True Grit (1969)
Composite Score: 82.97
Starring: John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Jeremy Slate, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, John Fiedler, and James Westerfield
Director: Henry Hathaway
Writer: Marguerite Roberts
Genres: Adventure, Drama, Western
MPAA Rating: G
Box Office: $276,418 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
True Grit (1969) is the first film adaptation of Charles Portis’s novel of the same name, starring John Wayne as Marshall Rooster Cogburn and Kim Darby as Mattie Ross. It follows the story of a girl seeking justice against the man who murdered her father and has now fled into the territories to escape the law. The film is notable for its on-the-nose dialogue and humorous exchanges and for one of the quintessential John Wayne performances (for which he won his only Oscar). Its exploration of justice and revenge and the law remains highly entertaining and well worth the watch.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Aside from a few dated references and a potentially problematic portrayal of an Asian man, there’s not a lot to keep True Grit off of someone’s watchlist. John Wayne and Glen Campbell get off some fairly sexist lines throughout the film, but time and again Kim Darby’s Mattie proves them to be false. The use of the term “Indian”, while period-accurate, remains potentially offensive to some viewers and should also be noted. Finally, Cogburn stays at a store owned by a Chinese man named Chen Lee, who comes across as a fairly stereotypical portrayal of Asians coming out of the 1960s, but he is at least played by an actual Chinese actor, H.W. Gim, and not someone like Mickey Rooney.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
True Grit remains one of the must-watch classic westerns. If you’ve seen no other John Wayne western, make this one your watch. It’s got great action, a compelling story, interesting characters, and solid performances across the board. By following Mattie Ross’s story, the film brings the audience along on a journey to discover what justice truly means. Mattie wants Tom Chaney brought to justice for killing her father, hoping to take him alive and bring him back to Fort Smith to be hanged. Le Boeuf wants to take Chaney alive as well but to bring him back to Waco instead to face justice for a different crime, placing the two characters inherently at odds with one another despite the cohesion of their overall goals. In the midst of the two justice seekers, Rooster Cogburn just wants to collect a reward for Chaney (and also Chaney’s boss “Lucky” Ned Pepper), not caring who gets what they want in the end. As the story progresses, it morphs into a character study on Cogburn, seeking to understand his alcoholism and giving him genuine human connection in the form of Mattie (“Little Sister” as he calls her). In doing so, the film raises the stakes and is no longer worried so much about whose form of justice is more correct but instead on the survival of its central characters in the face of many dangers. Its destination ends up far more rewarding than a simple film about whose claim was better could ever have been, leaving the audience emotionally satisfied and thoroughly entertained.
Tying the story together are the central performances. Glen Campbell fits perfectly in the role of Le Boeuf, sauntering around in his spurs with all the misplaced overconfidence that the character requires. Kim Darby holds her own as Mattie Ross, sparring verbally with the plethora of men that she comes into contact with. Jeff Corey’s Chaney is every bit the trashy coward that Mattie makes him out to be, consistently blaming others for his woes and refusing to seek any form of change or redemption. Robert Duvall is a pleasant addition as Ned Pepper, bringing just the right blend of menace and regret to his role as the film’s most villainous villain. At the heart of it all is John Wayne’s performance as Rooster Cogburn, which won him an Oscar and Golden Globe. He does what he does best in this role, playing one of his more complex characters as a drunk vagrant of a lawman, yearning for connection but unable to overcome his own exterior for so long. He carries the film with such bravado and emotion that a film sequel was made, starring only Wayne as a repeat character, and if that doesn’t speak to his ability in the film, I don’t know what does.
Strong performances headlined by John Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn are the hallmark of a western story that is well-crafted and compelling, making True Grit easily one of the best westerns ever made and one of the Greatest Films of All Time. A few dated moments detract a bit from it on rewatch, but otherwise, it is near perfection in its delivery, action, and character moments. This film is currently available to stream on Paramount+ and Epix or to rent on most other streaming services; I highly recommend giving it a watch.
