A Brief Reflection on Creativity.
Benjamin Franklin once said “Originality is the art of concealing your sources.” I couldn’t agree more, we are the sum total of our predecessors on the subject of creativity and innovation. The first time I saw Unforgiven (1992), it left me with an indelible mark and profound realization of the power of cinema. There are countless sequences to be discussed and remembered from the end shoot out, to Gene Hackman’s Oscar® winning performance, to Clint Eastwood’s final ride off into the darkness at the very end of the film. Arguably one of the most important westerns ever made; it’s easy to look at the mechanics of the film as the viewer, but it’s hard to describe why it’s so profound to this very day.
First, I think its motives and themes are very transcendent and still ring true. Regardless of the film’s genre, a western, I believe it’s safe to assume theatrically, its themes resonate above and beyond. It’s dark, harrowing, and evokes an emotional response that is associated with deep regret and guilt from the main protagonist played by Eastwood. Also, the fact that the film really paints the main character as the villain which, for the majority of the film, he is our antagonist tortured spiritually in the film also. Fighting himself, and becoming his own worst enemy in the process- themes that we’ve dealt heavily with in our original content at Penalty.
As of 2024, we’ve released over fifteen narratives under Penalty Production’s label of media. In almost every project I’ve directed I can safely say that this film has been on the forefront of my mind during every creative endeavor. Why? I think it is attributed to the narrative and how it specifically addresses the themes of regret and emptiness we can all feel at some point during our lifetime. Unforgiven also is to be considered one of the best westerns ever made and one of my favorite stories as a filmmaker.
Even regarding our film, At Noon, there is an internal conflict that the main character wrestles with that is not specifically or overly mentioned in the narrative - but shown visually. This theme is deeply transcendent amongst the western genre or any form of art, but also presents questions to the viewer about masculinity in contemporary culture and the definition of the hero in the story of cinema. Directly correlating to films of this specific type and the art from my past that I ingested in my youth. I would argue that this character study is something I carry from film to film; regarding my initial point that we are creations of our predecessors in the artistic realm.
One could argue that these themes are universal in the human experience and in cinema. But it’s the way Unforgiven handles them with such raw emotion, and power that can make me think about certain sequences almost decades later after its initial release. What’s inspiring from this narrative, this genre, this character study is the deep internal struggle that can make the viewer engage so easily. These character studies in cinema are as still resonant and as deeply moving as they were in the 90’s and in my opinion tougher to find in today’s climate of stories with such quality.
I truly believe that personal inspiration and creativity does not have to be limited to just cinema or the western genre. This example and reflection can be attributed to many different ideologies or forms of art, but it can present the question: Are we the just sum total of the media that we consume?
