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True Grit


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John Wayne is like a swimming pool, if you just sit there and toe the water it's cold and uninvitable and really just not all that enjoyable. You have to jump in to get the full effect, otherwise you're just that guy sitting there in the overly baggy t-shirt that's "doesn't feel like going in the water" despite the fact that he's A) Wearing swimming trunks and B) At a fucking pool.

 

Moral of the story: if you're a western fan, eliminating John Wayne from your repertoire is like being a comic fan that despises all comics written before the 1980s. Oh wait.

 

 

 

To be fair the way they used to make westerns is a bit uninviting at first, they tending to be more a collection of scenes and bits than full on stories like the westerns of the 70s, particularly the spaghetti westerns. But I think that was just a reflection of American cinema in general at that point in time and it was pretty hit or miss. Still, going from The Good the Bad and The Ugly to Angel and the Badman (which, by the way, is an example of a John Wayne remake that IS a crime) is kind of a rough transition that's not likely to go well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

smh.gif

Of all the dissapointed gifs you have in your little gif bag, why you gotta' use Bunk? I love Bunk.

 

 

John Wayne is like a swimming pool, if you just sit there and toe the water it's cold and uninvitable and really just not all that enjoyable. You have to jump in to get the full effect, otherwise you're just that guy sitting there in the overly baggy t-shirt that's "doesn't feel like going in the water" despite the fact that he's A) Wearing swimming trunks and B) At a fucking pool.

Moral of the story: if you're a western fan, eliminating John Wayne from your repertoire is like being a comic fan that despises all comics written before the 1980s. Oh wait.

You see I haven't seen a whole lot of his movies, just bits and pieces when flicking through the channels and everytime I stop I just can't get past the fact that....he can't act. Am I just watching the wrong movies? Are there examples of where he acted successfully?

 

As far as your comics crack (well played), can you please point me to the good story arcs pre 1980? Books that rival V For Vendetta, Watchmen, Year One (I'm not being a dick here, I really would love to read these)

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Saw it tonight and, well, yeah...it's about what you'd expect the Coen's to do w/ a re-make of Tue Grit. And don't be fooled by this talk the Bros. were doing about this not being a "remake" of the classic--it is. The ending is drastically different and there are a few other minor and major strays from the Duke's film (which I can only assume are more accurate to Charles Portis' original novel), but all the big beats and great Rooster scenes are here from the original film.

 

The girl who plays Maddy Ross is a fucking phenom! This girl has talent. Bridges is no Duke, but he's a damn fine Rooster. The film kinda/sorta leaves a window for "continuing adventures" of Rooster and that would be fantastic to get an original Coen Bros. western starring Rooster--but that's unlikely. Damon is hilarious as LeBeef and has some great dialogue. And that's what really sets this film apart from the Duke's classic film--that witty, razor sharp dialogue. Brilliant stuff.

 

My main complaint is w/ the directing, believe it or not. The original had a pace about it, and adventurous momentum that this remake lacks. It's by no means a plodding film, but it lacks that sense of excitement that helped make the original such a classic.

 

All said and done, it's great film and has enough differences from the original (which, aside from the ending, are all good'uns) to make it a worthwhile re-make and a film which will likely take a place amongst other greats of the genre.

 

there's a reason i made that choice. you go think on that, and then watch Rio Bravo. alternately: The Searchers, The Shootist El Dorado, many others. focus on Rio Bravo.

 

And being an Irishman, you may also want to take a peek at The Quiet Man, ASC, which is probably my favorite film of The Duke's after True Grit.

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but all the big beats and great Rooster scenes are here from the original film.

 

2625h6x.gif

 

The girl who plays Maddy Ross is a fucking phenom! This girl has talent. Bridges is no Duke, but he's a damn fine Rooster. The film kinda/sorta leaves a window for "continuing adventures" of Rooster and that would be fantastic to get an original Coen Bros. western starring Rooster--but that's unlikely.

 

i always kinda hated the girl in the original, so that's good to hear, too.

related: you ever see Rooster Cogburn & The Lady? its not a classic, but its a fun film if you wanted a "further adventures of" in the day.

 

And being an Irishman, you may also want to take a peek at The Quiet Man, ASC, which is probably my favorite film of The Duke's after True Grit.

 

agreebyrd.gif

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i always kinda hated the girl in the original, so that's good to hear, too.

ditto, which is why i was so pleased to see this actress carry off the part so well. she's gets more screen time in the Coen's version as well.

 

related: you ever see Rooster Cogburn & The Lady?

find me a .gif that expresses disgust and offense that this question was even posed and i'll edit it back in here as my reply.

 

 

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meh. it's hepburn as a cinese woman, but it's unanimated .

 

*edit*

 

better...

tl6p3hfxq.gif

 

 

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Masterfully done film, I don't remember if it was here they were talking about the speech patterns but they're actually more authentic given that the use of contractions is a fairly modern invention. It was equal parts Glen Ford and Cormac MacCarthy and they meshed together fairly well. As for the ending, I have no idea what anyone is complaining about...

 

 

The ending was appropriate, Maddy was hungry for revenge, and she got it, but as is the case with all ugly things it came with a price. The bullshit sentimental scene between her and Rooster that happened at the end of the original is the main reason I bump it lower than the Duke's other finer works, it shows how little the film-makers grasped the meaning of the story. Maddy got her revenge, everyone went their separate ways. Things weren't bad by any means but there was no "You're gonna be buried right next to me, now go have adventures with Katherine Hepburn's dying career" and I pray there will be no further adventures of Bridges' Rooster. The ending was perfect and there's not a thing I would change about it, it wasn't bleak but it didn't waste time with sentimentality because this wasn't a sentimental tale. 10/10, I'll be more thorough later but Coens win for life.

 

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  • 1 year later...

finally got around to watching with sen...goddamn, the coen bros do not let down.

excellent casting all around (my god, the girl is 1000x better), every bit except the iconic "fill your hand..." one, im willing to agree with baytor that the dude handled better, and that's saying a lot from my duke-love.

 

reading the last few posts: sen too found the ending jarring; perhaps i vaguely recall the original flick's ending, but i thought it quite fitting. bases were covered, well done.

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As much as you go on and on about how great Westerns are as a genre, it's remarkable it took you this long to get around the one of the best modern ones since Unforgiven. Anyway, yeah, I'm sure you heard nothing but hype about Steinfeld's performance as Mattie Ross and were still highly impressed.

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