True Grit (2010)

The Coen Brothers’ True Grit is a great example of a modern take on a classic film. This 2010 remake of the 1969 classic renewed more than just another John Wayne story; it also brought back the timeless “Western” genre. The film managed to contain many aspects that made it feel like a traditional western, but it was done in such a way that it is unmistakably a contemporary film. Overall, the film does a pretty good job of embracing this classic genre, while still being relevant to today’s audiences.

One major aspect that sets this film out from other, more traditional, westerns is the look, due to the shooting format and post processing. True Grit was shot on Super 35mm film, and posted using a digital intermediate process. These two factors make for an extremely clean and precise image, something that was always missing from typical westerns. The DI process gives the filmmakers more options, as far as color correction, once they get into post, but in my opinion it was somewhat detrimental to this film. The images all look great, but the DI just lacks a certain something that makes the film stand out as a Western, and not just a movie about the west.

The score, on the other hand, is something that is fits very well with the Western genre. It truly has the feel of a classic western score. It is an original orchestral piece, composed by Carter Burwell, who composed the scores for many of the Coen brother’s films. The score is relatively slow through ought the film, but it never feels too slow, or like it doesn’t fit with the film. One part of the score that makes it feel more like a western is Burwell’s use of stingers and jabs. This was something that was very common in older western scores, but was frequently over used to the point that it drew the viewer out of the film. Comparatively, Burwell’s use is somewhat understated, in that the stingers don’t stand out too much, but they are apparent enough that they help with the tone of the film.

One part of the film that differed from the traditional western is the lack of a romantic interest within the film. In most westerns, the male lead has a female character that he is involved with, and sometimes bases decisions off of. This is one area where True Grit had nothing. There was a hint of romantic interest between Mattie (Hailee Steinfield) and LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), but it was quickly dismissed, and would not have been appropriate anyways, due to their drastic differences in age.

Another large difference was in the setting and time of year. The typical western seems to take place on a prairie, or desert, someplace where it is hot and dry. True Grit largely takes place in the winter, and in many of the exteriors there is snow. It is somewhat odd to think about a western where it is snowing, but in the film it seems entirely fitting. This difference is one that actually works very well with the film.