Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

The Best Films of 1992 (1993)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Roger Ebert : The fact that "Unforgiven" is in my top ten, Gene, requires, I guess, some explanation. I gave it thumbs up on our show, but I didn't react to it as "Best film of the year" material, maybe because I was somewhat distracted by viewing it on the eve of my approaching matrimony. My attention was elsewhere. Last week, I looked at the movie again with a somewhat better focus, and I realized fully what a good movie it is, how well-directed and acted, and especially how well-written, by David Webb Peoples, who has some dialogue here that deserves comparison with Hemmingway.

  Gene Siskel : Here, you called the film shapeless and too full of characters, and I think that that's what I felt, too, the first time I saw it.

  Roger Ebert : Mm-hmm.

  Gene Siskel : I know what Eastwood is trying to do, a revisionist western, where the bad guy is bad, frankly, and these are guys doing grungy work. But at the same time, I thought the film was overstuffed.

  Roger Ebert : Well...

  Gene Siskel : And I can't lionize this picture, I looked at it a second time...

  Roger Ebert : I don't think so.

  Gene Siskel : ...And I didn't have a reaction.

  Roger Ebert : I don't think so. Now that I've seen it again, I do NOT think that it's shapeless. Maybe I thought it was shapeless because I wasn't paying attention to it. I have to confess this, right? In front of you and everybody else. I think this movie is superbly well written, and I think maybe my mind was drifting, to tell you the truth.

  Gene Siskel : I think I liked you better five months ago. I liked your mind better five months ago.