The Unforgiven

The Unforgiven can be considered a revisionist Western film because ideas in the film are different than the ideas that traditional Westerns films present. The portrayal of the alpha male cowboy, Will, is significantly different from the portrayal of alpha male characters in more traditional Westerns. When the Schofield Kid offers Will to split a money reward for killing two men, Will turns to another ex-paid killer, Ned. Throughout the film, Will refuses to continue with the plan to kill the men without his companion by his side. This is not typical behavior of an alpha male, whom we are used to seeing live a life of solitude in films such as The Searchers. Another interesting thing about Ned is that he is African American, which would have made him an inferior “other” in earlier Westerns. In this film, however, he is never inferior to Will. Will also makes decisions guided by his emotions, which we rarely see in the alpha male cowboy. Will is obviously deeply affected by the passing of his wife, and he is emotionally connected to every decision he makes in the film. He has two young children to care for, and part of the reason he accepts the Schofield Kid’s offer is because the money will help support his family. He is always dwelling on his wife’s death, and we can read that emotion on his face. Traditional alpha male cowboys rarely show their emotions, which makes The Unforgiven a revisionist film in that respect.