Product Description

Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman play retired, down-on-their-luck outlaws who pick up their guns one last time to collect a bounty offered by the vengeful prostitutes of the remote Wyoming town of Big Whiskey. Richard Harris is an ill-fated interloper, a colorful killer-for-hire called English Bob. And Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Gene Hackman is the sly and brutal local sheriff whose brand of law enforcement ranges from unconventional to ruthless.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #365 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2006-10-31
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 3.00 pounds
• Running time: 131 minutes

Features

• Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman play retired, down-on-their-luck outlaws who pick up their guns one last time to collect a bounty offered by the vengeful prostitutes of the remote Wyoming town of Big Whiskey. Richard Harris is an ill-fated interloper, a colorful killer-for-hire called English Bob. And Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Gene Hackman is the sly and brutal local sheriff whose brand

Amazon.com essential video
Winner of four Academy Awards, including best picture, director, supporting actor, and best editing, Clint Eastwood's 1992 masterpiece stands as one of the greatest and most thematically compelling Westerns ever made. "The movie summarized everything I feel about the Western," said Eastwood at the time of the film's release. "The moral is the concern with gunplay." To illustrate that theme, Eastwood stars as a retired, once-ruthless killer-turned-gentle-widower and hog farmer. He accepts one last bounty-hunter mission--to find the men who brutalized a prostitute--to help support his two motherless children. Joined by his former partner (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky greenhorn (Jaimz Woolvett), he takes on a corrupt sheriff (Oscar winner Gene Hackman) in a showdown that makes the viewer feel the full impact of violence and its corruption of the soul. Dedicated to Eastwood's mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel and featuring a colorful role for Richard Harris, it's arguably Eastwood's crowning directorial achievement. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com
Winner of four Academy Awards, including best picture, director, supporting actor, and best editing, Clint Eastwood's 1992 masterpiece stands as one of the greatest and most thematically compelling Westerns ever made. "The movie summarized everything I feel about the Western," said Eastwood at the time of the film's release. "The moral is the concern with gunplay." To illustrate that theme, Eastwood stars as a retired, once-ruthless killer-turned-gentle-widower and hog farmer. He accepts one last bounty-hunter mission--to find the men who brutalized a prostitute--to help support his two motherless children. Joined by his former partner (Morgan Freeman) and a cocky greenhorn (Jaimz Woolvett), he takes on a corrupt sheriff (Oscar winner Gene Hackman) in a showdown that makes the viewer feel the full impact of violence and its corruption of the soul. Dedicated to Eastwood's mentors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel and featuring a colorful role for Richard Harris, it's arguably Eastwood's crowning directorial achievement. The digital video disc offers standard and widescreen formats and a remastered soundtrack. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

"We all have it coming, Kid." A True Classic Masterpiece
"Unforgiven" is much more than a breathtaking Western, it's an amazing film altogether. With elements of drama and film noir, this is a picture that shows us that there are some demons you can never put to rest, no matter how hard you try.

Clint Eastwood stars as William Munny, a once notorious and violent killer and thief. If Munny didn't like you, chances were that you wouldn't live long enough for him to tell you so. However, that was in the old days. Now, he's just a quiet and tired farmer who is a devoted father still in mourning of his dead wife. He's been straight for years and is trying to put all of his demons to rest, but you still get the feeling that no matter how hard he tries, he will always be haunted. An opportunity comes to him in the name of `The Schofield Kid.' He gives him a chance to be his partner and have him help on a bounty. Knowing that the money could help his family out, Munny finally decides to take the Kid up on the offer. He also brings with him Ned Logan; an old friend and partner. Little Bill Daggett is the Sheriff in town, and the thing he hates most are assassins. He will do anything in his power to take care of them and make sure they do not succeed on their killing. The last remaining part of the film stands out the most and is so well executed that it catches you off guard.

This really is a great film and it surprised me like I would've never expected. I don't like Westerns all that much, but this isn't your typical Western. That is probably why I enjoyed it so much. There is so much story and character development. You really are able to sympathize with Munny, despite his dark and violent past. You want him to be able to get on with his life and forget the past, although you know deep down that things will never be put to rest, and agreeing to go on this bounty only increases the chance of Munny returning back to his old ways. This isn't a Western where the line between good guys and bad guys are clear and the storyline is simple; good guy kills bad guys and gets the girl in the end. No, you won't find any of this here. In this story there are no clear good guys or bad guys, just regular people. This is a real story with real characters that you can feel for. There is a huge issue of morality that takes place, which is something you don't see much in Westerns.

Not only does Eastwood do a terrific job in acting, he also does an amazing job as director. He's a man with vision, and who more qualified to direct a film of this magnitude. I don't think the film would had been as successful had it been done by someone else. The cast is also outstanding. Morgan Freeman really does his role justice. Gene Hackman spreads fear inside of you as the mean and tough Sheriff. Richard Harris also deserves mention for his part as well. (He is sorely missed. He was a very gifted actor.) Everyone really did great in their roles and really knew how to bring the film together.

This new DVD edition really does the movie justice. Though it may not have the most special features, the one feature that stands out the most is the new digital transfer that really makes the picture look crystal clear. The sound is also very impressive as well. Special features included are as follows: Audio commentary by Film Critic and Eastwood Biographer Richard Schickel, Eastwood film highlights, awards list, trailer, and 4 documentaries.

"Unforgiven" is really a spectacular film that deserved the Academy Awards for "Best Picture" and "Best Director." And it is a true masterpiece in my eyes. I think anyone who is a lover of films should give this one a try. Remember, you do not have to be a Western fan to enjoy this, because I am certainly not one. Some people may be disappointed in the lack of action or shoot-outs, but the film is about so much more. It's about morals and trying to put the past to rest. It's also about accepting who you are and that there are some things you will never be able to change, no matter how hard you try. This will end up being one of my favorites in no time. I was very surprised, indeed.

Unforgiven - 1992's Best Picture winner!
Unforgiven is clearly among the top westerns ever made. This movie is simple, dark and yet highly complex in its superb script and the outstanding performances by all concerned. Few westerns will draw you into the lead characters as this one does. Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and the sorely missed Richard Harris all deserved awards for their collective performances. What is a western without Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman!

The premise:

Welcome to Big Whiskey Wyoming, where in a small "billiards" saloon, a cowboy gets angry at a whore and, with the help of his buddy, cuts her face up. The other "women" of the establishment, pool their money and start telling everybody that they're offering a reward to whoever kills these two young cowboys. This is precipitated by Gene Hackmans character Little Bill, who essentially doesn't punish them for their crime.

Clint Eastwood plays William Munny, who in his earlier days was every bit one of the worst, meanest gunslingers in the west. Some ten years prior to the events at the beginning of this fine film, William Munny met his wife Claudia, who turned this serious gunslinger into a family man, unfortunately for him and his little children, his wife died three years prior. He is now a poor pig farmer, with two little children.

The son of one of his old riding buddies has heard about this reward and seeks out William Munnys assistance in tracking down these unpunished criminals. After some hesitation, he seeks out his friend Ned, played by Morgan Freeman, one of the finest actors of our day. The three of them head north to seek out the reward.

What follows is clearly a movie that while, for the better part is melodramatic; it is that melodrama that is gripping. All those who received accolades for this fine film, richly deserved those accolades.

This exceptional film that graced the silver screen so beautifully and then the home theater, deserves a hallowed place on ones DVD rack and is perfectly well suited to repeated viewings. I highly recommend this masterpiece to any and all, even those who may not find themselves interested in westerns will find this film highly compelling. {ssintrepid}

Eastwood's Dark Masterpiece
For many years now, my favorite Clint Eastwood western was "The Outlaw Josey Wales". But, in 1992, that changed. That was the year "Unforgiven' was released, and there will have to be something pretty significant to dislodge this film's achievement from my mind--though TOJW remains a close second. What makes this film so great are the star/director, supporting cast, cinematography, and story are so well matched as to create a film for the ages.

The story is one that works on many levels. It begins with one insecure cowboy and a prostitute of Big Whiskey, Wyoming that cascades into an unforgivable act of violence. One that'll beget more when all is done. The local sheriff, "Little Bill" Daggett (Gene Hackman in top award form), has a less-than adequate consequence for the cowboys involved--especially for her fellow prostitutes led by Strawberry Alice (Frances Fisher). Thus, this group of women will look outside of the law (since it's done nothing for them and their mutilated cohort) in search for "justice."

And so, a word-of-mouth bounty of $1000 is placed on the trails and in the ears of any 'randy' passersby. This promise of a bounty (through a young relative of an old sidekick) will eventually find William Munny (Eastwood), a poor, widowed Kansas pig farmer trying to make ends meet for his two young children. The "Schofield Kid" (Jaime Woolvett) has heard, in passed down tales, that Munny was one of the most cold-blooded bounty hunters there ever was. A "... known thief and murderer, a man of notoriously vicious and intemperate disposition" that he surmises would be an asset to have for the quest ahead.

The others that will come to regret their involvement will include Ned Logan (the always great Morgan Freeman) as William's longtime friend and partner, and English Bob (the late Richard Harris) as the colorful, haughty gun-for-hire that also comes looking to collect. 'Unforgiven', besides bringing together a marvelous cast of lead and character actors together, has an absolutely splendid screenplay written by David Webb Peoples. It is quite a feat of elegant writing that can debunk the Western myths, as it does, but still come off heroic.

Clint knew that when he obtained the rights many years prior. It's to his credit that he recognized it as such and was smart enough to hold on to it until he was the right age and maturity to bring it off as actor and director. William Munny is both very close and far aways from his earlier 'Man With No Name' character. If anything, he is the summation of him. His being is of a troubled man, one that was 'turned' from drink and violence years ago by the love of a good woman (she's only hauntingly referred to in the prologue/epilogue). A struggling man looking to avoid poverty (for his kids) and damnation (for his past deeds), only to find he can't have both. He'll learn that the cost of violence, to twist a phrase by Mark Twain, "cannot compromise for less than 100 cents on the dollar and its debts never outlaw."

'Unforgiven', by rides end, will attest to all of that. And, it will sharply come back on itself. Little Bill, a good man gone bad, will have us pulling for that reformed bad man to take up the drink again and summon back the demon. Violence and revenge, without an 'Undo' command. At the climactic moment, in one of the best and simplest exchanges of the film, the essence of this becomes clear: Little Bill says, "I'll see you in Hell, William Munny." To which Munny knowingly replies, "Yeah."

Another interesting aspect of the story is that none of the main male characters is what he first seems. Note the changes each character goes through by story's end. None of the men presented are black or white--just a soul-robbing gray. Cinematographer Jack N. Green does an equally beautiful job etching an great visual canvas for a story told mostly in the contrast of shadows and highlights. This film won four deserved '92 Academy Awards (Picture, Supporting Actor, Director, and Film Editing). Finally, this second-edition DVD offers an all new digital transfer, a good commentary track by film critic Richard Schickel, and a nice set of featurette and documentary extras. Also included is a vintage episode of 'Maverick' with Clint guest starring--an interesting, light counterpoint to the movie. This is one of the most grim and dusky Best Picture winners ever (and only the third Western in film history to do so). But, it's also Eastwood's Dark Masterpiece.