Jason Bellamy and Ed Howard continue their fantastic monthly Conversations series: this month the conversation is about True Grit. Go check out the full Conversations archive. I’ll throw my hat into the ring too; here’s my review. It’s always a pleasure to read the back-and-forth of Jason and Ed.
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I’ve been afraid to see this movie because unlike the reviewers, I found the Coen brothers’ Fargo poisonously cold-hearted. But what I read here makes me want to give Grit a try.
// poisonously cold-hearted //
You say that like it’s a bad thing.
First, I want to caution Shelley that she may find a few notes of poisonous cold-heartedness in the film, too.
Thanks for sharing the link, Sheila. I really found the conversation interesting. I find myself thinking about this movie, and its meaning, a lot. Jason, Ed, and their commenters helped with my sorting-out. I particularly enjoyed reading their take on the scene where Bridges/Cogburn is silhouetted in the mine entrance. I saw that as a sly homage to Wayne and the Searchers, but I think Ed’s take on that scene as an “irreverent” reference might be on the money. I agree with you–the Coen version is much more faithful to the book in its tone, even if some of the scenes are not in the book. The Wayne version had more whimsy, and less of the pervasive sense of loss–which I think runs throughout the book. Anyway, I loved reading others ideas about the movie–both those with whom I agreed, and disagreed. It’s a rich movie–filled with ideas subtle and direct. The more I think about it, the more I like it.
DBW – I’ve been thinking a lot about it too. I loved the whole discussion about the nod to The Searchers in that one shot, and how differently it comes off. Bridges is brilliant. Wayne was an icon. Hard to explain, but Bridges knows who he is (just like Wayne knew who he was) – and they always seemed (seem) to play to their strengths. It is nearly impossible to imagine the ending of the Hathaway version with Jeff Bridges – right? Because we don’t have that emotional baggage attached to Bridges. But we do with Wayne. It’s like each film – wiht all of their similarities – was tailored specifically for each star.
And you know, the more I think about it, I really don’t like Kim Darby that much, and I’m sorry to say it – but she’s too old, too mature-looking. The whole thing gets REALLY unbalanced by having a real 14 year old going toe to toe with these geezers. (Unbalanced in a good way.)
How do you treat a 14 year old? And how do you treat a 14 year old girl who talks like that and acts like that? Nobody seems to know what to do – and that is just so right for the picture.
I’m one who didn’t really care for the new Grit, but I’m smart enough to know why. I LOVE the original. If I had never seen the original, I would have LOVED this one too, but I couldn’t stop comaring the two.
I did appreciate how Bridges didn’t try to copy Wayne’s version of Cogburn. He made the charater his own. To me, they are two totally different people (well duh!).
While the new Grit does a better job of following the book, I’ll still consider the first a better film. Sort of like your first car; nothing really can replace it. ;-)
I love the original too – I love how John Wayne tilts the bottle up to his mouth using the crook of his elbow – hahahaha – it’s hilarious – but it didn’t move me to tears (with that sequence when he races across the prairie with her in his arms) like the new one did. Ugh – I’ve seen it a couple of times now and it STILL gets to me.
Yeah, I got a little teary eyed during that scene, but probably ’cause of the horse! I just hurt seeing that horse drive itself to death. Most people see it as the rider driving the horse too hard; that’s true, but most horses will stop sooner no matter how hard you drive them (their self preservation). Some horses sense the utter urgency and will sacrifice themselves; I think that was the case in that scene. You don’t see him beating the horse to keep him going, he just goes and goes until he can’t take another step.
I don’t know if that was a deliberate thing by the directors or not, but thats what I got out of it.
// Some horses sense the utter urgency and will sacrifice themselves; //
Wow. That just gave me goosebumps.
Yes, I felt for the horse too, especially with Mattie screaming at Rooster to go easy, but Rooster knew he couldn’t.
I was fascinated by that moment. Both one of the kindest things he’s done (doing everything he can to save Mattie and then putting the horse out of its misery) coupled with the horror of keeping up that pace while that horse struggled like that under him.
Completely fascinating.
I know, I still get goosebumps in the original when she’s screaming “you’re killing him!”
Oh, I know, it’s awful. Teary-eyed!
Especially because the only time you really see Rooster be kind (in a way) is when he rescues the horse the kids have tied up. And of course he kicks the kids around in response – but underneath that is respect for the animal. Don’t tie a horse up, you little brats, and tease and torment it. We are the animals’ caretakers. So to see him abandon that mindset to save the human life – it’s really moving on another level.
Yeah, I did really like that scene in the new one!
Rude – so when a horse chooses to sacrifice itself – is it because of loyalty to the owner riding it – or is it because it feels the pressure (like a racehorse)? I guess what I’m asking is – realizing that we can’t know for sure – what makes a horse push itself like that? Is it a bonding-thing – like Mattie is his “person” and he senses, in that animal way, that she needs help? Or am I anthropomorphizing too much? What do you think?
Or is it a matter of domestication: that they have been trained so well to follow the orders of the humans?
I personally think it’s a bonding thing. We don’t choose our horses, they choose us. Once a horse chooses you, and if you gain their trust, they will do just about anything for you.
Wow. What good animals.
I mean, I think my cat is happy in my presence, but she honestly could not give a shit about me. She wouldn’t run for help if I had fallen down or something. She’d stare at me unfeelingly, meowing for her Fancy Feast.
hahahaha! How dare you get hurt, I want my Fancy Feast Human!
Totally. She has a cold unsympathetic heart when you get right down to it.
You are right about Kim Darby. There is a scene where she tries to break the tension between Cogburn and LeBeouf by proposing they do a scene from a play, or something like that(there is a similar scene in the new version). It always rings false because Kim Darby is too old to have that scene seem true. What she is proposing is something a child would suggest, not an adult, and even though Mattie is adult-like in so many ways, she is still a child–a child who would think it was OK to suggest that two grizzled, hardened, cynical old men would enjoy playing “make believe.” As the viewer, I never buy that Kim Darby is young enough to believe they would even consider it. OTOH, I think she has some nice moments in the original.
I remember that moment in the original, DBW. Good call. You can feel the two of them being like, “What shit are you proposing now, darling??”
I think it’s funny I can’t let this movie go. I can see me 20 years from now–“And another thing, Sheila, remember when Wayne kicks that prisoner in the butt in the beginning of the first movie? That is so derivative of a similar scene in …. Here is Wayne literally, and figuratively kicking ass, as he did in so many films, such as ___, where he….” And so on.