"Unforgiven"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows that "Unforgiven" is not just a western; it is a perceptive and monumental study of the corrosive effect a lifetime of violence can have on the human spirit. The paper shows that the themes of justice, feminism, gun control, revenge, reform, honor, morality and corruption are all examined in both overt and symbolic forms in the film. Despite the fact that there is plenty of gratuitous violence provided, the principal and most powerful theme of the movie is that there are more constructive ways to resolve conflict that bashing someone's brains in or gunning them down in the street.

From the Paper:

"Unforgiven is a compelling film in many rights, but its symbolism is one of its most masterful features. Because of its revisionist attitude towards violence, the film's portrayal of violence as an inappropriate method of conflict resolution is ironic in that the brutality is so gorily depicted. Yet the film's intent is a dogged attempt to show how violence and revenge can ruin a person's life. Still, by portraying violence in an entertaining manner, the message of the film is somewhat negated. In addition, while the film does portray many conventional elements of the western genre, it at the same time obliterates the requisite stereotypes which generally permeate these types of films."

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