Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #32 Unforgiven
Box Office: $101.2 Million
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Actor (Clint Eastwood), Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound
Oscar Wins: Best Picture, Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Supporting Actor (Gene Hackman), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing
MovieRankings.Net: 92/100
Available To Stream: Tubi, Amazon Prime ($4)
This is a brilliant movie but I do feel like how much you will love this film depends on your connection with westerns beforehand. You have to have enjoyed or probably even grown up with John Wayne, Gary Cooper or even Eastwood movies playing in your house. You can't truly appreciate a deconstruction with appreciating what it once was.
I have this movie at 32 (which is pretty high!) but I understand why others might have it in their top 5. Unforgiven doesn't pack the same wallop for me because I didn't grow up with westerns on at home. My dad was more likely to watch Star Wars, Star Trek or a horror movie than a western. I can certainly appreciate the genre and I love how Taylor Sheridan has modernized it with movies like Hell Or High Water and Wind River.
The cast is incredible. Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman and Richard Harris. All have multiple Oscar nominations and Hackman won for his role as Little Bill here. Eastwood's technique of not doing many takes seems to get the most of actors..at least good actors. Whether it be this, Million Dollar Baby or even Sully, the performances are all incredible. You do see a flaw in that philosophy with the weaker actors in Gran Torino. It only seems to help very good/great actors get even better.
Ripping apart the lore of some of these western staples is a pretty fantastic idea for a movie. David Webb People's script is fantastic and his body of work is pretty unique. He also wrote Blade Runner and (#80) 12 Monkeys. This is by far his best work though. Take even the English Bob character. A fraud that became a celebrity due to tall tales and an ability to work the media. You could say that's a great parallel for influencers in 2024.
Unforgiven rips all of it down. The Schofield Kid doesn't save the day or even a worthy rival. He's a pathetic coward. Eastwood's William Munny couldn't be more different than Gary Cooper or John Wayne. He's a drunk and a lousy farmer. He seems to want to do the best by his kids but does abandon them to go chase this bounty. In a typical western, Morgan Freeman's character isn't a savior, he's near-sighted. I also love how Little Bill is an evil son of a bitch but also has clear points at time. It also shows how power corrupts with the sheriff not being the hero.
Like I said at the top of the blog, this is a work of art. At this point in the list, these are all fantastic movies and it becomes a matter of taste. It becomes more about personal connections to movies and how you feel watching them. I respect and appreciate the Hell out of Unforgiven but I can't in good faith put it ahead of the rest of the movies on my list. The rest of the movies may not all be greater works than this but I enjoy them more.
32. Unforgiven
33. Trainspotting
34. The Game
35. Out Of Sight
36. Carlito's Way
37. Seven
38. L.A. Confidential
39. Speed
40. Gattaca
41. Misery
42. Tombstone
43. Ransom
44. Wayne's World
45. The Insider
46. Back To The Future Part III
47. A Bronx Tale
48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49. Eyes Wide Shut
50. The Sandlot
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Contact
53. The Green Mile
54. Man On The Moon
55. Boyz N The Hood
56. Grosse Pointe Blank
57. Independence Day
58. The Rainmaker
59. Go
60. The Firm
61. Magnolia
62. The Talented Mr. Ripley
63. Tommy Boy
64. The Usual Suspects
65. In The Line Of Fire
66. My Cousin Vinny
67. Awakenings
68. JFK
69. Toy Story
70. Home Alone
71. Jerry Maguire
72. Titanic
73. Billy Madison
74. Apollo 13
75. Braveheart
76. Edward Scissorhands
77. Cape Fear
78. The River Wild
79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
80. 12 Monkeys
81. Stir Of Echoes
82. Mission: Impossible
83. Total Recall
84. Quiz Show
85. For Love Of The Game
86. Being John Malkovich
87. Men In Black
88. Scream
89. Alive
90. Three Kings
91. Glengarry Glen Ross
92. Die Hard With A Vengeance
93. The Blair Witch Project
94. Twister
95. Dirty Work
96. Election
97. Tremors
98. Any Given Sunday
99. The Wedding Singer
100. Clerks