Unforgiven is an example of a revisionist western. Morgan Freeman’s performance as Ned Logan is a key indicator of the revisionist title. He is an African American, but is not included as other. In the classic western, although African Americans do exist, they are typically presented as part of the scenery. The closest one comes to a sidekick is Pompey in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Even as a sidekick to Tom Doniphon, he is mostly silent, and presented as ignorant and illiterate. Ned Logan and Bill Munny have a close, equal relationship. This can be attributed to the great strides African Americans made between the classic period (1940-1960) and the 1990’s. Although small amounts of racism as well as a class gap in urban areas still existed in 1990, they were not outwardly persecuted in America. This is reflected in the media and Ned Logan’s equal relationship to Bill.
Bill Munny is the alpha male protagonist, but is not presented as an invincible, larger than life character. He can hardly mount his horse, has a family, and hasn’t shot a man in eleven years. This presentation of the imperfection of the cowboy contributes to the realism focus of the revisionist western and supports the classification of Unforgiven as such.
Another indicator of the revisionist title is the movie’s focus on the realism of the violence that occurred in the west. There is a darkness to Unforgiven that overshadows the movie. This is shown in the violent opening scene where a prostitute is cut and stabbed. This type of violence is never explicitly shown in classic westerns. Mr. Beauchamp urinates in his pants at the sight of a gun pointed in his face. English Bob is brutally beaten by the sheriff. Although women are still treated as secondary, the prostitutes are considered like dirt. When one is cut violently, their attackers are not even whipped. The language used in Unforgiven is also crude and fitting for the west. This harsh treatment contributes to the darkness of the movie and the focus of the real violence and attitudes that occurred in the wild west.
Unforgiven is an example of a revisionist western. Morgan Freeman’s performance as Ned Logan is a key indicator of the revisionist title. He is an African American, but is not included as other. In the classic western, although African Americans do exist, they are typically presented as part of the scenery. The closest one comes to a sidekick is Pompey in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Even as a sidekick to Tom Doniphon, he is mostly silent, and presented as ignorant and illiterate. Ned Logan and Bill Munny have a close relationship. This can be attributed to the great strides African Americans made between the classic period (1940-1960) and the 1990’s. Although small amounts of racism as well as a class gap in urban areas still existed in 1990, they were not outwardly persecuted in America. This is reflected in the media and Ned Logan’s equal relationship to Bill.
ReplyDeleteBill Munny is the alpha male protagonist, but is not presented as an invincible, larger than life character. He can hardly mount his horse, has a family, and hasn’t shot a man in eleven years. This presentation of the imperfection of the cowboy contributes to the realism focus of the revisionist western and supports the classification of Unforgiven as such.
Another indicator of the revisionist title is the movie’s focus on the realism of the violence that occurred in the west. There is a darkness to Unforgiven that overshadows the movie. This is shown in the violent opening scene where a prostitute is cut and stabbed. This type of violence is never explicitly shown in classic westerns. Mr. Beauchamp urinates in his pants at the sight of a gun pointed in his face. English Bob is brutally beaten by the sheriff. Although women are still treated as secondary, the prostitutes are considered like dirt. When one is cut violently, their attackers are not even whipped. The language used in Unforgiven is also crude and fitting for the west. This harsh treatment contributes to the darkness of the movie and the focus of the real violence and attitudes that occurred in the wild west.