‘Just because we’re going on this killing doesn’t mean I’m going back to the way I was. ” – William Munny (Clint Eastwood)

Desperate to help his family, a reformed murderer comes out of retirement and tempts his inner Shadow

MILESTONES OF THE JOURNEY

Unforgiven is a story about revenge and its effect on the people that seek it. Unforgiven’s administrator of revenge is a retired gunslinger, a murderer who has been reformed by his good wife. But after her death, he’s afraid to leave his failing pig farm, as if it’s the penance he must serve for his Shadow past. For the benefit of his family, he must re-enter the Valley of Death to serve vengeance: to kill a pair of cowboys who disfigured a prostitute. On a psychological level, Munny must take his Journey to prove that he is a reformed man. But can Munny tempt his Shadow side (while upholding his wife’s lessens) and rise from this Journey unscathed? As long as Munny is the instrument serving another’s vengeance, his Journey’s end seems assured. But that’s much too easy. What if on the Journey’s trail, an Ally’s death makes vengeance more personal? Instead of shunning the Shadow’s mask, now the gunslinger must wear it.

THE JOURNEY

Ex-murderer turned pig farmer William Munny lives in his ORDINARY WORLD guided by the memory of his recently deceased wife, Claudia, who reformed him of his wickedness. It’s been eleven years since he’s taken a drop of whiskey or fired a gun at a man. But the farm’s failing and Munny needs to provide for his son and daughter, Munny’s OUTER PROBLEM. His INNER PROBLEM is to honor his wife’s lessons and not become the bloodthirsty killer he was.

Unforgiven is a Revenge Story. The CALL TO ADVENTURE is the offense that disrupts the natural order of things and must be set right. Big Whiskey, Wyoming. 1880. Two cowboys disfigure a a prostitute’s face with a knife. Sheriff ‘Little Bill” Daggett punishes them only by imposing a ‘fine’: a number of horses must be delivered to the Saloon/Flophouse proprietor in exchange for his ‘damaged property’. The outraged prostitutes seek justice and pool together a $1000 bounty on the two cowboy’s heads.

A young gunslinger, ‘The Schofield Kid, ‘ solicits Munny to join him in kililng the cowboys and splitting the bounty, the CALL TO ADVENTURE. This HERALD knows the legend of this bloodthirsty gunslinger and seeks help from the MENTOR. Although he needs the money, Munny’s REFUSAL is quick. ‘I ain’t like that no more’. He returns to wrestling pigs and eating mud. Munny watches the Kid ride off into the distance, beginning the THRESHOLD SEQUENCE.

Resolved to accept the Journey, Munny puts aside the picture of his wife, Claudia, the MENTOR of his ‘good ways’ and picks up his gun, the symbol of his killer ways. Before he sets forth on his Journey, Munny places flowers on his wife’s grave, respecting the lessons she has given him. He clumsily mounts his horse and leaves his son and daughter completing Munny’s entrance THROUGH THE THRESHOLD.

Munny enlists an ALLY, his old partner, Ned Logan, to join the hunt. They meet up with the Schofield Kid, but have to convince the Kid to allow Ned on the journey, a TEST. Suspicious of the Kids’s eyesight, Ned TESTS him on the trail. The Kid finally admits he can see a distance of only 50 yards, and Ned doubts his benefit as a killer. But Munny keeps the team together, 50 yards is all you need to kill someone.

Back in Big Whiskey, ‘Little Bill’ Daggett refuses to let the bounty disrupt the town’s ORDINARY WORLD. He post a sign banning all firearms in the town’s district. When English Bob arrives seeking the bounty, Daggett beats him and runs him out of town as a warning to other would-be assassins.

Along his Journey to Big Whiskey; Munny is TESTED by his past, his SHADOW self. He assures himself on the strength of his wife’s lessons, proud that he’s a changed man who hasn’t touched a gun or drop of whiskey in eleven years. Their final night on the trail the three bounty hunters sit around a campfire, the APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE. The Schofield Kid wants to hear stories of Munny’s killings. But the old gunslinger suppresses the past, claiming that he ‘cant’ recollect’.

Munny, Ned and the Id ride into the INMOST CAVE of the town. The driving rain presents them from seeing the Sheriff’s sign prohibiting all firearms.

The three go to Skinny’s Saloon where the first of a series of ORDEALS occurs. Sick and drenched, Munny waits at a table, while the Schofield Kid gets the information about the cowboys from the prostitutes upstairs. Ned excuses himself to spend some time with the prostitues. Daggett enters the saloon with his deputies and confronts Munny. He finds Munny’s gun, and beats him senseless. The prostitutes rush Ned and the Schofield Kid out the upper window, their RESURRECTION. The sadistic Daggett lets Munny crawl out of the saloon, into the mud and rain where Ned and the Kid quickly get him out of town.

Hovering at the edge of death, Munny claims tha t he has seen the Angel of Death and confesses his fear of dying. Delilah, the disfigured prostitute, nurses Munny. She offers him a ‘free one’. But he declines on account of his wife. Munny is RESURRECTED maintaining the lessons of his MENTOR of Peace and Goodness, a REWARD of his first ORDEAL.

Munny, Ned and the Kid find the first cowboy, the second ORDEAL. Ned shoots the cowboy’s horse, pinning the young man, but Ned loses his nerve and REFUSES to murder him, a REVERSAL. Munny takes charge and shoots the cowboy. The bounty hunters listen to the cowboy’s pleas, as he dies a slow, agonizing death. This ORDEAL yields the painful lesson that killing a man is not easy.

Shaken by the ORDEAL, Ned can’t finish the Journey (his REWARD) and leaves Munny and the Kid only to face another ORDEAL. Daggett’s posse captures Ned.

Meanwhile, Munny and the Kid stake out the second cowboy’s hideaway. It is the Kid’s turn to face death. His MENTOR, Munny covers him as he shoots the Second Cowboy in the outhouse. Munny and the Kid escape, their RESURRECTION, completing this FINAL ORDEAL.

On the outskirts of town, Munny and the Kid await their bounty. Paying the emotional price of murder, the Kid finds comfort in a whiskey bottle. He confesses that this was the first man he ever killed. His MENTOR tries to ease the Kid’s pain with words of advice and a swig of whiskey. BOth are ready for their return home, itching to leave this world of death.

A prostitute delivers their bounty, the REWARD and the news that DAGGETT killed Ned. This HERALD tells them that Ned’s dying words warned of Munny’s wrath. The news shocks Munny. He takes a swig of whiskey. Eyes burning with vengeance. His SHADOW overcomes him, the ROAD BACK. that night, again in the driving rain, Munny tosses the empty whiskey bottle and rides into town.

Munny passes the display of Ned’s corpse outside the Saloon. He enters, interrupting Daggett’s celebration with his men. Munny quickly kills Skinny for allowing the display of his friend’s corpse. In a bloody gunfight, Munny outsmarts Daggett and shoots him and several of his deputies. Munny’s RESSURRECTION amazes the pulp writer, Beauchamp. As Munny takes a drink, Daggett – still living – struggles for his pistol but Munny stops him and without mercy shoots him in the head.

Munny leaves the Saloon and heads out of town. The terrified townsfolk refuse to shoot this “Angel of Death”. He warns them that he’ll return if they don’t bury his friend properly or if they should cut cut up any more whores. He uses the threat of violence to force morality on the town and prevent further violence, the first ELIXIR.

Has this Journey of Death reverted Munny back to his bloodthirsty ways? In the Epilogue, we learn that Munny has moved to San Francisco with his children where it is said he prospers in dry goods. In a savage act of revenge, Munny has purged himself of his SHADOW, his ELIXER. Redeemed and RESURRECTED, he at last can leave his wife’s grave, and the pig farm, and return to the world of the living.