Get ready for today’s…Blast from the Past!
From Oscar winner Clint Eastwood, the director of Bird (1988), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Mystic River (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Invictus (2009), American Sniper (2014) and recently Sully (2016), as well as many others, comes this Western classic…
William Munny: “It’s a hell of a thing killin’ a man. You take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.”
Unforgiven was released on this day August 7th 1992, making the film 25 years old as of today.
The film follows William Munny (played by Eastwood), a widower, father, retired gunfighter and rumored murderer who is asked by the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) to hunt down two cowboys who have disfigured a woman. Along the way, Munny recruits his old friend/partner Ned Logan (played with charm by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman).
First fun fact; Eastwood claimed that Unforgiven would be his last film in the Western genre, for fear of repetition in his filmography or imitation of someone else’s work.
Second, the film won 4 Oscars, for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor – Gene Hackman, and Film Editing, and was nominated for Best Actor – Clint Eastwood, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound and Art Direction, making it 4 out of 9 wins.
Also, the film is the third Western to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, after Cimarron (1931) and Dances with Wolves (1990).
Fourth, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in 2004.
If you are in the mood for a Western that has surprising social commentary, does not rely on overused gunplay, like the cast that also includes Gene Hackman as the tyrannical and sadistic Sheriff “Little” Bill Daggett and Oscar nominee Richard Harris (who you may know as Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter franchise (2001-2002) before Golden Globe nominee Michael Gambon took on the role from 2004 til 2011) as English Bob, then this is for you, or for anyone you know, who likes the aforementioned aspects.
Poster design and artwork: Unknown.