Unforgiven

As someone who began his career in Westerns, Clint Eastwood’s 16th film as a director presents what, from the moment of its release, could be recognized as one of the genre’s most important works—a Western not just for fans of the genre, but a powerful morality tale that delves into the roots of American culture. Westerns without a single positive hero were introduced to the world by Sergio Leone, Eastwood’s spiritual father. But the student builds on that foundation to craft a sober, intelligent saga—an epic that encompasses everything from visual power to sophisticated references to key genre films. The plot centers on a weathered gunslinger who, in order to feed his family, sets out to capture two outlaws with a bounty on their heads. From this premise, Eastwood creates one of the most compelling films of his career—a sober meditation on the nature of masculinity in American cinema, and on his own role as a cultural icon.