The original “True Grit” was released in 1969. It was a classical Hollywood Western when Butch and Sundance and “The Wild Bunch” were redefining the genre. The film was a fun throwback, and there are likely no better directors today than the Coen brothers to attempt to revive that same nostalgia.
To belabor the point about Henry Hathaway’s original film, John Wayne, late in his career, was the perfect casting choice as there was no one more Hollywood than he was. His sheer charisma combined with the film’s camp appeal (and not to mention a G-rating) elevated “True Grit” to that of a real “movie” for all those that always loved taking in their old school magic.
So Joel and Ethan Coen had a test on their hands. How do you capture the charm of one of the biggest movie stars of all time, keep the film fun and in the spirit of all the greats from the ‘30s, ’40s and ‘50s and modernize the film to avoid making a shot for shot remake?
Their first choice was to cast Jeff Bridges in the role of U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn. Here, Bridges sports his eye patch on the opposite side from Wayne and delivers to the performance not a ruthless masculinity the way Wayne would have but an immensely gritty tone and casual personality.
It’s The Dude meets Harrison Ford, and it totally works. Simply a glimpse of Bridges in a reaction shot can garner a chuckle, and he spouts one-liners in passing or in skillful word play, most notably when Cogburn is testifying against a prisoner he brought in.
Cogburn is enlisted by Mattie Ross (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) to hunt down Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the coward that murdered her father. Mattie seeks revenge for her father’s murder under principal, and as she tags along with Cogburn and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), she proves to be sharp as a tack, keeping Cogburn and every other character actor on their toes.
It’s a winning performance by Steinfeld, and despite her whiplash tone, she’s the key in keeping “True Grit” light and funny. The Coens capitalize on Charles Portis’s original dialogue by allowing their actors to bounce off one another in character developments largely centered around the screenplay, almost more so here than in the original.
Because the film is so amusing, the Coens are allowed to toy with the film’s overall tone, switching from comedic to action packed at will, and yet they always keep the tension high. And unlike other films today that share that tonal diversity, “True Grit” very much feels like something John Ford could have put out.
It’s classical Hollywood in story and in tone, but the Coens give it the modern day polish of bright, stark cinematography.
That blend of old and new, young and aged, is the telling factor of the film’s message. The characters in “True Grit” are constantly telling one another to head home, quit or stop being so washed up, and they tirelessly trek on in pursuit of an uncertain victory.
It seems to be the Coen brothers’ little inside joke about the modern day Western, a genre that’s been weakly chugging along and hanging in there for the last 20 years. “True Grit” is the first film in a long time to actually feel like a Western, and that’s a small victory of its own.
3 ½ stars