True Grit

UK Release Date. 26 December 1969
Certification. U
Running Time. 2 hours 8 mins
Director. Henry Hathaway
Cast. Glen Campbell, Jeff Corey, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Jeremy Slate, John Wayne.
Rating. 68%

Review.

Henry Hathaway's 1969 True Grit afforded John Wayne one of his most iconic roles - the "one-eyed, fat man," Sheriff Rooster Cogburn - and his only Academy Award in a long and prodigious career. Incredibly overlooked for more challenging roles in films such as Red River and The Searchers, the 1970 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is largely regraded as a sentimental win, instead of one for the quality of the perfomance. Nonetheless, John Wayne's portrayal of Sheriff Rooster Cogburn is easily one of his most memorable performances.  

The film follows Charles Portis' celebrated novel of the same name. After the villainous hired hand, Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) guns down her father, 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) hires US Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) to track down her father's murderer. 

The director, Henry Hathaway patiently permits the three main characters to develop, largely creating credible and compelling personalities.

• The colourful, larger than life Sheriff Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) is revealed to have an ex-wife and an estranged son, "There was a boy. Nola taken him with her. He never liked me anyway. A clumsier child you'll never see."
• The tenacious Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) evolves into a young woman of comparable substance with attitude and ambition. 
• The affable La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), is underdeveloped in a secondary role as the Texas Ranger also in pursuit of Tom Chaney for the murder of a senator from Texas.

The dialogue in True Grit is on point, full of acerbic cynicism and spirit in equal measure. Waynes' monotonous delivery is perfectly suited for the sarcastic bravado of Cogburn and ensures a heartwarming relationship with Ross develops. With Ross, almost inevitably, inheriting the role of surrogate daughter (or replacement son) to Cogburn.

There are undoubted issues with True Grit. The film drags and is unable to justify a two hours run time. At times, especially the drunken scenes, the character of Rooster Cogburn seems like a pastiche of previous characters, with Wayne resorting to broad comedy rather than acting. But the film delivers one of the most iconic showdowns in Wayne's filmography. From an elevated position, the audience watch on as Rooster Cogburn single-handedly faces Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and his gang of outlaws in an birchwood clearing with reins between his teeth to enable him to discharge a shotgun in each hand. "I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Forth Smith at Judge Parker's convenience. Which'll it be?" 

This is, indeed, 'a man with true grit.'

Remarkably, the film somehow showcases Wayne's machismo while being driven by an uncommonly strong young female lead (for a western produced in the late 1960s). 

In 2010, the Coen Brothers released a re-working of True Grit starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper and Hailee Steinfield.