Classic Movie Review: "The Unforgiven"

My classic movie review continues with some oldies, but goodies like "The Unforgiven." This old west drama starred Audrey Hepburn as Rachel Zachary and Burt Lancaster as her adopted brother, Ben. It also co-starred Audie Murphy, Doug McClure, John Saxon, Lillian Gish, Charles Bickford, and Albert Salmi.

As the movie opens, an innocent Rachel is out riding her horse when she runs into a strange, one-eyed man. When she introduces herself to the stranger, he blithely tells her that she's not a Zachary. She acknowledges that she wasn't born into the family but adopted by them. She then queries how the man happened to know that.

Instead of answering her question directly, he starts ranting about betrayal and the need for "blood for blood." His ranting scare Rachel who quickly runs home to tell her mother about the meeting.

At first her mother denies any knowledge of the man. However, when she catches him sitting outside the window, she quickly sends Rachel to the root cellar and grabs her gun. She tells the man to leave her property or suffer the consequences.

Although he continues to spout religious quotes about righteousness, he does leave as asked. But when Rachel catches her mother with the shotgun she knows that something is definitely up.

A few days later, Rachel heads out to meet her brothers who are returning from a trip to Kansas. She is especially happy to see her eldest brother, Ben (Lancaster). It is the first time that the audience begins to question just how much of a brother/sister relationship really exists.

As the film goes on, it becomes quite clear that the Zachary family has a secret; one that Mathilda (Gish) is willing to die for. However, it isn't long before the news is finally broken. Rachel wasn't really found in a wagon train of white people that had been butchered by the Kiowa Indians. She is, in fact, Kiowa herself.

With one brother calling her a redhide and two others bent on protecting her from her kind when they come to get her, the action of the film heats up quickly and doesn't let go until the final scene.

The thing I hated most about the movie was that Hepburn in no way, shape, or form resembled an Indian. Her pale skin alone was enough to make the whole plot seem unfeasible. Why the studio didn't at least color her skin and darken her hair is hard to understand.

Having said that, Hepburn did a good job with the part, showing every emotion from innocence to happiness to shock to hatred and finally to love. She managed to do more with her facial expressions and the way she moved her body than most actresses today can do with a whole chest of tricks.

Lancaster, of course, was excellent. He was one of the greatest actors of his generation and he seldom made a misstep.

While it might seem odd to see Murphy playing anything but the hero, he did an excellent job with his role as well. In the end, he still proved to be the hero in spite of all his faults and blunders.

A young McClure was delightful to watch. His raw innocence and upbeat attitude helped to keep the film from tanking into the depths of despair.

Gish was the quintessential mother tiger. She was willing to do anything - - even kill - - to keep her adopted baby safe from all harm.

For once, Salmi himself played a good guy, which was a far cry from any of the psychotic characters he would go on to make famous later in his career. Although his role was small, he made the best of it and ensured that he wouldn't be forgotten.

Saxon had a pivotal role as a Native American that Ben hired to help him break horses. While the movie could have done without the character at all, Saxon still made his mark with a great performance.

The screenplay penned by Alan La May and Ben Maddow was full of twists and turns to keep the audience engaged in the story. They also did a magnificent job of showing the prejudice of that day which pitted white man against the red man in an extreme every bit as brutal and terrorizing as the one that would come later with blacks.

John Houston directed. He was a master at this type of film and that is definitely shown in "The Unforgiven" as well.

I liked this movie in spite of the fact that I loathe westerns. The fact that they were my father's favorites, was enough to turn me off of them for life. Still, this one was unique and worth watching.

I give "The Unforgiven" three out of five stars.

RATING SCALE USED:
0 = A stinker. Don't waste the money!
1 = Bad. Rent it at your own risk.
2 = Below average. See only if you have time to kill.
2.5 = Average. A toss up.
3 = Good. Worth a looksee.
3.5 = Very Good. I recommend it.
4 = Excellent. Don't miss it!
4.5 = Outstanding. What are you waiting for?
5 = Destined to become a classic. You will be sorry if you don't see it.