Just as The Ballad of Little Jo told the story of the West from the “other’s” point of view, Unforgiven gives a glimpse into the “African American perspective”[1] The revolutionary idea of using “the other” as a main character is what makes Unforgiven a revisionist western. Revisionism is “a departure from any authoritative or generally accepted doctrine, theory, practice, etc.”[2] While classic Westerns tend to focus solely on the white alpha male, revisionist westerns tell stories about “the other”. For example, in classic films, Native Americans were not even used to play the role of the Indians; instead white people were painted to look like a Native American. Unforgiven is revisionist by showcasing an African American as one of the film’s protagonists.
Ever since his first appearance in the film, Ned is seen as an equal to the alpha cowboy, Will. The two men’s silhouettes are seen riding side by side as they are off to complete their task. When meeting up with Schofield Kid, Will, introduces Ned Logan as his old partner. The Kid was skeptical to let Ned join at first but Will refused to participate if Ned could not. In this film Ned is viewed as a cowboy with human emotions, not an object; he talks to Will about how he misses his wife and is unable to shoot others out of compassion. Throughout the film, Will requires assistance from Ned Hogan after he is beaten and needs to hide out and be stitched up. The only time a reference is made to Ned’s dark skin is when Will says, "I must look kind of like you now” after he is beaten. When Ned is murdered, Will shoots wildly out of revenge and demands that the men give Ned a burial, just like any human deserves.
[1] http://www.filmsite.org/westernfilms5.html
[2] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revisionism
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Just as The Ballad of Little Jo told the story of the West from the “other’s” point of view, Unforgiven gives a glimpse into the perspective of an African American. The revolutionary idea of using “the other” as a main character is what makes Unforgiven a revisionist western as it strays away from the typical plot line of the traditional films. Traditional alpha males like Ethan Edwards in The Searchers were motivated by personal revenge to fulfill their duties. However, in Unforgiven the motivation transitions to a monetary reward as William Munny and Ned Logan are hired kill a man they have never met. They begin on their journey with money as incentive. While classic Westerns tend to focus solely on the white alpha male, revisionist westerns tell stories about “the other”. Unforgiven is revisionist by showcasing an African American as one of the film’s protagonists.
ReplyDeleteEver since his first appearance in the film, Ned, played by Morgan Freeman, is seen as an equal to the alpha cowboy, Will. The two men’s silhouettes are seen riding side by side as they are off to complete their task. When meeting up with Schofield Kid, Will introduces Ned Logan as his old partner. The Kid was skeptical to let Ned join at first but Will refused to participate if Ned could not. In this film Ned is viewed as a cowboy with human emotions, not an object; he talks to Will about how he misses his wife and is unable to shoot others out of compassion. Throughout the film, Will requires assistance from Ned after he is beaten and needs to hide out and be stitched up. The only time a reference is made to Ned’s dark skin is when Will says, "I must look kind of like you now” after he is beaten. When Ned is murdered, Will shoots wildly out of revenge and demands that the men give Ned a burial, just like any human deserves.