The film, The Unforgiven, can be seen as a revisionist film because it departs from the typical view of the 'other,' seen in previous western films. Blacks and women were viewed as secondary characters, not contributing much to the overall plot of the film. This changes with Morgan Freeman's character, Ned Logan. Logan plays a major role in the film, an essential member to the three person team of cowboys on a mission to kill the man who attacked a lady in town. Logan is treated as an equal, a parter to the other two cowboys. Never is he looked down upon, or regarded differently because of his skin color. This is a major step away from previous western films where blacks were hardly represented at all. The role of women in this film is also a step above the traditional woman's role in western films. The women pool together their resources in order to make justice. They do not agree with the punishment the sheriff announces, so they take matters into their own hands and solve the problem. Because of this, these women are different from the traditional western women who obey all commands, but they still are somewhat dependent on men.
Clint Eastwood's character, William Munny, is the alpha male cowboy in the film. His character also strays from the normal mold of western films, just like Ned's. Previously, the alpha male cowboy was regarded as heroic, because even though he killed people, it was always the villain he killed, which could be justified. All of his actions were for the greater good. However, Munny's past is constantly brought up, and the viewers learn that he killed many people. The way he describes it gives the audience the feel that he regrets many of the decisions he made, and gives a negative connotation to the notion of killing people. By the end of the film, Munny takes innocent lives, thus painting a negative image of himself. This change is yet another factor that classifies The Unforgiven as a revisionist film.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The film, The Unforgiven, can be seen as a revisionist film because it departs from the typical view of the 'other,' seen in previous western films. Blacks and women were viewed as secondary characters, not contributing much to the overall plot of the film. This film changes the stereotype with Morgan Freeman's character, Ned Logan. Logan plays a major role in the film, an essential member to the three person team of cowboys on a mission to kill the man who attacked a lady in town. Logan is treated as an equal, a partner to the other two cowboys. Never is he looked down upon, or regarded differently because of his skin color. This is a major step away from previous western films where blacks were hardly represented at all.
ReplyDeleteThe role of women in this film is also a step above the traditional woman's role in western films. The women pool together their resources in order to make justice. They do not agree with the punishment the sheriff announces, so they take matters into their own hands and solve the problem. Because of this, these women are different from the traditional western women who obey all commands, but they still are somewhat dependent on men for food and shelter.
Clint Eastwood's character, William Munny, is the alpha male cowboy in the film. His character also strays from the normal mold of western films, just like Ned's. Previously, the alpha male cowboy was regarded as heroic, because even though he killed people, it was always the villain he killed, which could be justified, and all of his actions were for the greater good. However, Munny's past is constantly brought up, and the viewers learn that he killed many people. The way he describes it gives the audience the feel that he regrets many of the decisions he made, and gives a negative connotation to the notion of killing people. It begins to question the morality of the previous alpha male cowboys, and whether all the murders can be justified. By the end of the film, Munny takes innocent lives, thus painting a negative image of himself. This change is yet another factor that classifies The Unforgiven as a revisionist film, along with the changes in the representation of the ‘other.’