Overrated

I think it is overrated too. That score is ridiculous. It is strange to be so high when if you like this, you would like any western movie and there are a million alternatives that are better. I suspect this is only a high scoring film because younger people wouldn't watch the older westerns because they have never heard of them and they are old in style. So this is their only real experience of the wild west in film. Anyone else has seen High Noon, The good the bad etc.

I think this is his best movie.

Painfully realistic (and probably not appreciated by those who like the exaggerated drama found in most westerns). "Real life" doesn't always go according to plans (but reel life often does).

This movie has it's moments but purely for re-watchability Eastwood does better in Pale Rider or even High Plains Drifter. Hang Em High and The Good Bad & Ugly are others I watch more than Unforgiven despite the latter getting all those awards. In a word it is "overrated".

I don't often do this unless it's REALLY warranted, as I don't like to belittle people or start fights with people who are not on a fully evolved intellectual plane, but your opinion doesn't carry much weight when you write Hackman as "HkMan" (!) - I'll give you that Clint as Client might be an auto-correct, but what exactly was this supposed to say: "One guy who hasn't left a gun in years"? Did you mean "lifted" a gun in years?

If westerns are one of your favourite genres, the fact that you don't appreciate this masterpiece tells me all I need to know about your tastes and critical ability. I will however grant you that this is not an entirely typical western, but that is its STRENGTH, not its weakness. It is much more thoughtful, more carefully observed, and much less concerned with giving the audience bangs-per-minute that most of the "typical" westerns. It's also one of the most gritty and real westerns ever made, plus superbly acted and beautifully shot to boot.

Perhaps you lack the maturity to fully appreciate it. I first saw it when I was about 15 and I didn't really take it to heart. I could see there was something special there, but at the time I wasn't really inclined to take the time to really explore it.
I watched it again a couple more times in my 20s and liked it, but it was really only in my 30s that all of its themes fully hit home and now I truly appreciate it for the masterwork it is.


"It's too late... Always has been, always will be...
Too late."