The Movie Unforgiven As An Anti-Western Western - Essay Example

The flimsy nature of this explanation is shown by the need for hyperbole whenever the story is told. The Kid, Munny, and Ned categorically attempt the assassination for egocentric goals (Sarat 308). They are particularly interested in attaining glory, to bring back former glory, or just for the money. This portrays the westerners as men of leisure. Their motivation is selfish, fulfilling their calling. Although to some extent, the material gain can be viewed as secondary in the film, Munny is in need of money.

Apart from the farm, he has a family to support. His passion is no longer gun fighting. Munny has abandoned that life and only returns to it for what that life can offer him, an opportunity to make a fresh start with his family (Sarat 309). The western convention of gentlemen goes on in Beauchamp's story of English Bob. Little Bill disapproves this story and views Bob as a fearful rogue with a need, and yet a limited aptitude for violence. He gives Beauchamp an account of the story. In the process, he relates what he believes takes to be a western hero.

According to him, accuracy and coolness of head, rather than speed, makes a western hero.The Westerner is also painted as lonely and somehow melancholy (Kamir 195). Munny faces Little Bill as well as his disputes singlehandedly, which is quite usual in the western. However, their loneliness is not imposed on them by their situations. Rather, it belongs to them intimately and testifies to their completeness. This loneliness is organic, but Munny is not portrayed in the film as being organically alone.

At the beginning of the movie, Munny has two partners (Kamir 196). They somehow leave him as a result of the film’s narrative developments. Both the Kid and Ned abandon the gunfighter lifestyle. Munny to some extend ends up alone since that is what is required by the genre, a lone hero. The film also concerns the generic conventions of the western.