In Clint Eastwood’s film, Unforgiven, he plays a familiar role, a psychopathic killer hero.  In this film, however, he appears to take an introspective approach to his character and those who admire his character.  In the process, the film allows us an opportunity to examine some of the dynamics of killing and of our interest in seeing it on the screen.  Ultimately, it provides us with another fantasy designed to defeat death.

The film centers around William Munny, played by Eastwood.  In a prologue, and in the early scenes of the film, we learn that he had been an outlaw and killer, but had been reformed by his wife, Claudia.  She had died in 1878 of small pox, two to three years before the action of the film, leaving Munny with the care of his young son and daughter.