I have always had a great deal of respect for John Waynes' legacy, even though I had never seen any of his films until now. Westerns are one of my favorite genres, and I would love to see them make a comeback. After watching True Grit for the first time, I have to say that my love for both the genre and Waynes' career has increased dramatically.
True Grit is the story of a teenage girl who gets help from a U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger to track down her fathers' killer. I love the way that each of the characters are introduced in the movie. The film takes the time to set up the characteristics and the intentions of each of the characters. Also, from a cinematic and storytelling point of view, I like that John Waynes' Oscar winning role is not some grand, epic entrance. The introduction of Rooster Cogburn is treated like a typical character introduction, that is to say there is nothing overly special about his introduction. As wonderful as this film is, there are a couple of flaws that I have with this film. I would have liked there to be a scene where Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) actually finds out that her father has been killed. The time jump from when he is killed to when Mattie and Yarnell (Ken Renard) are preparing his funeral is a tad jarring. Also, shortly after the funeral, there is a scene where Mattie is having dinner somewhere with some friends, and is being taken care of after her fathers' death. We later find out this was at the boarding house, but this should have been established earlier. Despite these minor flaws, when it comes to the characters and the story, True Grit is an American classic.
In his Oscar winning role, John Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn. While Cogburn certainly has a mean demeanor, he also has a wonderful sense of humor. John Wayne blends these traits perfectly. It is also because of Waynes' performance that he has such good banter with Mattie, who is incredibly straight-laced. This is a bravura performance from Wayne that certainly deserves its praises.
Glen Campbell plays La Boeuf. I love this character because you are never quite sure about his intentions. Campbell plays the character with such charm, and he has such a mysterious introduction, that you are second-guessing him right up until the end of the film. It is only then that his true nature is shown. Campbell plays La Boeuf as a smooth talker, and he also has good wits about him, which makes for an excellent performance.
In my opinion, Kim Darby steals the show as Mattie Ross. As I mentioned before, Mattie is incredibly straight-laced, and is also a strong character as well. This role shows you that there can be strong female characters that do not lose their femininity. Mattie may not kick ass physically, but she knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. There is actually a beautiful moment where Mattie shows a vulnerability in herself. This is a private moment that is not in front of other people, which speaks volumes about her character. Darby completely disappears into the role, and steals every single shot that she is in. Quite honestly, she gives one of the best female performances I have ever seen. In a time where cinema needs more strong female characters, it is nice to watch a film that is nearly fifty years old and know that there was a day where these kinds of characters were commonplace.
Henry Hathaway is the director of True Grit. I have to say that I love the scope of this film. This is a relatively small movie that feels like an epic. Part of that has to do with the beautiful sweeping shots of the landscape. Also, Hathaway knows that this is truly Mattie Ross' story, and to see her travel the countryside, and go on this journey of justice for her father is quite breathtaking. The final forty minutes of the film have enough tension to fill a covered wagon. We see Cogburn confront Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and his gang in the manliest of ways, we see Mattie fall into a deadly snake pit, and the death of Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). All of this is edited in a way that makes your knuckles turn white, and also feel a great sense of relief for Mattie finally getting what she wanted all along. Hathaway does a fantastic job of bringing all of these characters and elements together.
I cannot begin to express how much I am looking forward to watching more John Wayne movies now that I have seen True Grit. This film is a classic in every sense of the word. Even though John Wayne has long since past away, his legacy lives on. This is a well-deserved Oscar win. If you have not seen True Grit, I highly recommend that you do as soon as possible.
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