‘The Unforgiven’: A Solid Western That’s Underrated

There is more than meets the eye between Rachel Zachary (Audrey Hepburn) and her adoptive brother Ben Zachary (Burt Lancaster), in “The Unforgiven.” (United Artists)

NR | 2h 5m | Drama, Romance, Western | 1960

When I first discovered the 1960 film “The Unforgiven,” helmed by the legendary director John Huston, I wondered if it was an earlier version of Clint Eastwood’s 1992 Western epic of the same title, which garnered no less than four Academy Awards and is considered one of the greatest genre pieces ever produced.

I soon discovered that the 1960 version was completely different, but I wasn’t disappointed. Although some scenes verge on the melodramatic, its strong cast, including Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, and Charles Bickford, make it very watchable. It’s based on the novel, “The Unforgiven,” by Alan Le May, who is also the film’s screenwriter.

Mattilda Zachary (Lillian Gish) and son Cash Zachary (Audie Murphy), in “The Unforgiven.” (United Artists)

Dusty Horizons of the Past

Hepburn plays Rachel Zachary, a pretty young woman who lives in Texas during its wild frontier days. She is both naïve and impulsive, thinking nothing of taking one of her family’s prized horses out of a pen and riding around.

The rest of the Zachary family, including Rachel’s mother Mattilda (Lillian Gish), and brothers Ben (Lancaster), Cash (Murphy), and Andy (Doug McClure), do their best to protect her. Ben becomes the head of the family after the patriarch, Will, died at the hands of Kiowa Native Americans.  

One day Rachel encounters a mysterious horseman with an ominous presence, dressed in a dusty uniform and carrying a saber. When she returns home and tells Mattilda about the unsettling encounter, her mother dismisses it.

Zeb Rawlins (Charles Bickford) soon enters the picture as the grizzled head of the nearby Rawlins family. Although the Zachary and the Rawlins families get along marvelously, Ben is reluctant to approve of Zeb’s immature son Charlie’s (Albert Salmi) intentions to court Rachel.

Rachel was actually adopted, and not born into the Zachary family. Despite being raised as siblings, Ben and Rachel have developed romantic feelings for each other.  

One night, before a joint Zachary-Rawlins cattle drive that could earn both families quite a bit of money, Ben and Cash suddenly sneak out armed with rifles. Their target is the strange saber-wielding fellow whom Rachel encountered earlier; he is revealed to be a man from the family’s past named Abe Kelsey (Joseph Wiseman).

The ensuing battle between the Zachary brothers and Kelsey reopens old family wounds and reveals clues about Rachel’s shrouded lineage. It also triggers heated rivalries between former friends and brings to light hidden dealings between the local Kiowa tribe and the settlers in the area.

Escalating Tension

This is one of those slow-burn Westerns that starts off relatively bright and sunny, depicting two friendly neighboring families, the Zacharys and the Rawlins, living an almost idyllic, trouble-free coexistence, until a ghost from the past suddenly appears.

The mysterious Abe Kelsey (Joseph Wiseman), in “The Unforgiven.” (United Artists)

Kelsey seems at times to be a high plains phantom, appearing out of the corner of one’s eye, then vanishing just as quickly. Initially, I wondered if he was an apparition, a real person, or a manifestation of the guilty consciences of some of the principal characters. These scenes were some of the most unnerving I’ve witnessed in the genre in quite a long time.  

The entire cast delivered stellar performances, yet the spotlight shines on Hepburn and Lancaster. Hepburn, renowned for her timeless beauty and exceptional talent, portrays the young, unwed sister with remarkable believability.

Lancaster departed from his typical wild bad boy roles, and instead embodied a much more serious and rugged character who returns home after an extended absence only to find family trouble brewing.

Problematic Production

Regrettably, the film encountered numerous challenges during its production. Director Huston clashed with the producers over its direction; he aimed to make a poignant statement against bigotry, while they favored a more commercially driven Western.

Despite Huston’s adept direction that attempted to balance a standard narrative and one with a social message, these conflicts prevented the film from fully achieving either goal.

Rachel Zachary (Audrey Hepburn) and Ben Zachary (Burt Lancaster), in “The Unforgiven.” (United Artists)

Compounding these issues, Hepburn suffered a back injury while filming a horseback scene. Being the consummate professional she was, she later returned to complete the film after she recovered. She later attributed a miscarriage to the accident.

Despite its behind-the-scenes struggles, “The Unforgiven” remains an underrated Western, showcasing incredible acting performances and skillful direction.

“The Unforgiven” is available on Amazon, fuboTV, and Vudu.

‘The Unforgiven’ Director: John Huston Starring: Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy Not Rated Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes Release Date: April 6, 1960 Rated: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

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