Antisocial Personality Disorder in the Unforgiven - Movie Review Example

Antisocial Personality Disorder in the Movie ‘Unforgiven.’ Introduction The following paper intends to discuss the Antisocial Personality Disorder in relation to the ‘Unforgiven’ movie. The paper will focus on the main character of this movie, William Munny, and how he is portrayed as having this disorder. Therefore, in the paper, there will be examples from the movie showing characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder in this actor. The paper will start with an overview of the Antisocial Personality Disorder, which will be followed by a brief synopsis of the move before illustrations are made of this condition from the character. A final concluding paragraph will be given, to summarize, the paper. An Overview of Antisocial Personality Disorder Antisocial personality disorder is a condition shown through pattern of contempt and disregard of other people’s rights (Black et al., 12). This is usually illustrated through violation of these rights by individuals with thins disorder. The condition may begin during the early years of development or when a child is approaching his teen age. These individuals lack empathy as well as tending to be callous, contemptuous and cynical of people’s sufferings, feelings and rights. In much case, they may demonstrate arrogantly and an inflated self-appraisal. In addition, an individual with Antisocial Personality Disorder may be excessively opinionated, cocky and self-assured (Black et al., 18). He may as well show a superficial charm, a glib, being quite verbally or voluble. These individuals can be irresponsible, including being exploitative in their sexual relationships. A short synopsis of the movie ‘Unforgiven.’ ‘Unforgiven, is a movie showing the story of the main character William Munny. William Munny is first presented as a hog farmer, but it is clear that he is not such a good at this work based on how he is unable to get a hog, instead he keeps falling (Buscombe, 26). The background of William Munny is that his wife left him after she died of smallpox (Hoffmann, 34). He is now with his two kids whom she bore him after staying together for eight years in Kansas. Before marrying, he has been a renowned killer with his friend Ned. While attending his farm work, he is approached by a young man called Schofield Kid who is need of Munny’ services of killing the two cowboys, Davey and Mike, in exchange of money (Buscombe, 19). The borne of controversy is that Delilah, one of the women at the brothel, which is owned by Skinny Dubois, according to Mike, had made abusive comments thus forcing Mike to take a knife and scarring her face. The hatred between Davey and Mike and the women crops up. Munny has for the last eleven year stopped his habit of alcoholism and killings. For this reason, he informs Kid that he no longer kills and thus he cannot help him. It is after Kid goes that Munny starts to practice shooting with his pistol and later with his big gun. He reaches for help from his friend Ned, in the assignment to kill the two cowboys (Hoffmann, 121). However, one of the driving forces for him to revert to this habit is due to his children, whom he needs to care for. He leaves them behind with Ned’s wife and together the ride their horses. The whole story is filled with revenge mission and Munny is seen going back to his killing spree. Munny” Antisocial Personality Disorder characters It is evident in the movie that Munny, as the main character, has been portrayed as having Antisocial Personality Disorder. One of the examples from the movie that shows this include where the audience is told of the past life of Munny. It comes to readers’’ attention that Munny had been a killer and an alcoholic before marrying his wife. It is through his wife that Munny had reformed for eight years. During this period never killed any person (Buscombe, 142). This is shown when Munny and Ned are reminding themselves of how easy it was to kill a person. Further, characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder are as well shown when he seems not to care about his children by leaving them behind with his neighbor, the wife of Ned (Buscombe, 141). This might appear controversial since he was going to ‘find’ money to cater for their life. However, if he were caring enough, he could have taken these children to his relative. William Munny in the Movie the Unforgiven, shows lack of sympathy for other people and he also demonstrates the lack of remorse in regards to harming other people. Munny portrays dangerous behaviors by taking unnecessary risks; he leaves his two Children in the farm and goes for a killing mission. This may have been influenced by his early life that led him as a Youth, to become one of the notorious bandits and a brutal murderer. Some victims may also fail to learn from their mistakes and the consequences of their bad behavior, while some might end up losing their jobs due to their irresponsible behaviors at work. In addition, Munny seems to praise himself especially how he sued to kill together with his friend. This is illustrated when he approaches Ned for the assignment. Ned is surprised how comes Munny is back to this habit (Buscombe, 154). However, Munny is feeling the absence of his wife since if she was alive, he could not have gone back to killing behavior. He reminds Ned that they used to kill for money, and therefore Ned should accept since there is money to be awarded from women. Despite the fact that Ned is unable to quickly prepare his saddles, he is convinced that he has what it takes to kill and get money. This shows a sign of self-appraisal and disrespect of human rights. These characteristics are also shown when a prostitute informs Munny that Bill, the sheriff, has killed Ned. He does not seem to worry much after this news from the way he sips his drink. This shows that he knows what is to be done-revenge (Buscombe, 97). At the same time, he had already stated that he used to be drunk during his previous killings, before marrying his late wife (Hoffmann, 16). He takes very short time, throws his bottle down, and rides through the town for execution. Upon reaching Bill’s place, Munny guns down many who were in the room including Little Bill. The indiscriminate killings of pole in this instance show how brutal Munny is. The last words that Bill utters when he says, “I don’t deserve this—to die like this. I was building a house”, did not stop Munny from killing him. Instead Munny replies, "Deserves has nothing to do with it" and shoots him to death (Buscombe, 127). He shoots again to a man who is writhing in pain on the ground as he walks to towards the saloon door. The antisocial character of Munny can be seen as well in the way he refuses to interact with the prostitutes. After the heavy downpour, Munny’s party reaches town but he is sick of the fever (Buscombe, 156). The team arrives at the salon where both Kid and Ned go upstairs in order to engage the prostitutes and enjoy their services. However, Munny no longer does that and instead decides to stay back and remain downstairs. Conclusion As noted above, antisocial personality disorder is a condition shown through pattern of contempt and disregard of other people’s rights. The above scenarios illustrate some of the Munny’s characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder, but there are many other cases in which he portrays this personality. The entire movie shows his lack of respect for human right, which is illustrated in his brutal revenge mission. Work Cited Aquila, Richard. The Sagebrush Trail: Western Movies and Twentieth-Century America. , 2015. Print. Buscombe, Edward. Unforgiven. London: British Film Institute, 2004. Print. Black, Donald W. Bad Boys, Bad Men: Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder (sociopathy). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print. Hoffmann, Henryk. Western Movie References in American Literature. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co., Publishers, 2012. Print. Read More