The Western heroes of Ford’s “The Searchers” and Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” are portrayed in completely different ways. Although they exhibit some similar traits at certain times, the hero of “Unforgiven,” Will Munny, is a very different type of person than “The Searchers'” Ethan Edwards. In order to illustrate the drive, personality traits and overall character of these men, it is necessary to look at them individually.
In John Ford’s “The Searchers,” we are presented with an Old West style hero. Ethan Edwards is a hate-driven, racist outlaw. He goes on a quest to avenge the deaths of his loved ones and to find his captured niece. Ethan is a loner. This image is portrayed throughout the entire film, right from the start. Ethan comes riding up to his brother’s home with no explanation of where he’s been or what he’s been doing. He has been out, roaming around, doing whatever he saw fit. We see examples of anti-social or anti-conformist behaviors that also contribute to the image of his being a loner that’s used to being off, fending for himself. For example, during the funeral scene Ethan is eager to get down to business, to get the hunt started. He is intolerant of civilized customs and breaks in abruptly ending the funeral with “Put an amen to it. There’s no more time for praying. Amen.”
We also know that Ethan has no wife or children. He has chosen his way of life. Although it is only alluded to, we know that Ethan loves his brother’s wife. When Ethan is around Martha he is softer. He gives her an affectionate kiss on the forehead when he greets her. Her actions toward him are also quite tender. It is apparent that they love one another. Because of Ethan’s inability to accept “Eastern” ways of civilization and conformity, Martha chose to marry a stable man, one ready to settle down and raise a family. When Ethan arrives at his brother’s home after the Comanche attack, the first person he calls out for is Martha. When he finds her attacked and killed he becomes enraged. When he finds that his nieces have been abducted, he is nearly crazed. Another time that we can speculate that he was thinking of Martha is in his decision not to kill Debbie when the opportunity is there. I think he realizes that she is the child of the woman he loves.
Ethan may be the hero, but he isn’t necessarily the “good guy.” It is not directly stated but strongly suggested that Ethan has a criminal past that includes bank robbery. Ethan gives his brother “Yankee” money and he pays for information from people later on. Money does not seem to be an issue for Ethan.
We know that Ethan is a seasoned gun-fighter. He has all the essential qualities: ruggedness, strength, speed, intellect and a drive to kill. In spite of his hate for the Indians, Ethan knows all about the Comanche beliefs and their way of life. For example, when he finds the dead Indian he shoots his eyes out knowing that they believed it would condemn him “to wander in the spirit-land forever.” Ethan’s hatred for Indians is the drive that keeps him going. He is so prejudiced that he is unwilling to accept Marty, his brother’s adopted son, as family because he’s part Indian. Ethan also claims Debbie is no longer considered his “blood-kin” because she’s been “living with a buck.” Ethan’s hatred for the Comanche Indians runs so deep that he kills buffalo because if they are dead “at least they won’t feed any Comanche this winter.”
Ethan is always brave and in control. He lives by his own law and isn’t afraid of established law-enforcers. He is strong-willed and strong-bodied. His family looks up to him. Right before the Comanche attack on the Edwards’ farm, Ethan’s nephew, Ben, says, “I wish Uncle Edwards was here. Don’t you, Ma?” The other men respect Ethan as well. When Marty wants the opportunity to attempt saving Debbie before a full attack, the go-ahead isn’t given until Ethan’s approval is received. An example of his own self-control is in the Comanche camp when he meets Scar and first sees Debbie. He has to keep himself composed in order to handle the situation properly. This shows his ability to plan and think things through rather than impulsively acting on emotional responses.
Very few times do we see Ethan taking other peoples’ feelings into consideration. When he finds Lucy, raped and murdered, he tries to keep it from her boyfriend. He also tries to get Marty away from Martha’s dead body at the Edwards’ farm. It seems as if he is trying to keep them from having added pain that he sees as unnecessary.
Throughout the film, Ethan’s character is really centered on his racist views, his inability to conform and his drive to continue on in the search. He is fueled by anger, hatred and the desire to settle a score. No matter how bad things were looking, Ethan was always confident he’d win. When Marty was the one to kill Scar, Ethan seems to feel cheated. As a final disrespect, he scalps Scar. Based on the traits and behaviors we’ve seen, we can speculate that Ethan will continue on with his current lifestyle – living alone in a world of anger.
In contrast, the hero of “Unforgiven,” Will Munny (played by Clint Eastwood), isn’t a hate-driven, non-conformist. Munny is introduced as a weakened, weathered man, a pig farmer struggling to raise his two children. He is a widower, left alone to go on in life. Although Munny has been living in a secluded area, we realize he is not the same type of loner seen in the other film. The opening of the film gave us background information letting us know that Munny was once a different man, “a known thief and murderer, a man of notoriously vicious and intemperate disposition.” Will, initially, doesn’t do anything we view as being vicious.
William Munny is a loyal man. He shows loyalty and respect for his late wife, attributing his changes for the better to her. He tells Pete Sothow’s nephew, the Kid, that “I ain’t like that anymore Kid….My wife, she cured me of that, cured me of drink and wickedness.” It is mentioned during the journey that Will hasn’t had sex in many years. His response demonstrates his loyalty to his family and his desire to be respectful in their eyes. Munny says, “The only woman a man like me can get is one he’d have to pay for. That ain’t right, buying flesh. Claudia, God rest her soul, would never want me doing something like that, me being a father and all.”
Unlike Ethan Edwards, Will Munny isn’t racist at all. He enlists the help of his old partner – a black man named Ned Logan. Munny is very close to Ned and is very loyal to him. Initially, the Kid didn’t want Ned to come along on their escapade. Will refused to have Ned left out, saying “He’s my partner. He don’t go, I don’t go.” Later, when Ned backs out, Will still wants him to get his share of the reward money in spite of how the Kid feels about it.
Will Munny seems remorseful for many of his past actions. He knows he had done wrong and had been lucky to have lived through it. He seems to reassure himself throughout the movie that he has changed and that he “ain’t like that anymore.” He refers to his past lifestyle of drinking and gun fighting as wickedness. He tells that images from his past continue to haunt him. We see, through these things, that he does have a conscience.
Munny’s drive in deciding to be in on the bounty hunt is only to get the money. Will was very reluctant to revert to this type of activity. Only after a hard look at his living conditions and his failing farm, did he decide to follow after the Kid. Even though it’s shown that he’s out of practice, Munny always seems pretty confident. After a bad target practice session, Will still tells Ned it “should be easy killing them, supposing they don’t go on down the Texas first.” Ned reminds him how long it’s been since he’s done something like this. Munny is undaunted by it and proceeds to explain it’s a good cause because a man had cut a lady. This is an example of the chivalrous code of the Old West – whether she’s a whore or not – you don’t hurt a lady.
All along the journey to Big Whiskey we see examples of how much Will has forgotten about this sort of life. The conditions of traveling made him weak and ill. At one of his worst moments he talks about his fear of dying. When it’s time to actually follow through with the killings they’d come for, Munny gets placed in the leadership role. Ned realizes he can’t bring himself to do it and the Kid can’t see well enough to shoot from that distance. Munny is left to be the “tough guy,” the only one able to follow through. Immediately afterward, his human compassion creeps back when the fallen cowboy is yelling and begging for water. He can’t stand hearing it and yells for his friends to ease his pain as he dies. This also reaffirms Munny’s drive being the reward money rather than joy derived from the murder. After this incident, Munny’s long-forgotten gunmen’s skills are coming back. He’s in a hunter-like position as they go to kill the other man, Mike.
Munny’s thoughts always seem based in reality. An example of this is when the Kid admits he’s never killed before. Will talks to him about killing. He says “It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away all he’s got and he’s ever gonna’ have. We all have it comin’, Kid.” Will has linked drinking with killing throughout the entire movie. After Ned is beaten and murdered for crimes he didn’t commit, Munny wants revenge. He takes his first drink in many years. Under the influence of alcohol, Will becomes stronger and begins searching for vengeance. He is fearless. He goes into the town’s saloon knowing that Little Bill, the sheriff, would most likely know who he is by now. Even knowing this, he walks in confidently. Munny boldly announces his new purpose for being there: “I’ve killed women and children. I’ve killed just about everything that walked or crawled at some time or another, and I’m here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.”
By this point, we are seeing the transformed Will Munny, now as cold and murderous as he had been in the “old days.” He now invokes fear in the same men who had beaten him. He gives the cowards a chance to leave, telling them “Any man don’t want to get killed better clear on out the back.” Will’s outlook at this time is seen right before he kills Little Bill. As Little Bill pleads with Will he is cold and emotionless. Little Bill says, “I don’t deserve this. To die like this.” Will’s cold response is “Deserve’s got nothing to do with it.” When Little Bill says he’ll see Munny “in hell”, Will simply replies “Yeah” and kills him.
As Will leaves the saloon he is still in control and commanding respect from any of the men left alive after the carnage. He calls out that there better not be anyone to shoot at him. Then, as he leaves town, Will gives one last threat. He tells the surviving men that they’d better “bury Ned right” or else he’ll ” come back and kill every one” of them.
As the movie concludes, we’re taken back to the opening scene. I feel that this symbolizes Will’s return to his normal, civilized life with his kids. We see him on his farm and going to pay respects to his late wife. He has gone back to the civilized life he’d become accustomed to. He returns to his responsibilities as a father and leaves his inebriated killing days behind once again. The closing text tells us he later left the area with his kids and its “rumored [that] he prospered in dry goods.” We can only assume that he’s moved on to another place where he can escape his past and start living for the future.
As you can see, both of these highly acclaimed Westerns have heroes that were killers, yet two completely different character types. Both men possessed the hard traits required in the Old West. They were rugged and intelligent, they understood “gun law”, and had the drive to keep going, no matter what the circumstances. The difference between them comes from Munny’s willingness to adapt to the civilized, cultured “Eastern” ways of life, something we are sure that Ethan Edwards would never do.
