While True Grit may have garnered the great John Wayne the only Oscar of his long and distinguished career, that recognition, in truth, says far more about the nature of Wayne's performance than the strength of it. As western historian, Dr. Stuart Rosenbrook, duly notes in a fleeting brief featurette amongst the extras, this was exactly the performance that America "needed." Released at the tail end of the troublingly turbulent sixties, in the wake of the Kennedy assassination and the disillusionment of the Vietnam War, this loose adaptation of Charles Portis' novel offered a resoundingly reassuring fable of traditional morality.
A simple tale of a young firecracker ranch widow, Mattie (Kim Darby) tracking down the old gunslinger - having heard tales of his legendary 'True Grit' - and refusing to go away until he and Texas Ranger La Bouef (Glenn Campbell) help her track down the man who killed her father. In fact, when you stand The Duke's take on an aging, over-the-hill cowboy more comfortable slinging whisky than iron next to Eastwood's in Unforgiven, you have the perfect illustration of not only the divergent styles, but the contrasting in attitudes between the two most iconic western figures of all time. Where Eastwood's Munny was a gaunt, reluctant figure haunted by his sin, Wayne's podgy Dep. Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn was unapologetically brash, goaded out of the bottle by an upstart with the temerity to suggest that he perhaps didn't have it anymore.
It was everything America was so desperate to see, that despite all the knocks she had taken certain things just were; men were still men, and good and right always won out in the end. While Wayne took the plaudits, far more of the picture's easy-going charm has to do with the script, written by the blacklisted Marguerite Roberts, who was convinced Wayne's political leanings would lead him to reject it at the mere sight of her name. Perfectly paced and loaded with snappy banter - what passed for snappy back then, anyway - Robert's script is essentially a series of set pieces. Prairie rides are the staple, with some broad comedy the seasoning. Along the way we take in shootouts, stand-offs, and suppertime around the campfire. As you may well expect, there are life-lessons will be traded, and begrudging respect to be earned.
While Wayne's star power anchors the movie, the acting is a little suspect, with the great man unable to halt a regression towards a pastiche of his former glory, that at times teeters on the brink of self-parody. But despite being (quite unintentionally) out-acted at almost every turn by Campbell, Darby, and a young Robert Duvall, you can't argue with Wayne's charisma and his bold, haughty defiance in the face of a waning physicality. With it's high-minded ideals and anachronistic archetypes, it's little wonder that Portis' novel attracted those literary buffs, the Coen Bros, with a mind on a little mischievous revision. But, as a few early reviews have suggested to lampoon such a story in that singular manner which has become their trademark, is to perhaps miss a little something of the point?
Blu-ray Bonus Features
Extras include a feature chat track with Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Baze Bell, and the aforementioned Dr. Rosenbrook, who clearly have great affection for the picture. True Writing is a fleeting examination the script, while Working With The Duke sees cast members share their memories of the great man. Aspen Gold: Locations of True Grit is somewhat self-explanatory.
"True Grit" is on sale December 14, 2010 and is rated G. Western. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Written by Charles Portis (Novel), Marguerite Roberts (Screenplay). Starring John Wayne, Robert Duvall, Glenn Campbell, Kim Darby.
