True Grit (2010)

True Grit is the Coen Brothers latest genre masterpiece, a remake of a 1969 John Wayne film, which I haven't seen, but which I have added to my Netflix queue with the status of 'Long Wait'. So, neglecting any comparisons with the original - which, I'm sure, will add layers to the reading - True Grit 2010 was a stunning film, thanks in no small part to Roger Deakins' nearly poetic cinematography, and the incredible performance of my favorite new little spitfire, Hailee Steinfeld.

Steinfeld plays Maddie Ross, a self-possessed, self-reliant, no-nonsense kind of girl who hires a US Marshall to track down her father's murderer, Tom Cheney, a fugitive who is also being pursued across state lines by Texas Ranger LeBeof. Jeff Bridges shines, of course, as crotchety Rooster Coburn (I seriously can't imagine how John Wayne could do any better), chosen by Maddie because of his "true grit", and Matt Damon is super adorable and funny as LeBeof (my love for him has certainly grown exponentially since I hated him for ruining The Talented Mr. Ripley).

This trio travels into Indian territory to hunt Cheney and his criminal cohorts, their personal (and interpersonal) conflicts reflected in the hostile terrain and lawless justice of the untamed West they must traverse. Visually, the characters are dwarfed by the landscape. Beautiful, bold, broad shots set our heroes and villains in the middle of deep valleys, perceived as miniatures from our too-far-away vantage point on a nearby clifftop. Or the characters are entangled in the scenery, trapped or overwhelmed, struggling against the elements. And this combination of man vs. nature configurations really describes the dialectic of the film: for all the expansive surroundings, the story really anchors on the personal and intimate.

The core of the film is really the relationship(s) between Coburn, LeBeouf, and Maddie. Both Coburn and LeBeof have developed their coping mechanisms, their hard-lived life stories, their grit, if you will. Both are kind enough (or the writers are) to give us many of these back stories from the witness stand, while on the road, around the campfire. Both have clearly evolved into men with Grit, albeit down very different paths, and their interactions with one another, and in relation to Maddie, reveal nuanced meanings of tenacity, honor, and trustworthiness.

But Maddie is something different entirely. Her story is clear and simple and complete. More than the obvious grit of the Marshall, or the ranger, or the outlaws, Maddie embodies true grit - she represents unvarnished truth and absolute determinism. Also, any actress who can believably hold her own with Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper is super kick-ass in my book any day.