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western #14, 'hang 'em high.' [another day, another movie.]

By • On • In another day. another movie., scott • 1 min read

With a title like Hang ’em High, I figured this would be a story about Clint Eastwood’s characters hanging a bunch of ‘bad guys.’

Instead, it was far more ambiguous and intelligent than that. A wonderful film to watch after suffering through True Grit.

It was a great rumination on the relationship and differences between justice and vengeance, and most of the characters were a realistic mixture of good and bad. It was strong across the board, and there isn’t much more to say than that.

This was also the first film I’ve seen featuring the stunningly beautiful and heartbreakingly tragic Inger Stevens.

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western #11, 'unforgiven.' [another day, another movie.]

By • On • In another day. another movie., scott • 1 min read

This is the first of the Westerns we have watched so far that I actually owned, so, obviously I liked this one going into it.

Eastwood responds to the Western genre that helped make his career. Even going so far as to say it basically encapsulates everything he feels about the genre.

It is slow and taut, filled with great characters played brilliantly by gifted actors.

If Cooperstown was for actors instead of baseball players, Gene Hackman would only have to screen The Royal Tenenbaums and Unforgiven back to back and he would have my vote to get in without any further conversation.

It doesn’t deal with the Native American issues, but it pulls back the curtain a bit on the rest of what lies implicit in the Western genre.

As is the case with much of Eastwood’s directorial work, the story turns the myth of redemptive violence on its head. There is always a cost.

Great movie, all around.

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