There are about a million other reviews here. Sheesh.
William Munny's name once rang through townfolk's ears like a lunch bell, echoing fear and panic. The William Munny of old was ruthless, drunk, and not afraid to break the taboo of killing women and children. But that was a long time ago, and William Munny was a very different man then. Fast forward eleven years, and Will Munny is a sobered, no-killin' hog farmer, trying to scrape together income day by day to put food in his lovely kids' mouths. One day, a feller by the name of The Schofield Kid comes riding up to him, asking if he is indeed the fabled William Munny. He mentions a US$500 bounty on the head of two no-good-sagnefragent-sons-of-guns who cut up a jezebel in the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. For the first time in God knows how long, his reputation is acknowledged by other men to his face, and That Old Feeling starts to come back. Willie starts to wonder if he's still "got it", which he discovers after a few missteps that he does, and off he goes to find some food money in the way of taking those two no-good-sagnefragent-sons-of-guns out with the aid of his friend of years prior, Some Black Guy played by Morgan Freeman. Those two have The Schofield Kid tag along on their journey on the Yellow Brick Road as they look for some cash and a little adventure.
Meanwhile...
English Bob is played by Richard Davis MacArthur. He comes arrogantly strolling into Big Whiskey (a town that doesn't allow firearms) with firearms. Bob isn't in the film for any other reason but to be shown as a notch in the belt of Little Bill, the town sherriff. It is established that Bob is damn good with a gun and is quite sure of himself but when confronted against Bill, he basically gets his ass Pony Expressed to him. This is supposed to get Bill over as a tough guy, a suitable challenge for the impending Munny.
2 hours (not Real Time) later...
William's oath that he is simply doing this bounty huntin' gig for the money is disavowed when his Black Friend is killed. He goes in to find the no-good-sagnefragent-son-of-a-gun who did this for the ultimate act of vengeance: shot in the head by a Spencer rifle. OUCH!
I'm trying not to diagram the movie too much, but lemme tell you: I loved this film. And not for the killing, and not for Clint (although, Clint is alright), and not for the *GREAT* directing. This film works for the same reason The Godfather worked: when scraped to the core, it's simply the story of man who's personality and way of thinking does a backflip for the price of avenging a death. Bill wasn't vicious until His Black Companion was killed so needlessly. While shooting beside Schofield on the hill, the always-wincing Clint looked especially peaked when having to take out a struggling and wounded young man. At the Bathroom Incident, Munney Munney Munney Munney, MUH-NAY was reluctant to open fire on the unsuspecting. But when his Afrian American Chum was dead, this man, this simple man, this man so capable of absolute terror let go of his eleven year fasting. He unleashed the fire on the small town of Big Whiskey and went guns ablazin' into the night. His anguish for his beloved wife's death, his hatred of his former self, his despair concerning his family's near-poverty, all of his conflicting emotions gave up their fight, and The Beast Of William Munney was unleashed. While Little Bill Daggett may have not been Satan Himself, the act of using a human life (The Black Guy) as bait cannot be excused in any context. He was baiting Willie to come to his town, and he got Willie. What he did not expect was to be killed dead while laying on his back, begging for his life. He got what he killed for, but in William's case, no amount of bloodshed could have murdered his demons, and without closure for the killer, The Killings Of William Munney were unforgiven.
William Munny's name once rang through townfolk's ears like a lunch bell, echoing fear and panic. The William Munny of old was ruthless, drunk, and not afraid to break the taboo of killing women and children. But that was a long time ago, and William Munny was a very different man then. Fast forward eleven years, and Will Munny is a sobered, no-killin' hog farmer, trying to scrape together income day by day to put food in his lovely kids' mouths. One day, a feller by the name of The Schofield Kid comes riding up to him, asking if he is indeed the fabled William Munny. He mentions a US$500 bounty on the head of two no-good-sagnefragent-sons-of-guns who cut up a jezebel in the town of Big Whiskey, Wyoming. For the first time in God knows how long, his reputation is acknowledged by other men to his face, and That Old Feeling starts to come back. Willie starts to wonder if he's still "got it", which he discovers after a few missteps that he does, and off he goes to find some food money in the way of taking those two no-good-sagnefragent-sons-of-guns out with the aid of his friend of years prior, Some Black Guy played by Morgan Freeman. Those two have The Schofield Kid tag along on their journey on the Yellow Brick Road as they look for some cash and a little adventure.
Meanwhile...
English Bob is played by Richard Davis MacArthur. He comes arrogantly strolling into Big Whiskey (a town that doesn't allow firearms) with firearms. Bob isn't in the film for any other reason but to be shown as a notch in the belt of Little Bill, the town sherriff. It is established that Bob is damn good with a gun and is quite sure of himself but when confronted against Bill, he basically gets his ass Pony Expressed to him. This is supposed to get Bill over as a tough guy, a suitable challenge for the impending Munny.
2 hours (not Real Time) later...
William's oath that he is simply doing this bounty huntin' gig for the money is disavowed when his Black Friend is killed. He goes in to find the no-good-sagnefragent-son-of-a-gun who did this for the ultimate act of vengeance: shot in the head by a Spencer rifle. OUCH!
I'm trying not to diagram the movie too much, but lemme tell you: I loved this film. And not for the killing, and not for Clint (although, Clint is alright), and not for the *GREAT* directing. This film works for the same reason The Godfather worked: when scraped to the core, it's simply the story of man who's personality and way of thinking does a backflip for the price of avenging a death. Bill wasn't vicious until His Black Companion was killed so needlessly. While shooting beside Schofield on the hill, the always-wincing Clint looked especially peaked when having to take out a struggling and wounded young man. At the Bathroom Incident, Munney Munney Munney Munney, MUH-NAY was reluctant to open fire on the unsuspecting. But when his Afrian American Chum was dead, this man, this simple man, this man so capable of absolute terror let go of his eleven year fasting. He unleashed the fire on the small town of Big Whiskey and went guns ablazin' into the night. His anguish for his beloved wife's death, his hatred of his former self, his despair concerning his family's near-poverty, all of his conflicting emotions gave up their fight, and The Beast Of William Munney was unleashed. While Little Bill Daggett may have not been Satan Himself, the act of using a human life (The Black Guy) as bait cannot be excused in any context. He was baiting Willie to come to his town, and he got Willie. What he did not expect was to be killed dead while laying on his back, begging for his life. He got what he killed for, but in William's case, no amount of bloodshed could have murdered his demons, and without closure for the killer, The Killings Of William Munney were unforgiven.