#98: Unforgiven and a Whiskey Neat

Feb 26

Feb 26 #98: Unforgiven and a Whiskey Neat

In summer of 2015, we cut the cord on cable, kicking off six months of series binge-watching across a multitude of platforms, from Amazon to Netflix to HBO. As we rounded into 2016, the age old question of “What do you want to watch tonight?” had started to test the both of us on a daily basis. So we made the New Year’s resolution to watch the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time in order from 100 to 1. We’ll be reviewing each one as we go, drinking a smidge along the way, and eating with the theme when the mood strikes. I hope you’ll join us!

Unforgiven

Released: 1992

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman

Running Time: 131 minutes

Tagline: It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man.

Summary: A retired bounty hunter teams up with his old partner and a young gun for one last job.

What We’re Drinking: Whiskey Neat, Bottled in Bond because that’s how the cowboys did it

Another movie I had never seen. The storyline goes that in the wild wild West, a pair of cowboys go to a whorehouse and proceed to cut the face of one of the prostitutes. The prostitutes get angry and put out a very expensive bounty on the cowboys as revenge. (At this point, my big takeaway was that I had no idea prostitutes were paid so well in the old West.) Clint Eastwood plays William Munny, who was a legendary bounty hunter for many years, but gave it up for the love of his wife. Munny is approached by a young gun slinger who wants help getting the bounty. Munny brings along his old partner, played by Morgan Freeman, and along with the young gun, they set out to get their bounty.

Westerns aren’t my favorite, and there are actually quite a few on this list, so I’m doing my best to find some redeeming qualities in them. This one doesn't really have any except that Morgan Freeman is in it, and who doesn't love Morgan Freeman? First of all, Clint Eastwood’s character’s wife has died, so when he decides to pursue the bounty, he leaves his two small children by themselves at this very remote house in the wild West. These kids are maybe 12 and 10. I’m no parent, but even I know that that’s not responsible parenting. Clint’s one preparation for his trip is making sure his twelve year old knows how to use a gun. Then he takes off into the horizon to kill people and maybe come back. This is just crazy, and no one acts like this isn’t completely normal.

Also, as it turns out, the young gun, whose idea it was to pursue the bounty in the first place, has never shot anyone and he’s blind as a bat, so he can’t even if he wanted to. He just wants the money and wants someone else to do the dirty work for him. But no one figures out this until they are already on their way to stir up trouble and kill some cowboys.

There really isn’t a true good guy in this movie. It’s full of antiheros taking advantage of circumstances to save a buck. Maybe the prostitutes could be characterized as wanting justice, but even that is a stretch. It has a great shootout as the climactic scene, but overall, I got the feeling that most of these westerns with Clint Eastwood are just Eastwood playing the same character over and over again. Just me?

Overall Rating: 7 Out of 10

Drink Recipe: Whiskey Neat – which means bourbon for me, because I’m a Kentucky gal