Unforgiven (1992)
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An aging outlaw is forced to confront his violent past when he takes on one final job to save his failing farm.
The story
In 1880, in the fictional town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming, a cowboy's actions lead to a bounty being placed on his head. In Hodgeman County, Kansas, a young man known as the "Schofield Kid" seeks help from Will Munny, a former outlaw and murderer who has spent years trying to live a quiet life as a farmer. Faced with a failing farm and a precarious future for his children, Will reluctantly agrees to help the Kid and his friend Ned Logan pursue the bounty. The trio travels to Big Whiskey, where they encounter a lawless environment and a ruthless sheriff, forcing Will to confront the violent world he once inhabited.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1880, a bounty is placed on the heads of two cowboys in Big Whiskey, Wyoming. Will Munny, a retired outlaw living as a farmer in Kansas, is recruited by the 'Schofield Kid' and his friend Ned Logan to hunt them. Upon arriving in Big Whiskey, the group is confronted by the ruthless Sheriff 'Little Bill' Daggett. After a series of skirmishes and the death of Ned Logan, Will is forced into a final, violent confrontation. He eventually faces off against Little Bill and his posse in a saloon. In a bloody shootout, Will kills the sheriff and his men, ultimately choosing to embrace his identity as a killer to ensure his survival. The film ends with a title card suggesting Will moved to San Francisco with his children, leaving his farm behind.
- First release year
- 1992
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Clint Eastwood
- Writers
- David Webb Peoples · writer
- Cast and characters
- Clint Eastwood · William Munny; Gene Hackman · Bill Daggett; Morgan Freeman · not specified; Richard Harris · not specified
- Genres
- Western; Revisionist Western
- Themes
- Deconstruction of Western myths; The nature of violence; Atonement; The cost of survival
- Tone and mood
- Somber; Gritty
- Premise and plot tags
- Western; Bounty Hunter; Revisionist Western
- Reception
- The film received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for the acting, directing, editing, themes, and cinematography.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 96% · scale: percentage · review count: 109; Metacritic · score: 85 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · Win; Academy Award · Best Actor · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the third Western to win Best Picture.; The script was originally optioned by Francis Ford Coppola.; The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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