"Fill Your Hands, You Son of a Bitch!"

As I promised in my last post, here is the part where I talk about the movie True Grit, which I saw last night. It was pretty much one of the best movies of the year.

I love the Coen brothers and love nearly everything they've ever done (e.g. No Country for Old Men, The Ladykillers, O Brother, Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Raising Arizona). There style, their stories, their choices are great examples of why I love watching movies. When I first heard that there was going to be a retelling of True Grit, a moment of panic gripped my heart. I was raised on John Wayne and his True Grit (1969) is one of my favorite. I was terrified they were going to ruin the film that finally gave Wayne his only Oscar. (Though there is a belief that Wayne's Oscar for this film was a "sentimental choice, more in recognition of his forty year career." You can read more here.) But when I found out the Coen brothers were writing and directing, I calmed down a little. When I found out that Jeff Bridges was to play Rooster, I was not only completely at ease but also very excited. This movie was going to be awesome!

The Coen brothers masterfully brought in the elements they are known for and that I love so much. One of which was that the characters are so real yet sympathetic. I loved Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) in this movie way more than the Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) from the original. First, she really did look like she was 14, which is closer to the book the movie is based on.  Second, her tenacity was so intense yet she was also so likable. It reminded me of Margie from the movie Fargo, which was also written & directed by the Coen brothers. Both women (though one is a woman and one is just a girl) are strong, assertive, and stubborn but are so likable, kind, and never cross the line of being a complete bitch or a whiny little baby. Steinfeld's Mattie was a brave yet kind character. Even when she was kidnapped by a posse, she keeps her wits about her. She even offers the ringleader of the posse her lawyer should she ever be caught. Darby's Mattie was just being pathetic.

One of the biggest differences between Steinfeld's Mattie and Darby's Mattie was she didn't hide behind her talk of her lawyer. Yes, she did bring him up but she didn't use him as a shield to hide behind. The only time she really used him as a weapon was when she was talking to the business man about the ponies her father had purchased. The 1969 Mattie would often use talk of her lawyer to try and reason (or threaten) the bad guys. It was pathetic and way overdone. They're bad guys. They don't care about lawyers, especially out in the middle of nowhere. It caused me to dislike Darby's Mattie. She was whiny and rather annoying. While watching Steinfeld's performance, I got the feeling that Mattie wanted a man with "grit" because he had to be able to match her own.

Like I mentioned earlier, these characters were so real and genuine. I felt like in the 1969 version, the characters are so over the top, hammy, and rather silly in comparison to this 2010 version. Here we see Bridges's Rooster Cogburn, warts and all, and we still like him because he is genuine. The one thing I'm still debating about is whose performance (Wayne's or Bridges's) I liked better when it came to his tenderness (I wouldn't go as far as to call it "love") towards Mattie. I loved Bridges when he stopped LaBoeuf from spanking Mattie by threatening to shoot him. I can't remember the exact words but he basically tells him if he doesn't stop, "it'll be the biggest mistake you ever made." There was something about the way Bridges's acted before he said that line and even while he said it. There was a realization, an epiphany that this girl had "grit." In the 1969 version, after Rooster and LaBoeuf watch Mattie cross the river,  Rooster (Wayne) says, "By God. She reminds me of me." I believe this is part of the reason Rooster begins to care for Mattie. However, near the climax of the film, when Rooster has to carry Mattie to get help after she is bitten by a rattlesnake and the horse has died from exhaustion, Bridges can't hold a candle to the emotional power Wayne's performance gave. Seeing the Wayne's concern for his "Baby Sister" and the lack of concern for himself is just awe-inspiring, though I will say Bridges's does give a fantastic performance. He makes your heart ache after the horse dies but he keeps going.

However, I will say I am not going to pick sides when it comes to the iconic scene where Rooster takes on Ned Pepper & three other men. Both Bridges's and Wayne's performances were superb. If you don't know the scene, here is the dialogue:

Ned Pepper: What's your intention? Do you think one on four is a dogfall?
Rooster Cogburn: I intend to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged at Fort Smith at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?
Ned Pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.
Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hands, you son of a bitch!

Rooster then puts the reins in his teeth, and rides towards the posse, who also charge towards him. Rooster has a rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other. In Wayne's performance, we see him re-cock the rifle by swinging it all the way around. It's a spectacular scene and one of my all time favorites in film.

Another little detail I loved from this version was the fact you never really see the face of Tom Chaney until Mattie accidentally stumbles upon him by the river. It makes the scene that much more powerful and the man seems so much more sinister. But again, Josh Brolin's portrayal of Tom Chaney never crossed the line into a over-the-top, cliche villain. He was real. There was even a brief moment where I felt sorry for Chaney (it was terribly brief but still there). And like I mentioned earlier, Steinfeld's Mattie holds her ground and is brave when she encounters Tom Chaney. In Darby's performance, she tries to be brave but fails miserably and just comes off as pathetic.

It makes me feel terrible to imply I've "turned my back" on John Wayne. I haven't. The man is still one of my favorite actors and I will revere him till the day I die. But this retelling, from the characters to the story to the little bits of humor, is just an all around better film. I would gladly see it again. Who wants to take me?

Love you.
Mean it.