Unforgiven-KB

A revisionist western is a film that questions the ideals and stereotypes of a western. A revisionist film usually has stronger women roles, minorities as leads, and puts emphasis on negative plot lines. The Unforgiven is the epitome of a revisionist western. The first give away that the Unforgiven is a revisionist film is the role of Morgan Freeman. In this film Morgan Freeman plays a lead role as an alpha male cowboy. He is the side kick to a white cowboy and is seen as an equal. Morgan Freemans character is the first time we see an african american play a lead role as an alpha male cowboy. Another sign of revisionism is when the three men finally get to Big Whiskey and Munny is sick. We see the cowboy as a human and someone who is actually vulnerable to the environment. Munny got sick from the rain and showed that he was not a true alpha male going against the strong ideal of what an alpha male cowboy is supposed to be. This film shows indians as an actual threat to the three men and in prior films the indians were inferior. The main plot of the film is to protect prositutes, this is very forward thinking in the western film genre. Women are not supposed to be sexually provocative and the fact that a black man is protecting them shows that his film is truly revisionist.