news, William returns to
town and kills Little Bill and several other men.
The concept of justice and redemption inUnfor-
givenis left uncertain. Was Little Bill right in defend-
ing his town with such violence? Was William re-
deemed of his past crimes by giving up his ways? The
finale of Unforgiven has William defending his
friend’s honor, yet in doing so he also kills an un-
armed innkeeper. Little Bill says, “I don’t deserve
this,” to which William replies, “Deserve’s got noth-
ing to do with it.”
Impact Unforgivenwon four Oscars, including Best
Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Edit-
ing (Joel Cox), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role
(Hackman). The film was further nominated for
five Oscars, including Best Art Direction-Set Deco-
ration, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best
Sound, and Best Original Screenplay. In 2007, it
was ranked number sixty-eight on the American
Film Institute’s list of one hundred greatest movies
of all time.Further Reading
Keesey, Douglas.Eastwood. London: Taschen, 2006.
Schickel, Richard.Clint Eastwood: A Biography.New
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.
Jarod P. KearneySee also Academy Awards; Film in the United
States.The Nineties in America Unforgiven 881
Clint Eastwood wins the Oscar for Best Director forUnforgiven
at the 1993 Academy Awards.(AP/Wide World Photos)