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Narrative Structure Of Unforgiven

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Almost all movies have characteristics that categorize them in two or more genres. A great example of this being Unforgiven. The film’s dark and cynical characters occasionally resemble that of a film noir while its overall narrative structure depicts itself as a classical western style film. While there is an argument to call Unforgiven a film noir, it is hard to deny the idea that the film is mainly a film of the western genre. The basis of this idea, mostly relies on the portrayal of the lead protagonist, and the end of the film. While it would be easy to use setting, lighting, camera angles, etc to manifest the idea, it would not do it justice. By using these narrative tropes, it becomes coherent that Unforgiven is just another well-made film that uses the structure of a western to construct its plot.
Clint Eastwood’s character, William, is a perfect example of the western classic hero. For example, the character is unknown to both the viewer and to the society in the film. In The Structure of The Western Film, the author describes the second similarity found in a western film as “The hero is a stranger to this society” (41). One of the first scenes in Unforgiven shows William living in a small home accompanied by his kids far away from the rest of civilization. His dirtied appearance gives the audience the interpretation he is just an ordinary farmer trying to make a living and support his family. However, he has an unknown past that is not fully discussed till much

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