Unforgiven - Full Reaction
Added 2022-02-03 07:42:20 +0000 UTCHey guys! This was the runner up to Maverick from our western bracket we had a few weeks back. It was definitely a different type of movie and it seemed to be more true to the western style. I wasn't sure who to root for in this one, and I think they purposely made me feel that way! Okay, I know I have lots of more westerns to watch, and I'm sure I'll get to them eventually!
Next up we have "Cutting Edge" from the same year as Unforgiven (1992), that's one of the movies I drew from the pillow case, it should be up tomorrow! I hope you all have a fantastic rest of your week and thank you so much for being here!!
PS: I watched this on HBO Max if that helps!
Direct link in case the above player doesn't work.
Find your own copy to follow a long with.
Comments
Unforgiven losing to Maverick is a failure. Unforgiven is AFI Top 100 with groundbreaking complexity/gray. I am glad you reacted to Unforgiven. One of these days, I will watch your reaction to Maverick (1994) ("It isn't terribly deep, but it's witty and undeniably charming, and the cast is obviously having fun."). Glad you liked Maverick.
Clay F
2024-12-01 09:50:03 +0000 UTCOh Cassie, I think you've lived a sheltered life. What innocent men did he kill? Wearing a badge doesn't make you innocent man
Habman
2024-03-18 01:25:27 +0000 UTC"It's a hell of a thing killing a man." Excellent movie. The Unforgiven is awesome. I like the gray and the complexity. Little Bill should have brought the guy who cut up the prostitute's face before a judge, but I guess that's too simple and would defeat a theme of the movie. So many quotable lines in this movie. "I've always been lucky when it comes to klling." My favorite Eastwood western is: THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976). Watched it a zillion times. Runner-up: Pale Rider (1985) Honorable mention: Hang 'Em High (1968)
Clay F
2023-11-30 06:39:15 +0000 UTCThree good movies.
Clay F
2023-11-30 04:20:10 +0000 UTCI still say that ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ , ‘The Pale Rider’, and ‘Unforgiven’ are an unofficial trilogy where Clint Eastwood plays the same character at three different points in his life. You can especially see the similarities in the endings of all three movies.
Richard Higgs
2023-10-09 02:07:54 +0000 UTCGreat reaction to a great movie. Yes, it is harsh. But, that's the way it was back then.
Rick Williams
2022-04-30 23:57:26 +0000 UTCBest reaction AND in with correct accent used...Cassie.."But he ain't like that no more!". This channel has made it possible for me to re-enjoy movies I have already seen. Thanks.
Anthony Perez
2022-02-10 04:14:18 +0000 UTC2 things. I think you would dig my favorite Clint Eastwood movie from '93 called 'In The Line of Fire' about a plot to kill the president. Also when you said "what is a drover", my first thought was 'oh I bet she would love the movie Australia'. A drover is someone who drives a heard of cattle or sheep. I know this because of Australia lol.
Erik Daniel
2022-02-09 01:40:33 +0000 UTCI suppose it’s because in probably about 95% of movies you have a hero and a villain. But I get what you’re saying, still wasn’t much of a fan as I didn’t really think much happened in it.
Dean Holt
2022-02-08 19:04:20 +0000 UTCFor me the definitive Western is a mini-series, "Lonesome Dove". If you get to a nexus of watching Westerns + watching mini-series, you'd be doing yourself a favor to partake in this one. I think you'd appreciate it, in that it has everything - romance, violence, historical accuracy, etc. Give it a shot!
OkieBoomer
2022-02-08 14:19:54 +0000 UTCYes this is definitely the farewell western movie of Clint Eastwood's gunfighter saga. After watching all of them with this the finale; I was more aware of subtle callbacks "Unforgiven" snuck in. That said, thanks for the watch-alongs.. you guys really make it fun.
Doc Savage
2022-02-08 02:35:36 +0000 UTCWhy does there need to be a good guy? This is a western, not GI-Joe.
Radwar
2022-02-07 22:52:51 +0000 UTCJust watched this for the first time like Cassie has and I agree with a lot you’ve said. Especially the part of not knowing who was the good guy. Not sure if I was in the mood to watch something like this as in someways I thought it was one of the worst Eastwood films I’ve seen. But I might give it another go at some point.
Dean Holt
2022-02-06 23:04:45 +0000 UTCEnglish Bob is Dumbledore and you should watch Tombstone. It's a western, based on a true historical event, and has a nice love story. After that, watch the Man With No Name trilogy
Godzilla Jones
2022-02-06 04:19:56 +0000 UTCI also support the love for "Support Your Local Sheriff."
Bammer
2022-02-05 23:46:00 +0000 UTCI'd love for you to watch Deadwood. But that's probably not realistic
nick bell
2022-02-05 20:36:27 +0000 UTCFROM HERE ON FORWARD I DUB THEE CALAMITY CASS
rubberkidney
2022-02-05 08:13:22 +0000 UTCThe Magnificent Seven (1960) - classic
TXW
2022-02-05 03:22:51 +0000 UTCA good alternative choice and I think a better movie is the Searchers.
Christopher Carr
2022-02-04 22:30:16 +0000 UTCI support the love of "Support Your Local Sheriff" Great Movie!!!
Beau Mont
2022-02-04 17:32:16 +0000 UTCNice reaction Cassie. Even though the movie may not have been your favorite, you gave it a fair shake. That’s all any of us can do in life. In retrospect, perhaps not the best movie to introduce you to the Western genre. That being said, you understood the movie’s intention. And appreciated it, even though you may have preferred a more unambiguous lead character. I hope you will eventually watch some more Westerns. There are a lot of excellent ones out there. Many of them listed in the posts above. Have a great day!
Robert da Spruce
2022-02-04 16:12:46 +0000 UTCSupport Your Local Sheriff (1969), a happy western :) Has a love story and everything.
Planner
2022-02-04 09:58:04 +0000 UTCI had a feeling Cassie wasn't going to love Unforgiven. Too much darkness. Open Range and Tombstone would have been a much better fit for her. In my humble opinion. According to her list of movies that she's seen, Million Dollar Baby is on there also starring Eastwood and Freeman. I wonder if she remembered seeing them together back then.
Shawn Kildal
2022-02-04 09:49:12 +0000 UTCim glad you appreciated the overall story, even though it was full of sadness and meanness . It is a dark story but very well written and really great acting that stirred up all those emotions . you want to root for William but killing is wrong you want justice or even revenge but once its carried out theres no relief. well Maverick was fun and light hearted you'll forget it in a phew years but you'll never forget the Unforgiven and that scene when the kid realizes its not a game and pain and hurt will be with him the rest of his life for what he's done. I know you prefer happy , but sometimes you have to appreciate a master piece even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. Love ya glad youre having as much fun as us.
Sam R.
2022-02-04 09:28:28 +0000 UTCCheer up kiddo, you have The Cutting Edge to lighten your spirits after that heavy one.
Dennis L
2022-02-04 07:57:33 +0000 UTCThe Richard Donner Cut?
Mr Jordan
2022-02-04 06:59:58 +0000 UTCSomewhere up there a Patreon member mentioned "Gene Hackmann" and Cassie said "I've heard the name". I was like "wait, surely Cassie knows Gene Hackman from the Superman movies....." Umm so I go to her letter box list and Superman is NOT on her list!!!🤷 What have you guys been doing to her all this time?! Christopher Reeve as Superman? Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor? You guys never got her to watch these? If she fell in love with Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone, it's over when she sees Reeve as Superman. I mean and Lois Lane? It's a LOVE story for goodness sake 🤦♂️ Guys, we need to all stop now and have her watch Superman 1 and 2. I'm still blown away by this.
Todzilla
2022-02-04 05:44:00 +0000 UTCdon't forget Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima
Alex Gorell
2022-02-04 04:55:23 +0000 UTCIts a world where everyone uses violence to advance their cause, and everyone suffers because of it.
David
2022-02-04 04:32:53 +0000 UTCIt's dark and beautiful and a masterpiece in my opinion. My favorite Clint Eastwood movie, my favorite Western, one of my favorite movies ever. The story telling, the characters, that scene when the Kid realizes what he's actually done, and the final scene where we see a sweet bumbling old dude turn back into a monster, but also a force of justice or vengeance, depending on how you look at it. I do agree it feels like a cap to the Eastwood Westerns but It's ok, it's a great and usually more fun genre lol, I mean there's still the Young Guns movies, two Western versions of the Japanese movie "The Seven Samurai" aka "The Magnificent Seven", so many more from different eras and places.
Joe D. MacGuffinstuff
2022-02-04 04:24:27 +0000 UTCA nice in-between is Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid, it has levity mixed with real Cowboy feel.
Anthony V Petty
2022-02-04 03:56:41 +0000 UTCOpen Range!
Brent Petty
2022-02-04 03:53:53 +0000 UTCopen range
Mike Lipke
2022-02-04 03:32:42 +0000 UTCAgreed. He basically did a mashup of several worn out storylines, threw them together with a couple other big names and because it’s Eastwood and he’d basically only done this genre like once since the 70’s (Pale Rider)….many of his fans jumped on this as a masterpiece filled with supposed metaphors and a homage to a past genre. I’m just a huge Eastwood fan….who thought it was just ok. But there’s probably 10 other Eastwood movies I like better! Much less from other people.
Krusty “Topher”
2022-02-04 03:15:41 +0000 UTCYou can't go wrong with a Clint Eastwood movie. Cassie should watch more of them.
Rick Williams
2022-02-04 02:25:29 +0000 UTCEastwood does a 180 from his and other Westerns. At the time he made his early spaghetti Westerns they seems so earthy. Before those John Ford/John Wayne films seemed so gritty. All gunfighters in Unforgiven has seriously flawed souls and gun fighting skills. It seems that the only two with any idea of what it means to kill is Eastwood and Freeman. I've always thought the sheriff's carpentry skills were symbolic of his sense of law and order. Eastwood, the supposed worst of the worst in the end had the clearest sense of purpose. This is a western more than Maverick. Maverick really could have been set in the 1930s Great Depression or the 1950s etc. Unforgiven is hard to watch, but Eastwood is a master director. All of his movies cut to the bone.
Christopher Carr
2022-02-04 00:23:46 +0000 UTCIt is a fascinating look at how a single act of violence can be so destructive. It's not only isolated to individuals, but can irreparably affect a whole community.
Alex Villarreal
2022-02-03 23:58:28 +0000 UTCI think a Clint Eastwood pool would be justified. I'd be interested in how Patreon would vote as he has had a fairly robust movie portflio. Here are my suggesetions. 1. Grand Torino 2. Million Dollar Baby 3. The Bridgest of Madison County 4. In the Line of Fire 5. Heartbreak Ridge 6. Pale Rider 7. Firefox 8. Any Which Way but Loose 9. Escape from Alcatraz 10. High Plains Drifter 11. Dirty Harry (You can pick any of them, but might as well start with the first) 12. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Brian Wegner
2022-02-03 23:41:03 +0000 UTCYou wasn’t sure who to root for and who was the bad guy; I think that’s a point of the movie. Killing isn’t easy or fun. And people are mostly gray although some are whiter or darker than others. Another movie that was on the brackey, Palerider, is about the same. By that I mean that Clint Eastwoods character doesn’t like himself. At least not the one he used to be. I imagine Clint has more background painted out about his characters in his movies. They generally don’t talk that much so you have to fill in the blanks yourself. But I’m sure he has his own story in his mind when going in to the role. Which, of course, could be different or similar to what you believe.
Björn Von Knorring
2022-02-03 23:35:03 +0000 UTCThe Unforgiven is an unforgiving take on the aftermath of violence and the cost of taking such acts against others. Every death in the Unforgiving comes with a name and a price. It’s not like other movies where nameless people die by the dozens in a hail of gunfire and smoke. The number one victim in the movie is the romanticizing of violence itself. From little Bill’s abuse of the law, the bitter prostitutes' thirst for blood while being treated as less than in the aftermath of a brutally violent act, and the loss of William Munny’s hard-earned redemption from a life of evil when his friend Ned is killed by little Bill. “We all have it coming, Kid.” How frighteningly true a statement.
Powers209
2022-02-03 23:21:47 +0000 UTCOK, so that is the third time I've seen Unforgiven and it still isn't good. Give me the light-hearted Maverick or Lighting Jack or Cherokee Kid to watch, or more serious ones like The Outlaw Josey Wales or Hang 'em High or Pale Rider or dozens of others, anything but Unforgiven again.
Mike Lemon
2022-02-03 23:19:50 +0000 UTCCassie: "When I think of Westerns, I think of deserts and sadness and banjoes..." Clint: "Let me spend the next two hours telling you about my dark thoughts on deserts, sadness and banjoes." The first time I saw this I felt equally conflicted. It's one of those that grows on you, and I definitely love it now. I was rooting for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly to win, if only for you to have a little more context of his younger Western roles. But we'll get there one day. I see a lot of recommendations for Open Range, which would make an excellent reaction. And I'm always going to pull for the underdog that is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which is a perfect movie.
Alex Villarreal
2022-02-03 22:59:25 +0000 UTCI second this. When you find out why Bronson’s character “Harmonica” plays the harmonica… wow, what a scene.
Wes Stewart
2022-02-03 22:51:42 +0000 UTCHello Cassie, third place in the poll was 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. The film 'Tombstone' was subsequently only mentioned frequently by some people, so the name stuck. And now I'm watching the movie with you and I'm curious what your reaction will be. Because I almost suspect that the film is just too hard for the 'entry' into the western genre. 😉 --- After watching: I think no, the both cowboys shouldn't be killed because they didn't kill anybody. But at least the second one tried to kill Delilah so he should have gone to jail but instead nothing happened. If I understand you correctly, Cassie, you said 'He killed some innocent people', but that's not the case. The most innocent in the saloon were the prostitutes, but they weren't completely blameless either, because they called for vigilantism and offered a bounty on the heads of the two cowboys. The killed guys, on the other hand, were all guilty. First they tortured (whipping and branding with the mark as an assassin) and killed an innocent man who didn't kill anybody (respective the two cowboys). They were all there, everyone participated, nobody intervened, so all of them are guilty of murder or at least manslaughter. The second fact is that, with two exceptions, Munny only shot people who had previously shot or drawn guns in front of him. He sent everyone else out. The two exceptions are the innkeeper who put his dead friend on display and Little Bill who killed his friend. But both are not innocent at all and Little Bill is not unarmed either. Instead of drawing his gun, he just deliberately wants to get shot by Munny, so that his cronies can shoot Munny, which btw is the opposite of his talk of honor and such because it's just trying to avoid the duel. 😉 Including earlier events, even Ned is guilty as he is a sniper. But he wasn't wanted, and without prosecution, trial, judge and jury, it was just vigilante justice at the hands of Little Bill and his henchmen on an unarmed man. All in all it's a very ambivalent and thought-provoking movie because you like Munny in this movie and at the same time you shouldn't like him because of his backstory. I think that's the reason why Clint Eastwood made this movie. So of course it is a great movie but it's hard to process. 😔 Btw. did you recognize 'English Bob' Dumbledore? 😂 😊
Chris Lüders
2022-02-03 22:06:52 +0000 UTCI think the moral of the story is, use your hand just like William Munny.
G
2022-02-03 21:31:01 +0000 UTCI agree. I was rooting for Maverick and The Quick and The Dead on the western poll. I was as surprised as everybody when Maverick won. I thought they didn't have a chance against the top dogs.
G
2022-02-03 21:25:24 +0000 UTCAnd I looked... and behold a pale horse... and his name that sat on him was Death... and Hell followed with him...
Louis Ferdinand Celine
2022-02-03 21:15:32 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite westerns was The Hallelujah Trail (1965) with Burt Lancaster, Lee Remick, Timothy Hutton and Donald Pleasence. Now I could never enjoy the movie with the depiction of native Americans. For me Unforgiven had some real cringe moments with dialogue about women. Yes, I understand about being true to the time and it’s an individual call. I can absorb the punch if it’s important for the the context of the story, such as In the Heat of the Night. He did the same thing with Gran Torino. It eventually gets to a moral ending but you have to have your nose rubbed in vulgarity for the first quarter of the movie. He is a gifted story teller. I thought he did a great job with Richard Jewell.
Grinznmore
2022-02-03 21:11:51 +0000 UTCI’ve never actually seen this movie so this will be a first time for me as well.
Alex Gorell
2022-02-03 21:08:41 +0000 UTCI loved your reaction. Very much
nick bell
2022-02-03 21:07:09 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite movies and westerns. I think that the ambiguity is VERY intentional. There is no perfect good guy or bad guy. We are all human, and EVERY human has the capacity to do both good and evil. Even the most evil person on earth can do some good or show kindness to people. ALL of us have faults, and there can be some redemption for anyone and everyone sometimes,.... William Munny went on to raise his family and live a life building a business in SF. Similar to what Gandalf told Frodo in the Mines of Moria,... "Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?" I think another point was to NOT believe everything you hear - stories (especially those by word of mouth) get exaggerated or changed to the point that they have nothing to do with actual events The story show that men rarely, if ever, stood 60 feet apart in the street at high noon for a gun fight - it was either cold blooded murder (often by ambush) or wildly chaotic with the blasting of guns happening in a relatively short time span. I think this is a more realistic view of human nature in a western setting or culture of the old west. One other note: A drover is someone who herds or moves animals from one place to another.
ENC SW DV Rush
2022-02-03 20:30:12 +0000 UTCI know what you mean. Anytime you type more than 2 sentences I suggest you copy your text until you know it posted...
Future Boy
2022-02-03 20:21:02 +0000 UTCThank you GRinzmore, always such insightful comments! Slow burning fuse, perfect way to describe it
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:19:51 +0000 UTCno way, that is so cool, I thought it looked beautiful :)
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:18:10 +0000 UTChaha i have heard the name gene hackman but did not connect the name to the face! I just watched him in replacements too! so so good!
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:16:20 +0000 UTCYes, my dad was so mad that one didn't win the poll, planning on it! Thanks again for the shirt:)
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:14:33 +0000 UTCDid not realize this was in '92, I feel like Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman look the same now!
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:13:59 +0000 UTCNo way, that is amazing he held out all those years until it was time for his "epilogue" I need to see more of his stuff
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:11:13 +0000 UTCI can see why you suggested watching this after others as it seemed like a "look back" but I'm a slave to the poll (that sounds terrible) haha jk but don't worry, I'll watch more then maybe have a different outlook on this one
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:09:31 +0000 UTCi really want to see 3:10 to yuma!! and the others but that one is on my shortlist
Cassie
2022-02-03 20:08:26 +0000 UTCThis is the second time now where I have written out lengthy thoughts on a reaction to a film, only for Patreon or whatever to delete them. Wont be bothering anymore. Ridiculous.
Luetin
2022-02-03 19:56:43 +0000 UTCYes, Open Range is great, Really the BEST Sergio Leone film is "Once upon a time in the WEST" with Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson and Jason Robards and the epic music score by Ennio Morricone the music legend.
Joe Aschenbrener
2022-02-03 19:44:57 +0000 UTCI also kind of felt it had a "Coward of the County" vibe to the moral--that sometimes you have to fight.
Art of Free Speech
2022-02-03 19:08:01 +0000 UTCThe Cracker Jack Kid, Stella Starburst, Madam Popcorn, Jane Red Vine, Belle "Chicken" Masala .... OK, I'm getting hungry now.
Mr Jordan
2022-02-03 18:53:58 +0000 UTCThe Lethal Weapons movies get better and better each sequel, imho
Jon Johns
2022-02-03 18:41:30 +0000 UTCI feel that as you become more familiar with westerns, Unforgiven will feel more special and important to you. As for additional recommendations, there's been several posted already, but one I don't see posted often that I feel you would very much enjoy is Pale Rider. It's another Clint Eastwood western, but hews a slight bit closer to the classic style of western movies, albeit with it's own special touches. And as a bonus just for you, there's no desert to speak of since it takes place deep in mountain country!
Chris B.
2022-02-03 18:03:14 +0000 UTCCassie said in the reaction video she wanted a name like all the Cowboys, any ideas? Like the Canadian Kid? Calamity Cassie?
Goony71
2022-02-03 17:59:03 +0000 UTCSo the overall moral of the is never make fun of a man's pecker size. It caused so much death and destruction.
Philip G.
2022-02-03 17:56:29 +0000 UTCYou definitely nailed it in saying that this film was an ending of sorts. Clint Eastwood was a part of the Western genre throughout his career and was present for every kind of Western. When TV was absolutely dominated by Western adventure shows he starred in a huge hit (RAWHIDE, which ran for 8 seasons in the '50s and '60s). In 1964 he went to Italy and filmed what became the first great "Spaghetti Western," A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, which launched an avalanche of European-filmed Westerns over the next decade. Now Eastwood wasn't the brash likeable young hero from RAWHIDE but a morally grey hired killer with his own code of ethics - the "Man with No Name." Eastwood made a trilogy of films as this character, who may or may not have been the same person in each film. The third in the series, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, is one of the greatest Western films ever made. Eastwood continued to make Westerns on and off but it was clear he wanted to stretch the genre and tell more and more unconventional tales which turned the cliches of the genre inside out, especially when he began to direct them himself. In 1976 he starred in and directed THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, another contender named by many critics and scholars as one of the best Western films ever made. When UNFORGIVEN came along he decided that this would be his final statement on the genre, almost like a master's thesis on Westerns. It inverts the Western story while also fulfilling it. I remember seeing this with my Dad back in 1992 and boy did he not like it. He was expecting a more conventional shoot-'em-up and this was too brooding and meditative and confusing. I didn't know what to make of it either but revisiting it over the years has definitely increased my appreciation for it. This movie won Oscars for Eastwood for Best Director and Best Picture and also earned Gene Hackman (Little Bill) his second acting Oscar. This plus DANCES WITH WOLVES two years earlier were part of a mini-revival of Westerns in the '80s and '90s as actors who had come of age after the genre faded wanted their chance to make their own Western. Some got theatrical distribution (QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER, MAVERICK, the YOUNG GUNS series, WYATT EARP, GERONIMO, BAD GIRLS, even the wildly overpraised TOMBSTONE) but many more Western TV-movies and miniseries were broadcast during this time, lots of them remakes of classic Westerns from decades past or reunion films of old Western shows like BONANZA and GUNSMOKE. Eastwood directed Hackman again in the 1997 thriller ABSOLUTE POWER, and directed Morgan Freeman twice more in MILLION DOLLAR BABY and INVICTUS. BABY earned Freeman an acting Oscar as well as one for star Hilary Swank and two more for Eastwood (Best Director and Best Picture).
Patrick Flanagan
2022-02-03 17:54:54 +0000 UTCOoh Cutting Edge, who watched it in the same year?
Mannygogou
2022-02-03 17:40:38 +0000 UTCGREAT reaction video Cassie... I knew this one would be tough for you. Little Bill was definitely the villain. You need to see "The Quick and The Dead" with Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe, Gene Hackman and Leonardo DiCaprio...
Bryan Harris
2022-02-03 17:28:25 +0000 UTCFor the life of me I cannot understand the Gen X/Millennial obsession with TOMBSTONE. It's a perfectly okay Western but it doesn't even crack the top 100 of all time.
Patrick Flanagan
2022-02-03 17:27:07 +0000 UTCWell in the video Cassie misspoke and said she thought Tombstone came in third place in the Western bracket. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly actually came in third place. This is not to say that Cassie should watch TGTB&TU right away or before Tombstone, because those decisions are Cassies' and not ours. I think Cassie would like and appreciate both movies, and hope we don't have to go through another poll to get to those. 😁
MikeLL
2022-02-03 17:20:00 +0000 UTCAlso my favorite scene. Works on so many levels
nick bell
2022-02-03 17:08:16 +0000 UTC+1 for Open Range. I think that movie would be much more to Cassie’s liking. Plus it stars one of her favs, Kevin Costner! Speaking of Kevin Costner, I didn’t see The Bodyguard on the list of movies you’ve seen Cassie. I’m a little surprised, seeing that movie spawned one of the most popular love songs from a movie of all time. Whitney Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s “I will always love you”. I would definitely recommend you take a look at that one if haven’t seen it already Cassie.
Robert da Spruce
2022-02-03 17:03:39 +0000 UTCI'm hoping as others are that eventually you will watch "Tombstone". Not as light-hearted and comedic as " Maverick" not as dark and heavy as "Unforgiven" ( a great western nonetheless) There isn't the ambiguity... you will know who the good guys and bad guys are in "Tombstone" I think you will love this film.
Robin Craft
2022-02-03 16:54:02 +0000 UTCYeah; "Unforgiven" was a good movie however not a particularly happy one... It got into the moral ambiguity of much of the West at times. I recommend "Open Range" (Kevin Costner) and "Silverado" (also Costner in a smaller part) as movies that you would almost certainly prefer. That being said; the "gunfighter" class in the Old West were very rough and just one of them coming into town made people very nervous. A group of them was enough to terrify an entire region. Also; about towns... a lot of towns required visitors to turn in firearms to the sheriff's office mainly for purposes of making sure the peace is kept. Including such places with tough reputations as Dodge City (which Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson both acted as sheriff at different times). Personally I enjoyed "Open Range" as a more romanticized western and think it would sit better at the end of the movie. Thank you for the review that I enjoyed and by-the-way moral confusion is indeed an appropriate reaction.
Michael Labs
2022-02-03 16:49:55 +0000 UTCCassie: "I haven't seen any movies with Clint Eastwood. But I have seen a couple with his son Scott." Me: "Of course she has." Hahahahaha. :)
Caomhan84
2022-02-03 16:34:57 +0000 UTCGreat reaction, Cassie. Loved watching you think through this one. Going into it, I didn't think you'd like it too much, but it is great to see your appreciation for it, even if it wasn't so "fun". Thanks for bringing us all along with you again, and now that you've been to both extremes of the Western genre, some great palate cleansers within the genre would be Tombstone, The Outlaw Josey Wales (my favorite western), and Open Range. All great stories, all great casts, and some love story thrown in just for you.
Dave
2022-02-03 16:24:05 +0000 UTCGreatest Western ever made, because it completely challenges the entire rationale of the genre. No good guys, no bad guys, when you pick up a gun to kill, your life and soul are forfeit. It’s an extraordinary anti-violence film, and what’s more extraordinary is it’s made by a man who epitomizes the Western myth of a clean, heroic kill. I wonder if Eastwood made this in part in order to purge his own spirit, since he’d been promulgating that myth for thirty years at this point.
Brian Harris
2022-02-03 16:00:25 +0000 UTCClassic Clint Eastwood formula Steely cold intimidation with a couple of shots of revenge. This was Dirty Harry on a horse. His best friend always ends up dead. I thought him asking how many shots he had a clever homage and the boy with poor eyesight lived because he came to respect his limitations. Clint knows what his audience likes and always delivers—that’s what we love about his movies. Cassie, I think you can see why Maverick won the poll. Maverick is enjoyment throughout the story, Eastwood is a slow burning fuse with a bomb blast at the end. I contend Star Wars is a replacement for the Western; shooting and revenge mixed with humor. Most westerns have faded into the sunset.
Grinznmore
2022-02-03 15:54:20 +0000 UTCOh yeah and a side note. I saw that all four lethal weapons were on HBO Max. You would absolutely love those movies.
Michael Lynch
2022-02-03 15:19:40 +0000 UTCGreat cast. I love Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman. I've always loved this movie. However, when you get around to watching tombstone I think you're going to like that one way more. To a lot of people it's the Best Western ever made, and there's a really great love story.
Michael Lynch
2022-02-03 14:55:23 +0000 UTCSome extra trivia: The movie was shot in Calgary. Eastwood’s mother, Ruth, spent an uncomfortable day in a heavy dress playing an extra that boards a train. The scene was cut from the movie. But all was not “unforgiven” as Eastwood took her to the Oscars and thanked her prominently in his acceptance speech.
Wes Stewart
2022-02-03 14:45:49 +0000 UTCNot all stories have a hero and a villain or a right or a wrong. Sometimes it's just about people and what they do. :-) Filmed in Alberta, by the way!
Tobias Eiken
2022-02-03 14:42:07 +0000 UTCThis deconstruction of old west gunfighters is the greatest Western ever made.
warcrimes
2022-02-03 13:54:42 +0000 UTCSuch a good flick. Thank you. Cant wait to watch
Tom
2022-02-03 13:05:01 +0000 UTCThere are no heroes or villains. Only the dead and those who got lucky during the killing. I just made that up, but I thought it sounded like a quote that could be attributed to the Duke (Duck) of Death.
JediLounger
2022-02-03 12:16:43 +0000 UTCYeah, the scene between Will and the kid, after they kill the second cowboy, is probably my favourite in the film. And it gets even better when the lady shows up with the money and she has to tell them about Ned. A masterclass in writing, directing, cinematography, and acting right there, no doubt. A very interesting reaction. So glad you had a chance to watch it.
Uncle 'Traveling' Matt
2022-02-03 12:16:19 +0000 UTCThis was definitely a rough movie to do early on in your foray into westerns... there's nothing particularly charming or redeeming about it.. It was made to have as much realism as they could muster. Whether you react to it or not I think a Western you'd enjoy would be Siverado.. Kevin Coster, Kevin Cline, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum.. etc.. not as funny as Maverick but definitely not as dark as Unforgiven. Loved the reaction tho regardless!!
Andrew Rose
2022-02-03 12:08:32 +0000 UTCWhat you saw was Clint Eastwood deconstructing the western and grounding it with the harsh reality behind the genre. The next film you should see of his is High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Million Dollar Baby. But on a Westerns list you need to see The Man With No Name Trilogy (A Fist Full Of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad and The Ugly) along with Once Upon A Time In The West. That’s the best list I can give for now and I think you’ll enjoy them a lot more then Unforgiven.
Tarek Sursock
2022-02-03 11:54:20 +0000 UTCQ: Cassie, care to take a guess on who or what “Unforgiven” is referring to? (I still don’t know). I do think you picked up on all the emotions the story was trying to convey but not being familiar with the Western genre, maybe some themes are more elusive than others? If so, totally okay - I can’t pretend to know them all either. There is one theme that I know you’ve picked up on: the characters in this story (English Bob, Little Bill, The Kid, etc.) all want the “Bad-A” reputation of a William Munny, while the man himself no longer wants it at all. The town (and Western genre fans) were reminded what that truly looks like and I think most of them, aside from Ms. Delilah, were genuinely frightened. There were no heroes in this story besides the women seeking justice.
Ike
2022-02-03 11:05:19 +0000 UTCGene Hackman is one of my all time favorites
nick bell
2022-02-03 10:52:33 +0000 UTCGreat reaction Cassie, given this is only your 3rd western and a really tough movie to get through. Hope you can react to a few more!
Allen Bond
2022-02-03 10:45:04 +0000 UTCYou have now been introduced to the wonderful acting of Gene Hackman (Little Bill Daggett ), an amazing talent.
Dirk Rheeder
2022-02-03 10:33:33 +0000 UTCCassie, I really enjoyed your reaction. It was definitely a tough movie, but you picked up on the big themes and emotions the movie was going for and your summary afterwards was spot on - "I don't know how to feel." I loved your empathy while also struggling with the huge gray areas the movie explored. It definitely makes it hard to know who to root for, but as you say, it was on purpose. I hope you do leave another review like you said at the end, perhaps on the YT edit, after thinking about it some more. Thank you again for another great reaction.
Mr Jordan
2022-02-03 10:26:38 +0000 UTCOtherwise known as Dumbledore to Cassie. Oh maybe as the priest in Count of Monte Cristo now too😝
Goony71
2022-02-03 09:14:45 +0000 UTCFun fact - English Bob is played by Richard Harris, the father of Jared Harris who played Legasov in Chernobyl.
David Murray
2022-02-03 09:08:36 +0000 UTC😂 you’re wearing my shirt. Your Maverick reaction had the denim jacket, which didn’t look “western” at all so ya… 👏 AND you’re watching Cutting Edge next, which is one of my favorite rom-coms of all-time! One day I hope you get to watch TGTBTU but I enjoy plenty of Clint’s films and this is one of them.
Rose
2022-02-03 08:55:41 +0000 UTCCan't say I liked this film back in 1992 either. Might watch along to give it another chance, but, uh... not yet.
Henry Fitzgerald
2022-02-03 08:43:49 +0000 UTC"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have." This remarkable line summed up this great film.
G
2022-02-03 08:30:54 +0000 UTCCass, it's a movie that may take another viewing or two over time. I'm looking forward to your first-blush reacts, but the more you see it, the more you appreciate the overwhelming grays in what has been traditionally portrayed as black and while scenarios/moral stances. Congratulations on taking this one on. (It's a HARD movie!)
Bill Eby
2022-02-03 08:28:25 +0000 UTCHaven’t watched a good western in a long time! I’m currently snowed in here in MO, so looks like tomorrow will be a good movie day!
Josh Phillips
2022-02-03 08:18:09 +0000 UTCLooking forward to this one tonight. After first watch I didn't like this movie much. I was expecting a more straight western with good guys fighting for a cause and bad guys. But as Cassie wrote "wasn't sure who to root". But over time as I got older and rewatched it I really started to appreciate and like this movie because of that. All the characters are just different shades of grey. Interestingly, even though Eastwood was in the business since the '50s, this movie was his first Oscar nomination ever (as actor, director and best picture). He acquired the script during the '80s and was sitting on it for a decade or so just to be in the right age for portraying William Munny.
Gábor Árki
2022-02-03 08:05:00 +0000 UTCThis film is basically an antiwestern. Like reading the epilogue before reading the book. Should be interesting.
Sahitya
2022-02-03 07:53:25 +0000 UTCSo many good Westerns, a genre I never used to be a fan of but once I got in to it, I went on a binge. True Grit (remake), Pale Rider, 3:10 to Yuma (original), Paint Your Wagon, Lighting Jack! The list goes on. This is definitely up there as one of the best though.
Lee Porteous
2022-02-03 07:49:12 +0000 UTCOooh, this going to be interesting :)
Allen Bond
2022-02-03 07:43:40 +0000 UTC
