Good, Evil Both Lose in Violent ‘Unforgiven’

In “Unforgiven,” an aging gunslinger insists he’s changed even as he takes up a bounty killing to provide for his children, then sinks deeper into murderous revenge. (Rated R)

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This proves the general uselessness of movie ratings other than G.

Here was a much-praised Western, re-released before Oscar time, that even my more conservative friends wanted to take their children to. I had seen other recently released R-rated movies--”The Last of the Mohicans” and “A Few Good Men”--and thought their rough or raunchy moments did not override their redeeming qualities for some youngsters.

But I had second thoughts about “Unforgiven” when I noticed that my daughter, Amanda, 11, was the only kid in the theater. I began to have qualms during a violent trailer for another film, but I was convinced it was a mistake when we saw the opening scene, which showed a whorehouse in full swing and a mutilation that sets up the plot.

“This was definitely not a kids’ movie,” Amanda said.

I’ll say.

“We can go whenever you want,” I told her at the start.

She wanted to stay, though, so the next few hours were not unlike driving with a child in heavy traffic in a storm. Just as when your right arm automatically whips out to protect her when the car has to make a sudden stop, I couldn’t help trying to cover her eyes--even though both gestures are completely pointless.

There were tense moments when we both shaded our eyes, peeking through to the screen and wondering: Is he going to shoot or not? Is he going to kick him again?

The movie takes its time setting up the subplots, and in the middle, Amanda asked me, “Where is this movie going?” Not a fan of Westerns, she was unaware of where they always go--to a showdown with the sheriff.

Hoping perhaps I could salvage something from this outing, I noted she was studying legends and myths in school. “This is like a myth,” I said. She looked skeptical.

We both got one good laugh, however, when the sheriff consistently mispronounced a character’s title, “Duke,” as “Duck.” But grim was the mood that prevailed.

As the credits began to roll over the epilogue, Amanda looked at the screen and said, “I don’t get it.”

“In most Westerns, it’s really clear who are the good guys and who are the bad guys,” I offered. “This one was more complicated. The sheriff was bad and good. The gunslinger was good and bad. The girls who hired him were good and bad.”

Whatever insights this might hold for adults, Amanda found it depressing.

“Who would go to a movie to be depressed afterward?” she wondered.

“Grown-ups, I guess.”