Carol’s Comments by
Carol Rusinek
July 2011
I’ve never been especially attracted
to the Western genre in literature or film. Although I do admit that as a
child, I devoured all the books in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series and now still enjoy an occasional sweeping epic
like James Michener’s Centennial. But it still seems
strange that I would eagerly anticipate the release of Joel and Ethan Coens’
remake of True Grit. However, when I found out that two of my favorite
directors had made a more faithful version of Charles Portis’ novel, I decided
to read the book first. I soon discovered that it was really a coming of age
story disguised as a Western.
Set primarily in 1870’s Arkansas, this
fast paced adventure story revolves around fourteen year old Mattie Ross who
travels to Fort Smith, Arkansas to avenge her father’s murder by bringing
drifter Tom Chaney back to justice. To do so, she hires the irascible U.S.
Marshal Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn (a man with “true grit”) to venture into the
Indian Territory and capture him. Despite Cogburn’s fervent objections, Mattie
is determined to go with him. Before they start their pursuit, Texas Ranger
LaBoeuf wants to join them because Chaney is also wanted for a murder he committed
in Texas.
Mattie’s
exciting narrative lets the reader follow the group’s treacherous journey into
the frontier by graphically describing all the deadly situations they face
along the way. The main reason why this book is so entertaining is that all the
major characters are portrayed very realistically. They exhibit heroic traits
as well as flaws. In particular, heroine Mattie Ross displays steadfastness and
a maturity beyond her years. In fact, her self-confidence and headstrong
personality at times help keep Cogburn and LaBoeuf focused on their main goal
of finding her father’s killer.
Ultimately,
True
Grit remains an essential American classic that can be enjoyed by
everyone. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, I think it should be required reading for
all middle and high school students.
After
finishing the book, I was very curious to see how both films compared in their
adaptations of Portis’1968 novel. So I decided to watch the two movies back to
back starting first with the 2010 version.
The
Coen brothers’ screenplay is more a reinterpretation than a remake of the
original 1969 classic starring Oscar winner John Wayne. Their version is truer
to the book because Mattie Ross remains the story’s central character by
personally narrating the film. Hailee Steinfeld shines in her portrayal of
Mattie Ross. She embodies her character’s spunk, stubbornness and tenacity
because she was the character’s exact age during filming. The maturity she
displays in this part makes her performance very believable especially when
acting alongside more experienced actors like Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon.
Compared to Steinfield’s stellar performance, Kim Darby’s portrayal is very
annoying and surprisingly amateur considering she was in her early twenties
when she played the role in the first movie version.
Furthermore,
both films don’t hide Rooster Cogburn’s notorious past. Jeff Bridges’Cogburn definitely doesn’t imitate
John Wayne’s. However, his crusty, multidimensional portrayal more closely
resembles the book’s description of the character. Compared to the 2010 film,
the 1969 original plays more like a traditional Hollywood Western. At times, I
felt like I was watching a two hour episode of Gunsmoke. Filled with
many memorable characters and scenes, Joel and Ethan Coen’s version of True
Grit more authentically captures the brutal, rough and tumble
atmosphere of the Old West. I highly recommend it.
True
Grit as well as other Western books and movies can be
found at all SJCPL locations. For more information, visit the Library’s web
site at www.libraryforlife.org
. So to quote Roy Rogers, ‘Happy trails to you till we meet again.” Thanks for reading!
