I had, I do
believe, made a loose resolution of sorts at the beginning of the year that I
was going to watch a lot more of the old classics this year. I inadvertently
started catching up with this resolution when I purchased True Grit in a
charity shop thinking, for some reason completely incomprehensible to me now,
thought it was something completely different and a lot more recent. I actually
started watching it on my way up to Dream Factory on the train, a rather
fitting return to creative cinematic roots. I really, truly should watch more
westerns. They are the grandparents of so many action films in so many ways…
And damn good fun to boot.
True Grit is
the story of Mattie Ross (Kim Darby). Her family is struck by tragedy when her
beloved father is killed and the scoundrel who killed him runs off with the
family savings. Mattie however, is a strong and resourceful girl – and a true
daddy’s girl to boot. She is not going to let the fact that she is a mere child
stop her avenging her father. She may not be able to chase the man down and
arrest him herself – but she knows to find the man who can! Enter Rooster
Cogburn (John Wayne, who actually won an Academy Award for his performance), a
wily old U.S. Marshal who is both up for and capable of pretty much anything
given the right monetary (and liquid) encouragement. Now, asking Rooster to
track this man down is one thing. Getting him to accept that Mattie will be
coming with him on the journey is another matter altogether. And then there is
the “small” matter of the marshal from Texas who will neither be shaken off
their trail nor take no for an answer who is hunting for the same man for a
completely different set of crimes… Things are about to seriously hot up – old
Rooster’d better have his wits about him!
I have
really mixed emotions about this film on some levels. I mean take Madeline. She
is the typical rather outdated “perfect” heroine with no faults at all. I mean
yeah, I guess it can be counted as at least a stroke of originality that she is
a tom boy. She has short hair like a boy, can ride and use a gun. But as far as
her morals and the way she act goes she is, basically, far too perfect to be
believed. Then again this was 1969 so I guess heroines with realistic character
flaws were rather thin on the ground. It didn’t stop her annoying me all the
way through the film though. You know, in the way you get annoyed with the nerd
in class that constantly gets top marks. And before you berate me for saying
this, back in the day I WAS that nerd. So I actually can say things like that.
And I mean
of course one can’t really go comparing the way things were (or at least the
way they were portrayed) back in the day to these days or you’d just go mad. I
mean for example, call her “baby sister” all the way throughout or not, was I
the only one who got slightly concerned about the “friendship” between Rooster
and Mattie? Oh come on! We live in an age where veteran entertainers who were
the joys of our childhood are accused of child abuse (I don’t want to name
names and go into discussions, UK readers will know what I am talking
about) don’t tell me you didn’t think of
that at all from a 21st century perspective! But then again, I guess
it was a slightly more innocent age when these things – if not uncommon – were definitely
not discussed so much. Plus of course True Grit is very much a family film of
its time. And for all the components of a classic western that it is (It’s a
John Wayne movie for God’s sakes! ) this is very much like the children’s films
of yore where the young heroine (usually of the age of the target audience –
and hand on heart I couldn’t swear to how old Mattie is supposed to be here
although she still lives at home and very much is her father’s baby (as opposed
to a woman of marriageable age) so she can’t be THAT old) completes amazing
feats with the aid of a larger and stronger yet bumbling sidekick. In this case
the amazing Rooster Cogburn who for all his talent and bravado clearly does not
have half Maddie’s skills at planning, foresight and determination and oh,
scandal of scandals; HE DRINKS WISKEY. The horror.
As I write
these I am genuinely not sure if it is my complete desensitization to violence
and “hard hitting” movies that has prompted me but honestly, to me, True Grit
felt like a movie for young adults. I would actually say children but there
adult themes such as death (not least the death of Maddie’s father), drink,
gambling and cheating so maybe not very young children but especially in this
age of smartphones and data overload pre-teens could hack it. Ironically enough
they may even find bits of it naïve. I’m thinking you as an adult will almost
definitely find things to smile knowingly at. But is this a bad thing? Not if
you’re me. It’s definitely one for the fans of John Wayne, westerns and old
movies to gather round. Definitely one to watch with your slightly older kids.
It’s not going to change your world and your philosophy but if you want to
escape the 21st century real world for an hour or two, Rooster
Cogburn is your man!
PS If you watch the film look out for Dennis Hopper in a tiny part as Moon one of the motely gang Mattie and Rooster are chasing!
Kayıtlar
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder