I admire the ambitions of Unforgiven , since far too many movies really do glamorize violence. I'm not one of those who believes this sexy presentation of unpleasant actions really contributes to violence in the real world and in no way do I seek to censor it in art, but I do like to see evidence that killing and maiming aren't always fun and games. Unfortunately, Unforgiven doesn't totally achieve its goals, so it remains a somewhat haunting and stirring but flawed film. For this article, only the widescreen version was viewed. Unforgiven was one of the very first DVDs to appear in March 1997 and shows a few warts that seem related to that fact, but in general it offers a pretty good viewing experience.
Sharpness usually seems crisp and well-defined, though some vague softness can creep in at times.
Moir effects and jagged edges mar the picture from time to time, though neither is severe. Colors appear generally subdued but are adequately rich and well-saturated, with no signs of bleeding or noise. In general, Unforgiven looks pretty decent, but a remaster of the title would almost certainly make it much better. More positive is the film's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This is a pretty spare but effective mix.