No, this is not the John Wayne version.
Now, I don't know if all westerns are good, I've only seen good ones, or I like them all. Whatever the reason, this was a good movie and a great film. The story is classic and beautifully told, from colors to locations to acting.
The first thing that caught my attention was the wonderful costuming. You learn so much about a character just from looking at them. Mary Zophres did a wonderful job harnessing this. The colors and patterns reflect the surroundings, bringing together a complete picture. She used the clothes to play up or down characteristics of the actors themselves, beyond character and weather. Mattie has dark, serious, determined clothing choices. Rooster Cogburn is outfitted to look somewhere between ridiculous and dead serious, and LaBoeuf is dressed up and puffed up in his buckskins.
After the costumes, I noticed location. The wilderness shots are beautiful. Distance and time are shown simply through the changing scenery. In town, careful attention was paid to all details. Paint was weathered, trees were stripped to give the appearance of winter, and telephone poles were turned into trees. The train comes to the end of the tracks, and it's literally the end. What I mean by this is, the end of the tracks was not simply referenced in speech, but was right there in plain view. There was a blockade set up where they ended for the engineer to see. It bothers me when a train comes to the end of the line, then keeps going. I can assume it is to turn around or enter a yard, perhaps, but I liked this way better.
The camerawork and lighting did not tell the story so much as show it to you. This was not meant to be a thriller. The only scene I can think of where a dramatic angle was used is when Mattie is under Ned's boot. It was surprising, since, as I mentioned, not many dramatic shots were used. It introduced the character well, though, and gave a wilder sense about him than the other outlaws.
Acting was incredibly well done. The characters didn't seem to be characters, but people. Under all of Mattie's intelligent talk and figuring, there is still a touch of naivety. She is a child, and knows how to connive, while being a woman and knowing how to read emotions. Cogburn is mostly looking out for his own skin. His lines roll out as though he is truly just thinking them up on the way. Loquacious LaBoeuf carries himself as a Texan, with all the pride and swagger he can muster.
Script, location and acting were the main conveyors of this story. The camera just happened to be there, to capture the talent. It did not try to show anyone up. Lighting was honest, showing the characters well and supporting the location. There are many requirements to become a classic, and I believe True Grit fits the bill.
The first thing that caught my attention was the wonderful costuming. You learn so much about a character just from looking at them. Mary Zophres did a wonderful job harnessing this. The colors and patterns reflect the surroundings, bringing together a complete picture. She used the clothes to play up or down characteristics of the actors themselves, beyond character and weather. Mattie has dark, serious, determined clothing choices. Rooster Cogburn is outfitted to look somewhere between ridiculous and dead serious, and LaBoeuf is dressed up and puffed up in his buckskins.