NH Unforgiven

The film Unforgiven was set to take place in the late 1800's. The film stars William Munny(Clint Eastwood) as the alpha male cowboy and Ned Logan(Morgan Freeman) as his long time partner and sidekick. This film covers multiple topics as far at the revisionist film goes but the one particular topic that is most significant is the role that Ned Logan plays as the African American sidekick. Most films that are set in this period of time did not contain African Americans at all, nevermind having one as a main character. The John Wayne hardboiled west typically only had caucasions in the films but that was also a different period of time. This film was created in the 1990's in a different era where people were seen equal no matter what their race. The interesting part about the film being created in a more accepting era is that Ned Logan is still treated differently than other characters in the film. He is the only character out of the three in Munny's gang that is captured, beaten and murdered. He is also displayed as a weaker character than Munny's alpha male cowboy when he is afraid to kill the man who injured the prostitute. It is clearly significant to have an African American character in a western film, but the character of Ned Logan is not quite given the empowering role of the alpha male cowboy.

William Munny is clearly the Alpha Male cowboy in this film. When the film begins he is a single father who works and takes care of his children. Clearly he was once an alpha male cowboy but gave up that life for his family. By the films end, he is back in full force as the alpha male cowboy. He is not afraid to pull the trigger of his gun and is a deadly shot. He is afraid of nobody and demands his way in the confrontation in the saloon. Although Munny left the alpha male cowboy life behind him for some time, it is quite clear that the true qualities of an alpha male cowboy still live inside of him.