The western has been around since Hollywood has been making movies. There have been a fair amount of western stars, Clint Eastwood, Randolph Scott and Roy Rogers to name a few. The biggest and the best though was John Wayne. He proves this with his larger than life performance as Rooster Cogburn. This is the culmination of his nearly forty years of acting. He won his only Oscar for his portrayal of the hard drinking, plain talking marshal.
True Grit is about Mattie Ross, played by Kim Darby, who seeks justice after her father is murdered by Tom Chaney, played by Jeff Corey. She first goes to the sheriff, who tells her Chaney has fled to hostile territory. He tells her the jurisdiction falls under U.S marshal, Rooster Cogburn. She seeks him out and says she will pay him to find Chaney. A Texas ranger named Leboeuf, played by Glen Campbell, is also interested in bringing back Chaney, because he murdered a state senator. They both tell Mattie she can’t come along, but she manages to catch up to them. Rooster Cogburn is so impressed by her spirit, that he lets her come along. They journey through beautiful country, mainly Colorado, is beautifully photographed by Lucien Ballard. They learn that Chaney has hooked up with Ned Pepper’s gang. Cogburn and Leboeuf, ambush and kill two of Pepper’s gang. Mattie finds Cheney and she shoots and wounds him. Ned Pepper’s gang surprise Cogburn and Leboeuf and take Mattie hostage, leaving the wounded Chaney to guard her. Leboeuf comes back and captures Chaney. Rooster Cogburn confronts Ned Pepper and says he’s taking him to justice. He asks how a one eyed fat man is going to do that. Cogburn says in response, “call your hand, you son of a bitch!” He charges on his horse, guns blazing and kills the gang, except for Ned Pepper, who is fatally wounded. Rooster Cogburn is pinned beneath his dead horse, and Pepper is about to shoot him, but Leboeuf kills Pepper from the hill with his rifle. When Leboeuf goes to help Cogburn, Cheney hits him over the head with a rock. He grabs Mattie, and she shoots him, falling into a rattlesnake pit. Rooster Cogburn shoots and kills Chaney, but Mattie is bitten. Cogburn can’t reach her, but Leboeouf wakes up and ties a rope to his horse and Cogburn ties the other end to Mattie and pulls her up. After this, Leboeuf dies from his head wound. Rooster gets her medical aid and saves her life. He comes to see her, and she offers him a plot in the family graveyard, because he has no family. Rooster Cogburn jests at her offer, and jumps over the fence with his horse saying “Come and see a fat old man sometime.”
What is it about True Grit, that makes it stand out. It’s not about good guys going after the bad guys. It’s about the relationship between Rooster Cogburn and Mattie Ross. He looks out for her, when he can’t stop her from going with him, to track down her father’s killer. She becomes his confidant, and he becomes hers. They are both different from each other. Mattie is cool and collected about finding her father’s killer. Rooster is a loud, brash borderline alcoholic, who doesn’t care how he gets his man, as long as he brings him to justice. Once they have achieved their collective goals, Rooster Cogburn has become a surrogate father to Mattie and Rooster has found a friend in her.
John Wayne’s performance was one of his best. He has great screen chemistry with Kim Darby. This is different for Wayne because many of his westerns are geared toward male bonding. His character of Rooster Cogburn may have been one dimensional, if not for the character interaction between Mattie and Rooster. When Rooster is asked in court, why he shot Ned Pepper in the bottom lip, he says “I was aiming for his upper lip.” He gives the audience pure John Wayne when he tells Robert Duvall’s character “Call your hand, you son of a bitch!” This is one of Wayne’s best lines. It is also one of the best scenes in a western or any movie.
John Wayne’s performance is helped by Henry Hathaway, who directed this film. He worked with Wayne on several movies. This being their best work. He had to work on location, which can be difficult. He also had to work with Kim Darby in her first major film role, and got a great performance from her. He also had to film Wayne’s climactic showdown with Ned Pepper’s gang. This scene alone shows his talent behind the camera. Henry Hathaway made True Grit a great western and made it one of Hathaway’s best films.
True Grit will always be a great western. It’s also relevant for keeping an aging star in John Wayne, riding tall in the saddle. It was rare for a western to be nominated for Hollywood’s highest honor. It’s even rarer for the star of the film to be nominated, let alone win the academy award. That is what happened when John Wayne walked away with his crowning achievement, which he should have received many years before. Wayne along with the principals, make this film a very watchable and entertaining film, fifty years later.