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Clint plays antihero Will Munny, an ex-gun for hire now living a quiet, simple life as a pig farmer and widower raising a young son and daughter. His wife long since having cured him of his wicked ways, the last thing a man like this needs is temptation to come along and lure him back down a wrong path. You might be able to change behavior, but is it possible to ever really change a man's true nature?

This theoretical question is put to the test when a brash young outlaw comes calling with an offer Will can't refuse. A prostitute has been assaulted, and her coworkers have put out a contract on the cowpokes who done her wrong. Tempted back by the conviction that he can once again walk away when the job is done, Will's first stop is to bring his old partner (Morgan Freeman) in on the deal. Once reunited, the trio set out to fulfill the contract and collect on the bounty. But waiting for them in town is the legendary sheriff, Little Bill (Academy Award-winner for Best Supporting Actor Gene Hackman), who intends to intervene in the execution and arrest any men who dare to cross his path.

What is so revolutionary about Unforgiven is its refusal to back down from its stance on just who the heroes and villains really are. Things are not black and white; Little Bill is just as much if not more so a villain than Munny, who in many ways is the more moral of the two, but no reformed angel. Heading into town with the sole purpose of killing a pair of cowboys, one of which is innocent, our loyalties as an audience are often confused. Switch the casting of Hackman and Eastwood and you could change everything: each is a real human character with good and evil raging within, and to the film's great benefit, Eastwood ultimately never picks sides.

Ironically for some in light of Eastwood's iconic status as a cowboy and Dirty Harry, there's a clear theme of anti-violence running throughout the film. Eastwood, like Munny, is a man who has spent the majority of his career steeped in violence, Munny's real, Eastwood's fact, but the parallel remains relevant. With Unforgiven, he dramatizes that internal conflict with poetry and the kind of innate wisdom only someone of his stature could pull off. When he thought he was cured, it took only a reason and a lack of consequences to bring him back. Love it or hate it, Unforgiven remains one of the most important American films of the past few decades, and despite all the awards, still somewhat underrated.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Unforgiven was originally released back in March of 1997 as part of Warner's very first wave of DVD releases, and some really hated it. Yes, it was full of compression artifacts and certainly revealed the limitations of DVD technology of the time, but I didn't think it was that bad. But no matter, because this long-awaited new two-disc special edition reissue renders all of that moot. Struck from a new 2002 high-definition master, this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is a noticeable improvement over the previous DVD, one that proves just how far we've come in only five years.

Unforgiven is still a considerably dark, naturalistic film, devoid of much in the way of stylization or surrealism. Thankfully, Warner seems to have struck up a new, cleaner print for the occasion; while the previous release wasn't bad at all, there was the occasional blemish and some slightly grainy shots, but nothing like that is in evidence this time around. Blacks are rock solid with excellent contrast, especially in the dark interiors and nighttime scenes, which make up almost half of the film's 131-minute runtime. As a result, detail is generally superb, with shadow delineation - so crucial to rendering this film's dark look properly - quite excellent.

Also nicely improved over the previous release is the film's rustic color scheme. Hues are cleaner and more vibrant, with frequent striking uses of blues and greens not seen on the previous release - just check out the beautiful vistas and frequent dusk scenes, they're knockouts! Better yet, Warner has spread the film out over a dual- layer disc this time, and despite the constant static long shots, I noticed no apparent compression artifacts at all, even on long fades and transitions. Also absent this time is all the annoying edginess that marred the first release; I suspect Warner listened to the criticisms, as this transfer has a very nice, film-like look that is sure to please. If I have any complaints, it may be that the image is still soft in a few shots, but that's just nitpicking. This is a very, very fine new remaster.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Featuring the same Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack as the previous release, this is still a very, very good mix. Dialog is crisp and cleanly recreated in the center channel without distortion or masking. Stereo effects in the front are well positioned and effective. Surround use, while sometimes subtle, presents a healthy envelopment of sound that can be heard discretely quite frequently. Insects and breezes are heard around your head, but not so much that you really notice them. Fidelity is somewhat limited in its source, but generally the soundtrack sounds great, especially when the six- shooters come out. Bass extension is also limited, but without any explosions or big special effects it's not surprising.

A French 2.0 surround track is also included, along with English, French and Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Originally released back in 1997, Unforgiven was a part of the very first wave of DVDs ever released by Warner, and ever since most fans wanted more. Now, after a five year wait, it's finally here. Alas, I can't say it will necessarily live up to all the anticipation; it's not that it is bad by any means, just that in comparison with the other two-disc sets Warner is putting out these days, it doesn't offer much that is particularly new or inspired. But let's see what we've got...

Up first on disc one is a new screen-specific audio commentary by film critic and Eastwood biographer Richard Schickel. The pair have maintained a friendship for many years, so Schickel certainly knows his subject. Articulate and quiet knowledgeable, he also spent considerable time on the set, and does offer some significant perspective on Eastwood's philosophy and approach to what made Unforgiven such a revolutionary western. However, it's hard not to feel like an observer looking in, still at a distance from the making of the film instead of being smack in the middle. Schickel also has the rather annoying habit of saying "We" instead of "Him" or "They," which only reinforces the feeling of a third person perspective. But in terms of pure critical critique, this may still be of some interest to Eastwood historians, although I suspect the average fan will likely take a pass.

Disc two is reserved for all of the video-based supplements, including three featurettes and one documentary on Eastwood and the making of the film. However, only one was actually produced exclusively for this DVD, and it's the worst of the bunch. Running 21-minutes, All on Accounta Pullin' a Trigger seems like it would be a sure shot, featuring new interviews with Eastwood, actors Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman, and screenwriter David Webb Peoples. Alas, to be diplomatic, it is probably the most boring featurette I've yet seen produced for DVD, with the majority of the comments of no particular interest and far too many film clips. I can think of a million more interesting questions I would have asked, and the incredibly slow pace makes this seem like 20 hours, not 20 minutes. One plus, however, is that this is the first DVD doc I've ever seen shot in 2.35:1 widescreen, which does give it a cinematic feel, if nothing else. As much as I wanted to like it, this one rated as a real disappointment.

Actually trumping the new featurette is the 1992 EPK Eastwood & Co.: The Making of Unforgiven, running 24 minutes. Presented in full frame and narrated by actor Hal Holbrook, this one benefits from an extensive amount of on-the-set footage (much of it shot by Eastwood's then-wife and costar Frances Fisher) and solid pacing. We get to see what a lively set it actually was, with plenty of joking around, and a far cry from the serious subject matter of the film. It may not break any new ground in documentary-dom, but at least it's entertaining and informative.

For my money, the best doc on this set is the 108- minute Eastwood on Eastwood, Schickel's long-in-the-making visual history of Eastwood's illustrious career. Still frequently seen on cable, Schickel takes an interesting approach, dropping the usual cavalcade of cast and crew interviews and opting instead for a one-on- one with Eastwood. John Cusack narrates, and via interspersing plenty of film clips and production footage, Schickel is actually better able to integrate his aesthetics and insight with the material than on the commentary. It still feels a bit academic and is hardly Unforgiven- specific, but Eastwood on Eastwood still rates as a must-view for fans.

Last but not least, compared to all the other docs and featurettes on the disc, the 16-minute Eastwood...A Star is just great cheesy fun. Complete with goofy narration and even goofier music, suffer through a breezy, breathless recount of Eastwood's career like some sort of industry infomercial, as if they're selling Clint by the pound. A bit of overkill after all the rest, but this one is still great for a laugh.

The last major extra is a bit of an oddity, an early Clint TV appearance as an innocent cowboy on the classic series Maverick, and an episode entitled "Duel at Sundown." It doesn't really have anything to do with Unforgiven except as historical background (and the fact that it's a television property owned by Warner), but it's still a hoot. And as presented in full screen and mono, it's also in pretty good shape. Clint fans should get a kick out of it.

Rounding out the extras are the film's theatrical trailer in anamorphic widescreen, a few pages of Reel Sound historical notes, and simple cast and crew and awards lists, all contained on disc one.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

Despite the extensive DVD-Video extras, Warner has not provided any ROM extras at all.

Parting Thoughts