Unforgiven

A beautiful western filled with characters whose fates are sealed from the start. Clint Eastwood crafts their stories and brings it all to a fateful conclusion. You can feel the inevitability of their paths right from the beginning. The main character, once a killer and a brute, finds solace with a woman who tames him, they have two kids, she dies, and he's left alone on a farm in the middle of nowhere with his young children. Then, he learns of some injustice on the other side of the American frontier and leaves his kids to help a woman in need, seeking redemption. Clint is the epitome of a tough guy, and everyone around him plays their part. However, the film sometimes feels like it's trying too hard. Some plot points lack logic, especially the young man who starts it all but seems as sharp as a bag of hammers. I get that Clint likes highlighting inexperienced youth, but here, it's a bit overdone. Cinematically, it's excellent, but the story feels a bit simplistic. (09/02/2022)

A nicely shot western that has entered history as one of the most genuine and raw in its genre. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman deliver masterful performances, with the brutal Gene Hackman skillfully supporting them (Oscar). In addition to all of this, there is perfect camera work, brilliant editing, and a final epilogue at sunset. (11/08/2003)

This is not the Wild West we know from old Westerns with John Wayne or the younger version of Clint. This is the stone cold reality of the late eighteenth century. The main heroes aren’t heroes at all, but ordinary people who might even miss, talk tough, fall off a horse or maybe their eyesight is just not as good anymore. Eastwood, Hackman and Freeman are great actors and the amazing finale which shatters all the Western movie clichés is just the icing on top of this extraordinary performance. (11/15/2009)

I probably expected much more from it, but that certainly doesn't mean it's an excellent western that is on the verge of modern western understanding while still adhering to the tradition of Italian westerns. Clint's hero has his demons, but when it comes to the final showdown, he's exactly the kind of guy you want. A very good western. (01/08/2016)

A delight for all fans of western. An original story, a nice atmosphere and, in particular, excellent performances that result in a strong and rather unorthodox western in which man-to-man fights or insanely tough heroes are neither the main purpose nor the attraction. It relies mostly on the characters and their relationships, which of course is not everyone's cup of tea, and I also had rather awkward feelings throughout the film, but the great final part, when Clint Eastwood, driven by his desire for revenge, finally turns into that tough guy with damn quick reactions, cleared almost all doubts from my mind and showed me the true power of this genre. (09/16/2011)