The “unforgiving” nonconformist Clint Eastwood, having reached his 60th year, in 1992, will deliver an essentially anti-western, largely reversing the roles of the lone heroic gunslingers
30 years have already passed since them “Unforgivables”, the leading western of the last five decades, after classic Hollywood or the revival of the genre by Sam Peckinpah and the “spaghetti western”, with Sergio Leone as the main representative. It is the last western directed and starred by Clint Eastwood. Significant, as it gave him the first Oscar for directing and made him one of the most important creators in America, at a time when the first effects of the invasion of the technocrats, the people who only looked at the numbers in Hollywood, began to be seen strongly, while at the same time the dominance of conformism became a necessary supply for every film professional.
The “unforgivable” non-conformist Clint Eastwood, having reached his 60th year, in 1992, will deliver an essentially anti-western, largely reversing the roles of the lone heroic gunslingers, tearing apart the stereotypes of the classic western, also stepping on the legacy left by the mentors of Don Siegel and Sergio Leone.
Such days 30 years ago, when “The Unforgiven” premiered, America bowed to Clint Eastwood, critics around the world adored him, and even the infamous American Box-Office gave him first place for three weeks, bringing in the coffers of Malpaso Productions (of Eastwood) and Warner Bros. more than ten times the cost of the film, which reached 15 million dollars.
First of all, the reason is…
It all started much earlier than 1992, as Eastwood was excited by the script, which had been written since the late 1970s by the important screenwriter David Webb Peoples (“Blade Runner”) and had been interested in the leading role, but was delaying the filming, to get the right age of the hero, while he also wanted it to be the last western he would star in. The good fortune, as it turned out, was that in the end he also took over the direction, having by his side a worthy staff of actors and actresses who would give their all for the best possible result.
The model pistol pieces
The script ostensibly follows the model of the pistol returning one last time to settle old scores. But this time, it’s an old disarmed wretched gunner, whose hands are shaking, his buoy is not firmly on his horse, he’s become a swineherd, he’s a widower with two children, living in mud and misery. But a young man will awaken his past, asking him for a thousand dollars to avenge a promoter of women and his protector, a brutal, bordering on paranoia sheriff and boss of the town of Big Whiskey. With the help of the impulsive young man and another old black man, an old comrade of the stalwart gunman, who has also been decommissioned, they will start their daring mission, ending up in the city ruled by the sheriff.
Pessimistic and slow-burning
Eastwood masterfully sets up a claustrophobic, black, unexpectedly pessimistic non-conformist, slow-burning western, while at the same time throwing in the cold deadpan executioner, who makes the six-balls chirp. He is old, with flesh and bones, weaknesses, fears, ready to collapse. The reward is the excuse, the point is the return to action, for a moment, for a glorified end. At the same time, however, it is also the occasion to talk about serious issues – often prophetic – that are beginning to dominate American society, such as the violent dominance of the powerful, the conformist attitude with the argument “this is the way the world is and it does not change” , submissively following the “wishes” of the powerful, while scathingly commenting on the position of women, as the easiest victim of the savagery of capitalism. And not only that, as they are the ones who have the power to resist brutality, to do everything to deliver justice.
Eastwood, filming at a slow pace, using low-lit shots, slowly ignites his story, in perfect harmony with the style of his film, shreds the clichés and the drama defines every shot, while the looks, the movements seem fragile, almost heartbreaking in front of the tyrannical sheriff, who sparkles with toxic power. Yes, it’s a sad movie, it couldn’t be anything else.
The amazing Gene Hackman and the… cream
But if everything works flawlessly on set, this is also due to the important actors that Eastwood has chosen for the cast. One better than the other, but bad lies, Gene Hackman, in the role of the crooked sheriff, gives an iconic performance, as he manages to be both hopelessly scary and at the same time so attractive, so charismatic, that you never want it to go out of shot. Gene Hackman, who in his long career has shown his versatile talent, his brilliant sparkling acting ability, but could have done much more in the cinema, is amazing, and Eastwood wisely gives him the role that takes all the “cream” of performances, but also the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The sequence in which Hackman confronts the famous gunslinger Richard Harris (another excellent performance), which will ignominiously thwart the long-awaited duel between the two, is definitely in the top ten bible of all time.
Molds are meant to be broken
Eastwood, with centuries of experience, one might say, will break the mold of the lonely hero, transforming into an anti-hero, who causes grief, but still has the heart to give it. Next to him is Morgan Freeman, flawless, while fans are also the interpretations of Saul Rubinek, James Walvert, Anna Thompson, Frances Fisher, Piper Ferguson, Rob Campbell. And of course credit also goes to Clint Eastwood’s close collaborators, cinematographer Jack Green, editor Joel Cox and jazz musician Lenny Niehaus.
The Oscars and Clint’s sacrifice
The four Oscars won by “The Unforgiven” (Best Film, Director, Supporting Actor and Editing) out of nine total nominations were the culmination of a comprehensive work, with Clint Eastwood, unlike many of his colleagues, putting down his reputation, the glory of his name, his little boy, in the interest of the overall result, setting the example. Great cinematic moments require sacrifices and faith in the creator’s ideas and principles, against stereotypes, easy solutions, ready-made tried-and-true recipes, grossing models of success. And those who really love cinema know how to recognize and reward.
John Wayne’s “no”.
Two figures stand out in the history of the American Western. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood have both made history in this genre of cinema, but when they had the opportunity to work together on a film in 1970, which Eastwood really wanted, Wayne unfortunately flatly refused the opportunity and turned it down. “Duke” Wayne felt that the dark anti-heroes played by Eastwood defamed the classic western, wanting himself to repeat the outdated, especially in the 70s with Vietnam, manner of … 100% “good” against “evil ». Who knows, maybe deep down he was jealous of Clint Eastwood’s multifaceted talent…
AMPE –
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
