Summary
A cowboy and Old West historian grades 2010’sTrue Gritfor its realism, particularly when it comes to the film’s depiction of outlaws. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the Western film, which serves as an adaptation of a 1968 novel by Charles Portis, chronicles the story of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and her quest for revenge after the murder of her father. TheCoens’True Gritfeatures an impressive cast of actors, with Jeff Bridges starring as U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, Matt Damon as LaBoeuf, and Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney.
In a recent video forInsider, historian Michael Grauer analyzes select scenes fromTrue Grit, revealing what the film gets right and wrong about its depiction of outlaws.
While the film gets certain aspects of Old West life correct, such as the geographical areas where outlaw gangs would typically make camp, it loses some points for not accurately portraying their tactics against lawmen. Check out select comments from Grauer and his score for the film out of 10 below:
“I don’t think that happened as often as we might think, although public executions were held. Fort Smith, Arkansas, of course, ruled by judge Isaac Parker, aka ‘The Hanging Judge,’ that’s all been exaggerated over time and used to effect in both True Grit movies and also in the novel.
“I think outlaw gangs were pretty prominent, especially in Indian Territory. This was federal territory and therefore the scarcity of lawmen really made it very attractive. That and the geography; it was such a vast territory that outlaws could go and escape any sort of jurisdiction. So the Rooster Cogburn character is taking on the role of one of those Federal Marshals to round up a criminal gang led by Lucky Ned Pepper.
“Riding across the open field, it’s almost become its own movie trope. Outlaw gangs were notoriously cowardly. They didn’t like to fight lawmen. They would bushwack, certainly, if they had an advantage. It’s not real sexy to get shot in the back or from ambush so you have to dramatize it and then have them ride across an open field. […]
“I think this probably falls in the seven or eight [out of 10] category.”
How Was True Grit Received?
The Coen Brothers' Western Succeeded Despite Its Inaccuracies
The Coen Brothers are two of the most acclaimed and beloved filmmakers working in Hollywood today, renowned for their unique filmmaking style and storytelling sensibilities.True Grittakes these sensibilities and puts them in an Old West setting for the first time, delivering a story that is generally more serious than most of theCoens' past films, which includeThe Big Lebowski,Barton Fink, andFargo. By most metrics, the Western was a big success.
True Gritwas previously adapted into a film in 1969, with John Wayne playing the role of Rooster Cogburn.
True Gritwas widely celebrated critically, and currently boasts a strong 95% onRotten Tomatoes. Particular praise was levied at the strong performances of theTrue Gritcast and the film’s strong script. The response from audiences was generally very positive as well, and the film currently enjoys an impressive 85% Rotten Tomatoes audience score. OnMetacritic, the scores are similarly positive, with an 80/100 and 7.7/10 for critics and audiences, respectively.True Gritwas also nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, but walked away empty-handed.
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Commercially,True Gritwas also a notable success, especially for a Western. Made on an estimated budget of $38 million,the film went on to gross $252.3 million worldwide. ThoughTrue Gritmay not get everything correct in terms of its portrayal of the American Old West, it clearly succeeded in its storytelling, and remains a strong entry into the Western genre and the Coen Brothers' filmography.
True Grit
Cast
An adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel of the same name, True Grit tells the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), who enlists the help of morally-questionable lawman Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) in order to avenge the death of her father by apprehending the criminal Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). They are joined by a cocksure Texas Ranger named Labeouf (Matt Damon), who insists upon collecting the bounty on Chaney’s head. The three travel across the Arkansas plains in pursuit of Chaney, risking life and limb against outlaws and wild animals in pursuit of justice.
