Two films involving the legendary Clint Eastwood - one from the height of his acting career, one from the beginning of his heyday as a Director. Similarities and differences abound in equal measure - lets see what we can say about each.
Sunday 23 January 2011
Season 2 Episode 4 - Unforgiven vs. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Youth vs. Age, Money vs. Redemption, Violence vs. Intensity
Two films involving the legendary Clint Eastwood - one from the height of his acting career, one from the beginning of his heyday as a Director. Similarities and differences abound in equal measure - lets see what we can say about each.
Two films involving the legendary Clint Eastwood - one from the height of his acting career, one from the beginning of his heyday as a Director. Similarities and differences abound in equal measure - lets see what we can say about each.
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Just finished listening to your podcast, and I have to say that I find myself agreeing with all the points you make I think. I’ve watched The Good The Bad and The Ugly far more than I’ve watched Unforgiven, probably mostly because it is more watchable for pure entertainment, and also because I have that on DVD and only have Unforgiven on video! I think that the end of TGTBATU from Tuco finding the graveyard, the Ecstasy of Gold, and the Truel (spelling?), is one of the three greatest cinematic moments in film history (Theme for another podcast there?) For the record the other two IMHO are the opening of A New Hope, and the scene where Michael Corleone shoots Solazzo and McCluskey in Louis Italian American Restaurant.
ReplyDeleteAnyway (this is turning into a blog itself!), For the favourite line, the first I thought of was “If you’re gonna shoot, shoot, don’t talk” as well (Can’t believe I forgot about “There are two kinds of people in this world my friend...). But I think I would have to go with Blondie’s line when he and Tuco are watching the Unionist fighting the Confederates on the bridge: “Never have I seen so many men, so badly wasted”. To me I feel that it sums up the underlying futility of war feeling to the film. Though it isn’t an anti-war film, I think there is always that undercurrent of it; ordinary folk just trying to make a living (in what ever immoral way they want) and their lives and communities being wrecked by war.
Just as I’m havering here I remembered watching an interview with Sergio Leone, I think it was after Once Upon a Time in the West, when he says that all the women in the “Dollar” Trilogy were either whores or Madonnas (In Fistful, I think the woman is called Marie-Sol!). So it was interesting for him to have such a strong female character in Once Upon a Time in the West: The stunning Claudia Cardinale. However, in Unforgiven, the women are again whores! It’s almost as if Clint has gone back to basics and concentrated on the men. Now, it has been a while since I saw the film, so I could be doing many of the women a dis-service, and you did mention that Frances Fisher was a very strong character (but still a hooker!). Just an observation.
I should shut up now. I just need to find time to listen to some of your other blogs now!