Unforgiven (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Jaimz Woolvett, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anthony James, Anna Thomson, Rob Campbell, David Mucci, Tara Dawn Frederick. [R]

A revisionist lament of a Western, the last one of the genre that Eastwood directed or starred in, meditative and eloquent but also engrossing as a mature brand of entertainment. Former thief and killer William Munny (Eastwood) is lured out of the “retired” life of a farmer for a $1000 bounty on the heads of a couple of cowboys that cut up a prostitute’s face, joined by an old friend (Freeman) and a brash young hothead (Woolvett). But small-town sheriff Hackman has no intention of letting anyone supersede his lawful authority and claim the prize, willing to enact whatever brutality is needed as a deterrent to keep them away. Crisply shot on drained and desolate locations; moves at an elegiac pace that nevertheless grabs hold early on and won’t let go. Some superfluous scenes and minor characters provide a little John Ford-esque color and humor, but almost negate the quietly complex power the primary narrative is striving for. Well-acted by the entire cast, with a special nod to Hackman, as extraordinary here as he ever was (and he was often extraordinary). David Webb Peoples’ script actually dates back to the 1970s, but Eastwood wisely waited for the right time before pursuing the project. Eastwood also wrote the poignant main theme music, called “Claudia’s Theme.” Oscar winner for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (Hackman), and Editing.

89/100