I don't typically like westerns. Growing up, my father either watched the news or westerns, and I never found in them anything exciting enough to watch. It didn't matter if they cast such legends as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, or if they were considered classics; I just found them boring. Until about fifteen years or so ago when I watched 1993's Tombstone for the first time. And I thought "if these are what western movies are all about, I've been missing out my whole life!"
When word got around a few years ago about this movie True Grit and how good it was, I wanted to believe it. But in my head I kept thinking that no western was going to top Tombstone, so I didn't rush out to see it. That is until the 1001 Movies You Must See list that I've been referencing included the remake. And when I got to looking at movies that have been remade for the purposes of this blog, I knew that I had to include the only western I would write about in my critique.
So grab your six-shooter and saddle up. Here we go!
SYNOPSIS: A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn teenager track down her father's murderer in Indian territory. Source: IMDb.com
DIRECTOR: Henry Hathaway vs. Ethan & Joel Coen
Hathaway's direction of the original True Grit was great, capturing perfectly the picturesque countryside that was the backdrop for this backwoods country western adventure. He had a great repertoire with legendary actor John Wayne as he was featured in a lot of Hathaway's movies. He utilized the character-driven story of the film to direct his actors in such a way that was believable and relatable.
Hathaway started his Hollywood career as a child actor in westerns in the 1920's, understandably why he stuck to the genre when he began directing in 1932. While he's got several dozen films under his direction and is considered a successful director by Hollywood's standards, they haven't received much attention from critics. Source: IMDb.com
The Coen Brothers, however, have dabbled in several genres whose movies have been critically well-received from critics and audiences alike. To cult classics early in their career like Fargo and The Big Lebowski to the folk comedy O' Brother, Where Art Thou? to dramas like No Country For Old Men, A Serious Man, and Inside Llewyn Davis, there's almost nothing the two can't achieve together. They've garnered many Oscar nominations for there films and have a style that surpasses most modern directors today.
Their direction of True Grit was fantastic. In addition to establishing wide shots that sucked you into the countryside with the travelers as they search for the young girl's killer, they use the tension between the characters to drive the story and use close-ups and lighting to increase the tension for the audience. The raise the bar on the original while keeping the heart of the story intact: the close yet dysfunctional relationship between the young girl and the gritty lawman she hires.
WINNER: Remake, Ethan & Joel Coen
SCREENPLAY: Marguerite Roberts vs. Ethan & Joel Coen
While both films credit the author of the novel, Charles Portis, it was the screenwriters themselves that brought the story to life on the big screen.
I couldn't tell a whole lot of difference between the two stories, however. There were minute details that were different in the two films, such as the point in time when the Texas Ranger traveling with the young girl and the marshal broke company, the mention in the remake about Lawrence, Kansas, and one scene in which the trio ambush a small local gang that the young girl's killer is believed to be traveling with. There are a couple character differences as well, but not that affect that overall arch of the storyline.
But as stated before, the story is pretty much the same.
One thing I will say about the remake though is how much subtle comedy is included in the script. Whether it is the actor's portrayal of the characters or the screenwriters giving the characters personality on paper to give the actors a jumping-off point, I can't say for certain. But seeing as how the remake was nominated for 10 Oscars--Best Picture and Best Writing being two--I'd like to think that it was the Coen brothers who wrote the comedic dialog in one or two particular scenes that had me rolling!
Made the remake more bearable to watch. The 108-minute runtime of the remake was better than the 124-minute runtime of the original. While the original wasn't terrible in any sense of the word, movies just go by quicker for me if they can make me laugh if ever so briefly.
WINNER: Remake, Ethan & Joel Coen
CAST/ACTING: John Wayne, Kim Darby, & Glen Campbell vs. Jeff Daniels, Hailee Steinfeld, & Matt Damon
This is a close one. John Wayne, by the time of the 1969 release, had already obtained legendary status. And Glen Campbell was a decently known actor in his own right. It was Darby though that really caught my attention with her role as Mattie Ross.
Darby has mostly done work on the small screen, but her role as Mattie Ross--the young girl whose father was killed in the opening scenes of the film--was stellar. She was strong-willed and confident, annoyingly persistent, yet determined to find her father's killer as she used her wits to raise money to pay the marshal and helped drive the trio into the countryside when the marshal got too deep into his drink. Darby was completely engrossing.
And Wayne. What can you say about him? He's still your macho type-A leading man, like always; but in this film he has a vise which is drunkenness. Playing a character with any trait that can be considered a flaw has to be an exciting challenge for any actor, especially for Wayne. And he was rewarded for his work, winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role as Rooster Cogburn.
The original was supported by other well-known actors as well, legendary actor Robert Duvall playing the role of gang leader Ned, and Dennis Hopper playing a very small role but noticeable nonetheless.
The top-billed cast of the remake did really well also. Daniels as Cogburn, Steinfeld as Ross, and Damon as the Texas Ranger--not Chuck Norris, I know; slightly disappointing. Hahaha!! And as I already mentioned in an earlier section, their portrayal of their characters with the slight comedic element added made them intriguing and interesting to watch on screen. The remake was supported by other well-known actors Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper.
I wanted to give the edge to the remake's cast. However, because Daniels and Steinfeld were only nominated for their performances, Wayne won with his. Good job, Duke. Quite impressive indeed!
WINNER: Original
MUSIC/SCORE: Elmer Bernstein vs. Carter Burwell
I'm partial to newer music, mainly because the technology is better and the music, in turn, is better produced. This movie score is no different.
The music played more of a factor for me in the remake than the original because the Coen brothers always have a certain look and feel to their pictures. The music that they include in their films heightens that emotional connection for the audience that further expands the overall look to the film. In conjunction with the actors and their ability and skill to bring the characters to life, the music even helps to develop their character's personalities more than just by silence alone.
WINNER: Remake, Carter Burwell
True Grit (1969):
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90% or 7.9/10 average rating
- IMDb.com: 7.4/10 from 31,392 users
- Metacritic: none
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96% or 8.4/10 average rating
- IMDb.com: 7.7/10 from 226,000 users
- Metacritic: 80/100
True Grit is on my list for my top favorite westerns. That's not a long list, for certain. But it's very heavily character- and story-driven and while there's not a lot of action, there's enough to make it interesting. But for a movie to be carried by the performances of the characters speaks volumes for the director's belief in their screenplay and direction.
It may not be Tombstone caliber, but you can still do as much damage with a six-shooter as you can with any other gun.
Take it from Doc Holliday: make watching the 2010 True Grit your Huckleberry!
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