True Grit A Tribute
The movie critic Roger Ebert said it “reminds us of the glory that was and can still be, the Western”. I’m Susan Allen when Open Range returns I’ll share my two cents about the new movie True Grit. I was skeptical regarding the remake of the classic, acadamy award winning, True Grit. It seemed a betrayal of sorts to John Wayne. In reality the new version is a tribute! Many reviewers said the film directed by the Coen brothers draws more from the 1968 novel by Charles Portis than the 69 movie, yet I found so many scenes were reminiscent of the first... in a magical deja-vu way. Certainly I was concerned the remake would disappoint,especially in an era when produces resort to shock value to boost ratings via rough language and violence. And yes the Coen version contained more graphic, dark and threatening scenes but it never took me to an uncomfortable place. A pleasant surprise was Matt Damon who showed wonderful versatility playing a Texas Ranger, besting Glenn Cambell’s original role. Part of celebrating our western heritage is supporting individuals that go out on a limb to artistically portray it; be it in art, crafts or cinema. So see the movie! Like Roger Ebert wrote in his five star review “ We always knew we were looking at John Wayne in the original True Grit. When we see Rooster Cogburn we’re not thinking about Jeff Bridges. Thanks to the remake of True Grit not only Duke but the western genre ride on.
