Clint Eastwood vs. John Wayne: The Film That “Fixed” an Old Hollywood Western

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, two of the most iconic figures in Western cinema, represent distinct approaches to the genre. While both actors helped define rugged individualism and American masculinity, their on-screen personas could not have been more different. John Wayne’s characters, typifying Old Hollywood’s ideals, were moral beacons of unwavering integrity and honor. In contrast, Clint Eastwood emerged as a central figure of New Hollywood, where his characters were violent, unpredictable, and often morally ambiguous.

Despite their differences, Eastwood’s films directly responded to the portrayal of the American West and masculinity in Wayne’s films. One of Eastwood’s most notable films, Unforgiven (1992), stands as a direct reaction to Wayne’s final Western, The Shootist (1976). The movie, and its script penned by David Webb Peoples, aimed to correct what Peoples saw as a watered-down and overly sanitized version of Glendon Swarthout’s book in the 1976 film.

The Shootist: A Sanitized John Wayne Western

In The Shootist, Wayne plays J.B. Books, an aging gunslinger who, knowing that death is inevitable, seeks to end his life with dignity. Wayne’s final performance is both poignant and moving, but for screenwriter David Webb Peoples, the film did not do justice to the rawness of the original novel. “It’s very important to know that Glendon’s novel was a very dark story,” Peoples explained in a 2024 interview with Closely Observed Frames. “His son wrote the screenplay and it was a nice movie, but it lacked all the guts, harshness and darkness that the novel had.”

Peoples felt that The Shootist had diluted the harsh reality of the story, focusing more on Wayne’s dignified portrayal of an aging hero rather than the morally complex and gritty character found in Swarthout’s novel. “I’d never seen a movie where the hero, who is a gunfighter, is afraid to die…” he said. For Peoples, the watered-down version of the story in The Shootist was a far cry from the darker, more complex depiction that he believed should have been presented.

Unforgiven: The Anti-Hero’s Last Ride

In contrast, Unforgiven stands as a stark, unflinching response to The Shootist. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, the film tells the story of William Munny, an aging gunslinger who, like Wayne’s character, agrees to take on one last job. However, Eastwood’s portrayal of Munny as a reluctant, morally conflicted character is worlds apart from Wayne’s portrayal of J.B. Books. Eastwood’s Munny is a man haunted by his violent past, struggling with the weight of his actions and confronting his own fear of death.

Peoples noted that Unforgiven was remarkably faithful to his original vision, which he had written long before it was bought and made into a film. The script captures the darkness and complexity of its characters in a way that The Shootist never did. It explores the cost of violence and the harsh realities of the Old West, something that Wayne’s final Western failed to convey fully.

Unforgiven went on to earn nine Academy Award nominations, including a nomination for Peoples’s script in the Original Screenplay category, and ultimately won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor (for Gene Hackman). The film’s success and impact marked a pivotal moment in Eastwood’s career, cementing his reputation as a director capable of redefining the Western genre.

A Clash of Philosophies

The differing approaches to the Western genre by Eastwood and Wayne were a product of their respective times and philosophies. Wayne represented a version of masculinity defined by honor, strength, and unyielding morality. His films were typically clear-cut battles between good and evil, with heroes who always lived by a code. In contrast, Eastwood’s characters were morally complex, often operating outside the law and facing a world rife with corruption, lawlessness, and violence. The world of Eastwood’s Westerns was dark and ambiguous, where the lines between good and bad were often blurred.

It’s rumored that Wayne was less than thrilled with Eastwood’s influence on the genre, especially after the release of High Plains Drifter (1973), a dark, violent, and revisionist Western that starkly contrasted with the idealized visions of the Old West in Wayne’s films. While this story has never been confirmed, it’s clear that Eastwood’s films challenged the traditional depiction of the West, which may have been uncomfortable for Wayne and his supporters.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Darker Westerns

Unforgiven remains a critical response to the sanitized portrayals of Western heroes seen in films like The Shootist. By revisiting the themes of death, fear, and moral ambiguity, Eastwood created a more honest and complex portrayal of the Old West. It was a film that not only challenged the conventions of the genre but also marked the end of an era for Westerns, blending the darker elements of the genre with the reflective, nuanced storytelling that Eastwood would continue to explore in his career.

For fans of the Western genre, Unforgiven stands as a testament to the evolution of the genre from the days of John Wayne’s idealized cowboy to Clint Eastwood’s gritty, morally ambiguous anti-hero. It was Eastwood’s way of correcting the wrongs of the past and redefining what a Western could be—one that wasn’t afraid to confront the darkness at the heart of its heroes.