The Unforgiven
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Movie Reviews of The Unforgiven
Movie Review: Audrey Hepburn as an American Indian?
Summary: 3 Stars
This film doesn't rank as a classic or great Western in my opinion, but it's worth a look. The sets and cinematography are probably the most realistic I've ever seen in a Western: the dustiness, the sod-roofed cabin, the griminess of the actors, the plain (very plain) clothing, etc. However, I found it a bit hard to accept Audrey Hepburn portraying an American Indian (even though she is an exceptional actress, she isn't a convincing Indian). Her speech patterns differ greatly from everyone else's in the film, and when she says "ain't ya?" with her European-style speech, it made my skin crawl. She just appears anachronistic in this film; it's not Audrey's style or form. However, Charles Bickford, Lillian Gish, and Audie Murphy are all excellent in their respective roles. Burt Lancaster has seen better films, though. In addition, the chemistry was absent between he and Hepburn. She obviously had a schoolgirl-type crush on her adopted big brother, but I never felt that his supposedly romantic feelings for her were genuine. The lynching scene is effectively horrifying, as is the final scenes of mass slaughter. This is a disturbing movie, and although quite dated, it does address race relations between the pioneering whites and the American Indians (of course, all from the pioneers' point of view, which was typical of 1950s Westerns). Worth a look, but I wouldn't purchase it unless you are an intense Western fan or just want to see Audrey Hepburn in an incredibly unusual role.Movie Review: Racism and Forbidden Love
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a good movie but not a great one. It is certainly worth watching because for its time, like The Searchers with John Wayne, it addresses racism in the old west. Burt Lancaster is his usual stellar self as the older brother and leader of the family. Doug McClure is their too as the young brother as is Audy Murphy as the hot headed jerk of the family. Audry Hepburn is the sister that ends up being an adopted indian child who has grown up with the family not knowing of her true past and true people. Then a strange old man comes and bust her out about her real identity. This not only causes the locals, who hate "injuns" to come down on the family but it also causes the local natives to come to reclaim their child and sister. Their is a lot of fine action in this film and it is a good western and beautifully shot. I like it cause it is different in that it does tackle the racism issue but there is something missing. Good but not great.Movie Review: Not bad, but not great either..
Summary: 3 Stars
Takes a while to lay down the plot. And the latter half of the movie is kind of an over-long gunfight with Indians having nothing better to do than riding around the house getting shot down. The story and frontier setting of the story are somewhat interesting, but am I mistaken or does Audrey Hepburn have blue eyes? How many Indians have blue eyes? That and some of the dialogue between Burt and the cheif didn't seem particularly strong, but suspend disbeleif as required and you have an odd tale of racism on the American frontier. It was ok, but it wouldn't be the end of the world either not to see it.Movie Review: Strange cast - Muddled message *** spoilers ***
Summary: 2 Stars
A strange and, ultimately, hypocritical Western.
I MUST start with Audrey Hepburn. Hopefully this isn't spoilage for you: she plays an American Indian. Honest! There's a certain duskiness to her makeup but not enuf to give it away in the early scenes. (Plus, traces of her original accent, too, to throw you off.) Bottom line: this sober character isn't the best of her performances.
Burt Lancaster and Audie Murphy as brothers. Honest! At least Audie gives a good performance - as he generally does when he's not a total good guy.
Silent screen star Lillian Gish is rather good as the fierce family matriarch of this tumbleweed ranch.
Joseph Wiseman, with his modern urban persona, has the supporting role of a crazed ex-soldier who makes ominous appearances.
John Saxon, painted up to a degree that Audrey Hepburn isn't so we'll accept him as a half-breed Indian. His supporting character is unpleasant and he's treated unpleasantly. But he has a great chase scene.
When I first saw this film, at the end of it, I wondered if the Indians deserved what they got. I now see that the blame falls on the muddled-thinking of the writers of this script who thought they could make a message movie that sanctions a romance between a white man and a Indian woman while whites defend themselves against the savagery of faceless Native Americans -- trying to reclaim the sister kidnapped from them years earlier. If you're American Indian, don't be surprised if you are shocked and saddened at the film's climax.
Movie Review: The Unbelievable
Summary: 1 Stars
This had to be the worst film I had ever seen. I am living in Japan where Audrey Hepburn is God. It was Audrey Hepburn week on TV, all week, and I got to see "Funny Face" and "Sabrina" -- both sweet pieces of fluff which show Audrey at her fashionable, pixiesh best. In fact, when you see these films, it is hard not to fall in love with Audrey. And so, it is simply beyond my comprehension what made her decide to do this god-awful film where she, along with every other bozo in this hateful, racist, outdated, hideous piece of garbage, is encouraged to pick up a gun by her "brother" (Burt Lancaster -- and I won't spoil the "surprise") and start pickin' off "Injuns." It is simply incomprehensible the amount of bloodshed that takes place in this film and it clearly shows that when you have trailer trash material that even two Oscar winners (Lancaster and Hepburn) cannot save this piece of flotsam/jetsam. Audrey starts off talking in a sort of unschooled English, and yet, after years of trying so hard to get her English right, all she sounds like is a parrot repeating phrases from a hillbilly record. Also, there is a scene where Lillian Gish (who looks like she's trying out for "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" or "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte") is kinda/sorta braiding Audrey's fake hair. For one moment, she has this beautiful twist and you're looking at her and thinking -- gee, Audrey is so beautiful -- why in the name of God is she in this film?
Please do not make the mistake of wasting two hours of your life watching a racist insult. If you are an Audrey Hepburn fan, you'll only come away from this film immediately wanting to put Sabrina back in the DVD player and wiping out any remote memory of it. All in all, a sad, pathetic ghastly excuse for a "film." Trust me, you'll be able to quote every lead-balloon leaden cliche line within moments of turning it off. Hideous.