True Grit




She reminds me of me.

While Marshall Cogburn might not have been in the vein of John Wayne's usual characterization (and it certainly wasn't his best performance), to win his only Oscar here was a good way to honor his career.

But this isn't about the Duke. Rather it follows Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), a girl who has just lost her father. She promptly goes about looking for someone to track down her father's killer. Mattie is a tough and stubborn girl, there's no better way to describe her. So she wrangles the greasy drunk of a marshal, Cogburn (John Wayne), into tracking down their man into Indian country. Along for the ride is La Boeuf, a Texas Ranger played by Glen Campbell.

Though this movie doesn't skimp on action, this is a Western driven more by the dialogue than anything else. The characters are insightfully drawn out, no doubt helped by being based on Charles Portis' novel. When we see Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) as he truly is, he may wind up being the film's villain but he's hardly garden variety. But even all this is easy to miss when offered alongside the ripe bickering between Mattie and anyone who gets in her way. She's got a mind to do things exactly the way she wants, and she eventually bends Cogburn and La Boeuf to exactly that. The sharp contrast and frequent differences between her and the oft-intoxicated Cogburn make for some priceless moments and lines.

Henry Hathaway brings his straightforward touch to the proceedings, though he can't help but slip in an overblown climax. The rest of the stuff that makes a good Western is present, though not always in great quantities. The scenery is pretty enough to notice, which is saying something, and the music is big. And well, the story is where the real credit must go.

Kim Darby hits the nail square on the head and brings just the right amount of obstinate vigor to the character that really validates what she does. Anything less and the whole thing would've tripped up. Glen Campbell can't claim quite as much; he comes off about as well as wet cardboard. Wayne seems to be having a good time playing the smarmy but decent Marshall and it really pays off.

This is certainly one Western that does well to set itself apart.



-The Gnome