UNFORGIVEN: CLINT EASTWOOD’S MASTERPIECE

William Munny (Clint Eastwood) is Unforgiven.

I couldn’t tell you exactly why I wanted to make a Western again, because I didn’t have any reason to make one or not to make one; it wasn’t a decision that came out of a particular trend, there wasn’t any prior reason in fact, and that’s what made the project all the more exciting to me: I prefer to do things without giving myself a starting direction. So why a Western? That seemed to be the only possible genre the story was calling for, because in fact everything grew out of the story. In any case, I’ve never thought of doing anything because it’s in fashion, on the contrary I’ve always felt a need to go against it. And anyway, I probably feel a little guilty of always having tried to go against success like that, against the fashion.

- Clint Eastwood

We don’t know about you, but we’ve been in a real Unforgiven Clint Eastwood state of mind these days. You see, nearly thirty years after its 1992 release, Unforgiven remains Clint’s Actor/Director magnum opus, a deeply unforgettable, ultra-realistic, dark, bloody, gritty-as-all-hell, and enduring rumination on aging, death, violence, regret, forgiveness, redemption, and the moral ambiguity that can accompany mythology. It is Clint’s last word on the genre that shot him to superstardom in more youthful, sensational roles, and it is a quintessential, genre-defining classic of the sort that only Clint could pull off.

If you’re not overly familiar with the Frontier masterpiece that is Unforgiven, allow us to give you some additional context, as it’s almost impossible to do Unforgiven justice without understanding it as a bookend to Clint’s own personal journey in the Western genre. As a young actor, Clint Eastwood made a name for himself, ironically, as “The Man With No Name”, by redefining the genre in Spaghetti Westerns for incredible directors like Sergio Leone. Unforgiven, meanwhile, represents the flipside to that coin. It subverts many of the traditional Western myths (it is a “Revisionist Western” if you will) and tropes, while remarkably still paying homage to them. In other words, Unforgiven is truly Clint’s swan song, his way of bringing his Man With No Name full circle with an older, multi-layered, and repentant character that bears the scars he earned in another time and place. Though Clint still continues to crank movies out at 91, he hasn’t revisited ( Cry Macho doesn’t count, sorry we’re not sorry) the genre since. Considering he left it at the top of his game, winning an Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director in the process, who could blame him? Not us.

Will Munny mourns his late wife.

Be forewarned, however. If you’ve never seen Unforgiven and you’re looking for a Western that follows a squeaky clean lawman who ends up being the only bulwark of order against a sea of chaos as he galvanizes and protects a civilized citizenry against pure savagery, well, you may just want to look elsewhere. William Munny is a morally ambiguous antihero in a story that can only be described as an “Anti-Western” through and through. Concepts like “good”, “bad”, “right”, and “wrong” – they’re not so cut and dry in this here picture. The uncomplicated hero filled to the brink with honor, the archetype that made John “The Duke” Wayne (another absolute Gallantry Man legend) a household name, is nowhere to be found here. Morality in Unforgiven is anything but black-and-white, and if you ask us, this is a big part of what makes Unforgiven one of the best and most thought-provoking Westerns ever made.

When we first meet William Munny (Clint Eastwood), an infamous, reformed stone-cold killer (“a known thief and murderer, a man of notoriously vicious and intemperate disposition”) who traded in his alcohol-fueled outlaw lifestyle years prior to settle down and make a family with a woman that he fell in love with, a woman who helped him become a non-violent, god-fearing family man, we get the idea that this is a man who has seen better, perhaps more glorious times (take that with what you will). Not only is the aging outlaw a cynical widower now trying to raise two kids on his own, but he also spends the majority of his tired, haggard days face down in the mud at his failing Kansas hog farm. Desperate and in dire need of some extra scratch so that he can raise his kids to not end up like him, Munny reluctantly accepts a bounty that has been placed on two no-good cowboys who slashed a prostitute’s face in Big Whiskey, Wyoming. Along with Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), his old partner, best friend, and quasi-conscience-of-sorts, and The “Schofield Kid”, the cocky young aspiring gunslinger who informed him of the contract, Munny makes the trek to Wyoming, where, unbeknownst to the trio, a corrupt local Sheriff, “Little Bill” Daggett (Gene Hackman), a mean albeit charismatic, assassin-hating son of a gun that gets his rocks off beating up anyone that crosses him, has proclaimed that the bounty collection will never (and he means never) occur on his watch. With an inevitable showdown looming in the distance, Munny begins to slowly regress into the harsh killer he thought he had left behind, constantly seeking reassurance from Ned along the way that he’s not that guy anymore. Soon enough, however, everyone learns one way or another that destiny and fate are dear friends who, in the end, spare no one. In the world of Unforgiven, you either die a villain or live long enough to become an antihero.

Watch the original trailer for the 1992 classic that is Unforgiven HERE.

Sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), a charismatic bully who doesn’t fit neatly into a hero or villain category…or does he? The fact that you go back and forth on this one is probably why he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the role.

The most unique feature of Unforgiven is that it’s a movie that you appreciate in new and different ways with each subsequent viewing; one that garners a wide array of takes depending on whom you’re talking to.

Here at Gallantry, we happened to think Clint’s William Munny character is a total badass, a true Gallantry Man legend, and an iconic character (we don’t mind dark subject matter in this house) if there ever was one. Truth be told, we could write a whole book on why Unforgiven is such an appealing Gallantry Man classic, but, at least for the time being, we’ll stick to highlighting just a few of the aspects of the flick that really get our engines revving…

Munny, Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman), and The Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) get ready for a showdown en route to Big Whiskey, Wyoming.

1. THE ACTING IS SO GOOD, IT’S BORDERLINE SCARY.

Every single actor in Unforgiven - Eastwood, Hackman, Freeman, Harris, and Woolvett (what happened to this kid?) – brings their A-game here. You won’t find a single cast member phoning it in. The fact that Clint shot the movie in just over a month only makes how incredible the performances are more, well, incredible.

English Bob (Richard Harris), a cold-blooded bounty hunter with a reputation for popping off Chinese railway workers for some extra greenbacks.

For Clint, the role of Munny is a departure of sorts all the way up until the very end. For most of the movie, you don’t see Munny as a cold-stone badass (that is, if you see him at all). He’s a broken man, a shadow of his former self. What he isn’t, for certain, is “The Man With No Name”. Nevertheless, there are periodic glimpses of darkness and savagery lurking just underneath Munny’s surface, no matter how hard he tries to change his ways and justify his actions (the cowboys he intends to kill brutalized a woman half to death, after all). Acting-wise, Clint’s interpretation of Munny is, well, money. By the end of the flick, you’re going to see the Clint that you want to see. Believe that.

“I swore I would never be involved in a picture with this much violence in it, but the more I read it and the more I came to understand the purpose of the film, the more fascinated I became.” – Gene Hackman

2. THE MOVIE IS A FASCINATING STUDY OF THE NATURE OF VIOLENCE.

In an interview with AFI, Clint Eastwood explained that he was only able to secure Hackman in the picture by convincing the legendary actor that the story was really a “great statement against violence”. He’s not wrong. If anything, the folks under the impression that Unforgiven glorifies violence miss the entire point of the movie. In the end, every single character in the movie that inflicts or receives violence progressively loses more and more of their soul (literally and/or figuratively). Violence leaves destruction and despair in its wake every single time it is perpetrated. And, yet, it also seems necessary and inevitable at times. In other words, the subject matter is not treated lightly. When someone dies in Unforgiven, it’s serious. A “shoot ‘em up” Unforgiven is not.

3. THE SCRIPT IS MONEY.

“Some scripts come in and they’re just great to start with; I’ll use Unforgiven as the example. It was a good script. I got it in the early 1980s and waited until ’92 to make it. I called up the writer, David Peoples, and said, ‘I’m going to make your movie, but I want to change a few things. Can I run these ideas by you as I get them?’ He said, ‘Go ahead.’ But the more I fiddled with it, the more I realized I was screwing it up. It goes back to something Don Siegel used to say: So many times you get a great project and people want to kill it with improvements. And that’s exactly what I was doing with Unforgiven. So finally, I called David back and said, ‘Forget what I said about making those changes. I’m not doing anything except changing the title.’ It was originally called The William Munny Killings. Of course, once you get into a project, there are always some things that live up to or exceed your expectations, and certain other things that will be disappointing. So you have to be able to re-write on your feet as you’re working. But once in a while projects come along where everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle—as it went together in your mind, it comes together on film.”

- Clint Eastwood

Originally written in 1976, David Webb Peoples ’ Unforgiven screenplay was, if you can believe it, actually inspired by Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. As the screenwriter tells the story:

All of a sudden I see Taxi Driver, and people are getting killed, and the characters maintained how they would be in real life. But at the same time, it’s an entertaining movie. Taxi Driver opened up what entertainment could be. It said, ‘Yeah, you can write this kind of stuff and it’ll be entertaining.’

Without someone like Clint at the helm, there’s about a zero percent chance that the uncompromising, dark, and moody Unforgiven would have ever been made (or, if it had, been made well). There are no heroes riding off into the sunset after saving the day in the Wild West of Unforgiven, just men haunted by the ghosts of their pasts trying to get on with it. In other words, it’s the kind of project that is every studio’s worst nightmare…that is, at least until someone like Clint comes along and says “This is what I’m going to do… get out of my way.”

“Do you know what calling yourself a Gallantry Man means? It means it goes down my way…or the highway.”

4. ONLY CLINT EASTWOOD COULD DO THIS PROJECT JUSTICE…AND HE DOES.

In his bestselling book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the theory that if you practice one skill for ten thousand hours, you stand a pretty solid chance at achieving “mastery” of it. In another man’s hands, Unforgiven could’ve become some soft gobbledygook crap instead of a masterpiece. The x-factor here is the prolific, successful Gallantry Man legend known as Clint Eastwood. In other words, Clint’s real-life lived experience playing different versions of William Munny through different periods of his life shows through (and then some) in the final product. Clint wisely held off on finally making the picture until he was the just the right age, and it’s a decision that pays off big time.

Can you imagine Unforgiven without anyone but the American legend that is Clint Eastwood at the helm? Thanks…but no thanks. We’ll pass.

“I’m dedicating this picture to my mentors, Gallantry Man legends Sergio Leone and Don Siegel.”

5. THE MOVIE SOLIDIFIES CLINT AS A CLASS ACT & A LEGEND…AGAIN.

As if the legend around Best Picture winner Unforgiven couldn’t already be more distinguished, Clint dedicated the project to his mentors Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) and Don Siegel (Coogan’s Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sara, The Beguiled, Dirty Harry, and Escape from Alcatraz), the two Gallantry Man legends that taught him the tools of the trade. Both directors passed away shortly before cameras began rolling on Unforgiven. However, these are the men that helped make Clint, well, Clint, and they definitely get the due they deserve with this picture.

“Don’t stare at my fresh Gallantry EDC too long there, fella. It’s mine.”

6. THE MOVIE STAYS WITH YOU LONG AFTER YOU’VE WATCHED IT.

Ultimately, the main question that Unforgiven seems to ask us is whether or not a murderer like Munny, anyone but your classical “good guy”, an assassin who freely admits to having murdered women and children in his younger, hard-drinking and living years, can ever truly find redemption (or at least some version of it). In the world of this story, it’s not as if everyone else is such a class act, after all. They’re liars, cheats, frauds, phonies, you name it. Sheriff Little Bill Daggett proclaims to not want guns in his town, only to then make up the law as he goes along. Ned Logan, despite eventually realizing that he’s no longer able to stomach killing, makes whoopee with bloodthirsty prostitutes without a moment of hesitation. If anything, Munny is the only one in the movie who’s completely honest about who he is by the film’s conclusion. His ultimate act of vengeance isn’t some grand statement. He’s still a killer, just as he’s always been, just as he always will be. Unforgiven as he may be, at least this go-around he was able to avenge the death of his best friend while doing what he had to in order to survive.

“It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.”

Everyone has scars and baggage. Everyone has a past. Ultimately, it’s up to everyone to decide how much of that burden they want to carry with them throughout life and for how long. The past is an anchor, yes, but what kind of an anchor is up to each individual.

Did Munny end up splitting his bounty with “The Schofield Kid” and Ned’s widow? We sure like to think so at Gallantry HQ. The violent Munny at the end of Unforgiven may be the violent Munny of his younger years, but it really does feel like a chapter in his life has finally come to its inevitable conclusion. The world around Munny may or may not forgive him, but as long as he’s got breath, he can certainly forgive himself and do the best he can to raise his two kids right.

“Who’s the fella that owns this s***hole?”

7. THE FINAL SHOWDOWN? MORE LIKE A FINAL BRODOWN.

Uncle Pete says you was the meanest goddamn son-of-a-bitch alive, and if I ever wanted a partner for a killin', you were the worst one. Meaning the best, on account as your's as cold as the snow and you don't have no weak nerve nor fear . – The Schofield Kid (to Will Munny)

When “Little Bill” Daggett kills Ned, you just instinctually know that it’s about to be on…and that’s only because it is. At this point, you’re as bloodthirsty as Munny (despite the fact that Ned was, like Munny, also a mass-murderer) is, and, honestly, you just want to see Munny get even the instant he walks into the saloon. Up until this point, Munny has suppressed elements of his former self, going so far as to letting Little Bill off the hook for beating the living crap out of him. With Ned dead, that iteration of Munny has left the building.

Ironically, it is Munny’s humanity (wanting retribution for the unnecessary death of his best friend, someone he cared about) that pushes him to become the savage that he needs to become again in order to survive. When Ned finally dies, Munny understands who he truly is, a former bad man, who, in his decades-long project to be good, finds himself somewhere in the middle.

Ultimately, you root for William Munny in the climactic scene of Unforgiven not because he’s a classic hero saving normal townsfolk from the forces of evil, but because he serves up a hearty portion of good old-fashioned badass American revenge on behalf of his deceased best friend (also, Little Bill and his fellow cowboys would have tracked him down and killed him had he not got the drop on them first, so there’s that). If we’re being totally honest here (and we are), you can practically feel your family jewels putting on the pounds as Clint delivers some of the most Gallantry Man dialogue ever written before, during, and after (as a top-off, he promises to kill literally every person in the town if his best bud doesn’t receive a proper burial) the final showdown. Violence may be a corrupting force in Munny’s life, but in this humdinger of a scene, it also makes him a larger-than-life, mythical figure (hence Saul Rubinek’s writer character, W.W. Beauchamp).

“Well, you are a cowardly son of a bitch. You just shot an unarmed man.”

“He should have armed himself if he's gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.”

“You'd be William Munny out of Missouri. Killer of women and children.”

“That's right. I've killed women and children. I've killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.”

“I don't deserve this. To die like this. I was building a house.”

“Deserve's got nothin' to do with it.”

“I’ll see you in hell, William Munny.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I'm coming out! Any man I see out there, I'm gonna kill him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down. Nobody better shoot.”

“You better bury Ned right! Better not cut up, nor otherwise harm no whores, or I'll come back and kill every one of you sons of bitches.”

Hot damn, we could recite that dialogue ALL DAY! Watch this classic Gallantry Man scene HERE and HERE because it’s really one for the record books.

“C’mon, fellas! We got some EDC to pick up from them crazy Gallantry boys!”

Calling William Munny!

Now that we’ve chitchatted about a few of the things that make Unforgiven so unforgettable, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. It’s time to check out some frickin’ sweet Western-themed everyday carry that even William Munny would for sure get worked up about – leather wallets, leather bags, flasks (for when he needed some sharp whiskey to get himself juiced up enough to take out some “baddies” again) – the whole nine.

“Why doesn’t this here publication say The Dispatch on it? All the cool Sheriffs read that Gallantry newsletter front-to-back each and every week!”

Giddy up! It’s time to collect some EDC bounties, Gallantry Man legends!

“I reckon we find us a way to get everyday carry Black and Espresso Field Notes Notebook Wallets from Form Function Form, you hear? Gallantry has the best inventory of ‘em in town.”

THE FIELD NOTES NOTEBOOK WALLET FROM FORM FUNCTION FORM

This superb American-made wallet is crafted from hand-stitched Horween Horsefront leather. It features six credit card slots and a catchall pocket that you can store folded cash or receipts in. For those who like to jot down ideas on the run, there's also a built-in sleeve for a Zero Gravity Fisher Space Pen Bullet alongside a dedicated slot for a Field Notes notebook, both of which are included with the wallet.

Yeehaw!

SPECIFICATIONS

• Horween Horsefront leather
• Six credit card slots
• Catch-all pocket for cash and receipts
• Hand stitched
• Includes matte black Fisher Space Pen Bullet and Field Notes Notebook
• Made in the USA
• 4-1/4″ W x 5.5″ H

Field Notes Notebook Wallet

$128.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] This superb American made wallet is crafted from hand-stitched Horween Horsefront leather. It features six credit card slots, and a catch-all pocket in which you can store folded cash or receipts. And for those who… read more

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Field Notes Notebook Wallet

$128.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] This superb American made wallet is crafted from hand-stitched Horween Horsefront leather. It features six credit card slots, and a catch-all pocket in which you can store folded cash or receipts. And for those who… read more

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“Bests bring them fresh-from-Gallantry Ballistic Black, Charcoal/Charcoal Leather, and Navy/Brown Leather Heritage Leather Topo Rover Packs from Topo Designs right on over here, boy. C’mon. Let’s get movin’! Giddy up!”

THE TOPO ROVER PACK HERITAGE LEATHER FROM TOPO DESIGNS

The rucksack is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most classic pack styles of all-time. As for this one from Topo Designs? You can believe that it was built to be amongst the best of the best. The Rover features a timeless silhouette backed up by a quality USA-made construction of Horween leather and 1000D Cordura nylon. Whether you're headed to work or towards the nearest peak, this bag will get your gear there in safety and style. It also features two exterior zippered pockets, dual water bottle pouches, a spacious main compartment with a 15" laptop sleeve, compression straps, comfortable mesh-backed straps, and a drawstring closure. If you're looking for the unique meeting of functionality, style, and dependability, you can find it all in shades with the Rover.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Horween leather base
• Water-resistant Cordura upper
• Zippered front and top pocket
• Spacer mesh shoulder straps
• Drawstring cinch closure and padded base in main compartment
• Dual side water bottle pouches
• Heavy duty YKK zippers
• Dual side compression straps
• Internal sleeve fits most 15" laptops
• Made in USA
• 20 L capacity
• 17" H x 11" W x 4.5" D

Topo Rover Pack Heritage Leather

$99.00 $169.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The rucksack is inarguably one of the most classic pack styles of all time. And this one from Topo Designs was built to be amongst the best of the best. The Rover features a timeless… read more

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Topo Rover Pack Heritage Leather

$111.00 $159.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The rucksack is inarguably one of the most classic pack styles of all time. And this one from Topo Designs was built to be amongst the best of the best. The Rover features a timeless… read more

Translation missing: en.products.product.add_to_cart

Available in Ballistic Black, Charcoal/Charcoal Leather, and Navy/Brown Leather

“Slide that Easy-Fill Wide Mouth Flask from Stanley over here, Hoss. There’s a new Gallantry Man in town, you hear?”

THE EASY-FILL WIDE MOUTH FLASK FROM STANLEY

This stainless steel wide-mouth flask from Stanley is sleek, slim, and imminently packable. Capable of holding 8 ounces of your favorite spirit, this attractive flask is tough enough for everyday carry. Better still, it's BPA-free, leak-proof, and it features internal threading for easier swig-ability. Just one look at the never-lose cap and you just know that you’ll never lose a drop from this bad boy, that is, unless you want to.

SPECIFICATIONS

• 8 oz. capacity
• Leak proof and packable
• Never-lose cap
• Wide mouth opening
• 18/8 stainless construction
• Internal threading on cap
• BPA-free
• 0.36 lbs. weight

Easy-Fill Wide Mouth Flask

$29.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] This stainless steel wide-mouth flask from Stanley is sleek, slim, and imminently packable. Holding 8 oz of your favorite beverage, this attractive flask is tough enough for everyday carry. Better still, it's BPA-free, leakproof, and… read more

Translation missing: en.products.product.sold_out

Easy-Fill Wide Mouth Flask

$29.00

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] This stainless steel wide-mouth flask from Stanley is sleek, slim, and imminently packable. Holding 8 oz of your favorite beverage, this attractive flask is tough enough for everyday carry. Better still, it's BPA-free, leakproof, and… read more

Translation missing: en.products.product.sold_out

“Did you say something about Gallantry carrying The Gray Titanium Funnel Flask from Vargo? If so, please, continue. You know how fired up I can get when I start sipping some of that good whiskey you know that I like.”

THE GRAY TITANIUM FUNNEL FLASK FROM VARGO

Not only should you never underestimate the simple pleasure that is a good, stiff drink, but you should never go too long without one, either – that is, so long as you have this superb liquor vessel on your person (of course).

Crafted from solid titanium, this killer flask is food-safe but still tough enough to weather any adventure. Furthermore, the integrated silicon funnel design promises both easy fillings and ensures that you don't have any extra pieces to carry around and potentially lose. With the ability to store up to 8 ounces of your beverage of choice, it makes a perfect groomsmen gift, too (not to mention one that can be engraved by most jewelers and/or engravers).

SPECIFICATIONS

• Titanium body and lid construction
• Integrated silicon funnel
• Food-safe and biocompatible
• Patented design
• Safe for after-market engraving
• 8 oz. capacity
• 3.7 oz. weight
• 5.9" H x 3.7" W
• Model: VR447

Titanium Funnel Flask

$74.95

[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] Never underestimate the enjoyability of a good stiff drink. And never go without one either, so long as you have this superb liquor vessel on your person. Crafted from solid titanium, it's food-safe but still… read more

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“Now even my damn horse wants some of that fresh Gallantry EDC!”

“WE ALL HAVE IT COMING, KID”

FINAL THOUGHTS ON UNFORGIVEN

The debate over whether Unforgiven is Clint’s best work or not doesn’t interest us. Celebrating the awesome movie until the end of time, however, definitely does. From the set design, to the props, to the guns, every single detail of Unforgiven is a true exercise in American Old West mastery.

While many folks will tell you that Unforgiven “killed” the genre, we disagree. There have been plenty of good Westerns (Tombstone or Bone Tomahawk anyone?) since. They just haven’t starred Clint Eastwood in the kind of role he was born to play.

Did somebody say “badass”?

Now you’ll have to forgive us. We’re going to go watch Unforgiven again.

“You going to stream the movie or what? Gallantry Men don’t much like waiting.”

STREAMING UNFORGIVEN

You can watch Unforgiven free on Roku until the end of the week HERE. Otherwise,

if you have an HBO MAX subscription (or you’d like to start a free trial), you can watch Unforgiven HERE.

“Just hit us up with that weekly Gallantry newsletter, The Dispatch, the one that highlights all the freshest everyday carry, and we’ll be on our way, little feller.”