Metaphor of the American flag?

I found the clip and watched it on youtube twice before I saw the flag. It's only seen for a couple of seconds in the back ground and if you see it, you're NOT looking at William Munny's transformed face. Finally we see the face of a true murderer of women and children we've heard about through the whole film but haven't yet seen. In that face, we don't see the doting father that Munny was to his children, or the thoughtful friend that Munny was to Ned, or the compassionate Munny we see with Deliliah. We didn't see the man who was reformed and no longer cursed or would have sex with whores. That stone cold hate filled face is the payoff shot that we've been waiting for. Odd that instead of seeing the brilliance of that shot, anyone would notice a flag of all things - unless you've seen this two dozen times or more like I have. Sometimes after repeated viewings, we notice other things in the shot.

I guess it's possible Eastwood had a metaphor in mind, or just made sure to get the American flag in a shot because he's a patriotic American, but it's more likely the flag was hanging there the whole time on the set and that you just noticed a cigar.

It was ambiguous for sure. I completely agree with your perception that Eastwood wanted the audience to see that flag during Munny’s angry speech. I thought it was meant as a symbol of justice rather than power / wrath because Eastwood likes to tell the story of the meek getting justice over those who abuse and exploit them. I think he also has a personal belief in America as following an arc of justice despite some catastrophic stumbles in its history. But if I’m correct, it was a weird time to connect the flag because Munny was sounding pretty vengeful and threatening like you said. A point was being made but it was confusing. There were several puzzling America metaphors in this movie. Why did Eastwood have the story initiate during the July 4 Independence Day celebration? And then, why did he pick the one July 4 holiday in U.S. history during which an American president (James Garfield) was assassinated; a shooting that led to the president languishing over two months before actually dying. Did you notice the number of times those responding to the prostitutes’ reward offer are likewise referred to as “assassins?” Something is being said here about America. You started a great post and no one above really got what you were saying. Well, it took two years but I got it.