Flick of The Day: True Grit

It is the rarest of things, a sequel that is superior to its original. Godfather Part II is the most obvious one to come to mind but then that is the continuation of a tale rather then a new chapter. Today's film is not so much a remake as a re-imagining of the 1969 classic which won John Wayne his solitary Oscar. Ethan & Joel Coen returned to the source material of Charles Portis novel though there are enough similarities to warrant a comparison with the John Wayne version.

The film is narrated by the adult Mattie Ross, as she tells the tale of how her father was murdered by the layabout Tom Chaney and how she set off to seek retribution as her 14 year old self, played by the newcomer and precocious talent Hailee Steinfeld. She hires the meanest marshal in the territories, Reuben J Cogburn and together they fall in with a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf and set off into the wilderness in search of Chaney. Jeff Bridges takes up the role of Cogburn, which John Wayne had made his own and creates his own character out of it. His is more broken down by life and an incurable love of whiskey but retains the honour and toughness which Wayne brought to the role. It is a very fine performance. Special mention must also go to Matt Damon, who far outstrips Glen Campbell's performance in the original. LaBoeuf is arrogant and the quintessential Texan with brash spurs and chaps yet still retains a likeability which counter balances the gruff Cogburn.

Josh Brolin plays the feckless and psychotic Tom Chaney with a menacing idiocy. While all of the main performances are of the highest order, the script is one of the Coens best efforts. It retains some of the levity of the novel while giving the story a grittiness consistent with a modern appraisal of the old west. 

"Rooster Cogburn: We'll sleep here and follow in the morning.
Mattie Ross: But we promised to bury the poor soul inside!
Rooster Cogburn: Ground's too hard. Them men wanted a decent burial, they should have got themselves killed in summer"

The cinematography of Roger Deakins recalls some of the classic Westerns with its grand vistas and harsh lighting of the sparse landscape. The further they venture from society and into the wilderness, the more barren the landscape becomes and Deakins camera captures every inch.

In summary, this is a fine film which stands on its own apart from the original and breathes new life into a great tale, giving it a more fitting ending then the 1969 version. This is not to criticize the original but the ending seems more fitting to that which has come before it. I recommend you see this film, is well worth a trip to the cinema.