This could be called a reimbursement for Burn After Reading and A Serious Man, which were a little drab and bizarre, a case of post Oscar slums. Or possibly misunderstood. Either way, the two scant budget films fail to fully measure up to earlier Coen Bros releases, but True Grit stands as testament that these filmmakers are far from backsliding or relenting in their craftwork, which is consistently detailed to say the least.
In ways J & E are above reproach. Having tackled most genres without ever landing in a clear categorization, “Coen Brothers” movies now belong to their own collection. But the adaptation of the novel is not a typical Coen Bros movie. This is only their fourth adaptation, including Intolerable Cruelty, No Country for Old Men and The Ladykillers. But the brothers continue to write original work, and their adaptations are always tasteful and illuminating depictions of the text.
Opposed to the Duke’s True Grit, the brothers have made a fuller, more involved depiction of the Portis novel which apparently adheres more strictly to the text than the ’69 release. For example, this version is narrated by and more closely centered on Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld, a real 14-year-old).
The movie’s not terribly funny, though the dialogue is top-notch, and the entire film is thoroughly crafted. Veteran Roger Deakins returns to shoot the 600th something collaboration with the Coens (Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, etc.) and truly, when compared to the Duke’s original, captures the er . . . grit of the old west and of Rooster Cogburn’s eyepatch with exceeding clariy.
A.S.C. stands for American Society of Cinematographers, to whomever was curious. Also in contrast to the old film is a substantial diversion in script, to the benefit of the action and tension. For example, the separation of Marshall Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) and La Boeuf (Matt Damon) in this release occurs naturally and aids in the execution of the subsequent rescue. This is absent in Henry Hathaway’s adaptation. Instead, the ranger is shown riding away with the marshall and a moment later assailing Tom Chaney from across the river.
Essentially the Coen brothers have trimmed the fat and filled the potholes of the ’69 film, but by adapting the book rather than re-cutting the old movie. Kim Darby’s performance is difficult to beat. Obviously John Wayne’s role is accompanied by large boots, but Bridges pulls it off with the aid of a dense colloquial script devoid of all contractions, and especially a high quality supporting case and crew. Matt Damon plays the straight man, the lone ranger who professes not to fear danger and holds his head high but drinks from hoofprints. Hailee Steinfeld steals the show with her concerned eyes and the simple allure of her character’s brash determination (the haggling scene and the horse across the river come to mind).
Sad to hear that the bearskin clad mountain doctor was a fabrication of J & E and not Charles Portis, but I guess it makes sense. Anyways, the original is violent but this one is wild. Lots of blood, and what’s a Western without it? Definitely proof that the MPAA is lax on “intense sequences of western violence.” Maybe the panel deemed the literary value of the film’s brilliant language and vivid, thoroughly researched sets appropriate for audiences age 13. Either way, this film is not to miss, along with every other picture directed and produced by these brothers. Josh Brolin’s appearance is also notable.
