Clint Eastwood’s anti-western is so successful in displaying character development, motivation, morality and Human nature that it can be forgiven for, at times, being extremely boring.
The idea, so it seems, was to make a film that debunked the traditional Western cliches made famous by John Wayne, among others (including Eastwood himself). There is no white hat here to indicate the good guy and black hat to indicate the “bad guy”…in fact, the distinction becomes marginal in portions of the film and disappears altogether at others. Which is EXACTLY why it’s so effective.
Eastwood plays William Munny, a “reformed” thief and murderer trying to make ends meet on a run-down pig farm with his two young children. The theme of loyalty/devotion is established here, at the very beginning of the film, and continues throughout, never losing its position as the primary focus of the movie despite powerful scenes involving brutal violence because even in those scenes, there is a form of loyalty on display. Munny was “reformed” by his wife, Claudia, who apparently saw something beneath the cold-blooded exterior and was instrumental in bringing it to the forefront. When she passes on, however, Munny doesn’t immediately revert to his previous state. He HAS changed, and if he wants to survive perhaps he’ll have to change again, for better or worse.
The limitations of most people’s loyalty can be seen as Munny slowly begins to concede one thing after another to his previous incarnation, always resisting out of love for his wife’s memory but slowly (surely?) reverting nonetheless. Munny was, even by his own accounts, a horrid person before he met Claudia, but in the film he comes across as more of a “good guy” than most of those that are SUPPOSED to be “good”. Because, in his own way, he is true to what he believes…he doesn’t lie, he doesn’t steal, he takes care of his children, he speaks only when he finds meaning in the words…whereas most of the other male characters in the film are portrayed as either cowardly, stupid, or just plain vicious.
Another theme of the movie is the fascination with violence and with violent people that is without a doubt prevalent in our society. The story revolves around Munny, and we should hate him…by what he admits he has done, he is a vile person. But in the beginning he’s more intriguing than he is revolting, and even as he regresses towards the person he was before he maintains that intrigue. Some of the other characters are much nicer, more honorable, etc…but I don’t think many people care. In this way Eastwood is skewering the Western cliche of a purely good character against a purely evil character. Munny is good, AND evil. So, perhaps, is Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), a lawman who seems to take more pleasure from punishing than from protecting. The character of WW Beauchamp, I believe, is intended to reflect the feelings of the majority of the audience: Simultaneously repulsed by and irresistibly drawn to people that are most certainly not of the truly “decent” type. Munny is designed to garner sympathy and Little Bill designed to lose it, so when the inevitable confrontation occurs, it’s difficult to know who to root for.
Philosophical analysis aside, this is a very good film containing first-rate performances but also some fairly unimportant and boring scenes. Perhaps this is also intentional, a poke at the Spaghetti Western in which something is ALWAYS happening…or perhaps the script just has holes. Either way, it can be difficult at times to trudge through the lows…but the highs are so high that it’s worth it.
I’ve never liked Westerns, but I’m glad I own this one…a triumph of substance over formula.
Inspirational Quote: “”Deserve”‘s got nothin’ to do with it.”
Grade: B+
2012: Grade: A-