True
Grit Blu-ray/DVD (1969)
Paramount
Cast:
John Wayne Glen Campbell, Kim Darby.
Rating:
PG-13
Run
time: 111 mins
Genre:
Western
Verdict:
Beautiful
(see rating
system)
True
Grit, the western that finally landed John Wayne a
“best Actor” Oscar after almost 40 years in the
saddle is well served by a great new Blu-ray release timed
to compete with the new 2010 version starring Jeff Bridges
Don't
believe the myth that Wayne couldn't act - he had huge screen
presence and a suprisingly good sense of comic timing, which
is why there are always some decent laughs in his films, particularly
the later ones. Above all, he made it look easy, which it
certainly isn't.
"The
Duke" deserved an Oscar for several earlier films, among
them Red River (1948), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
and The Searchers (1956) and by the time he made this movie
at age 62 must have thought his time had passed. But the role
was a beauty, and director Henry Hathaway encouraged Wayne
to add some pounds to fit the part of marshall Rooster Cogburn,
a tough, whisky drinking rascal who brought in the bad guys
dead more often than alive. A distinctive eye patch completed
the image of a man who'd seen a fight or two.
Screen
newcomer Kim Darby plays Mattie Ross, a teenage girl whose
father has been murdered by a ranchhand. She seeks out Cogburn
to pursue the killer, but she insists she'll be coming along
for the ride to see that justice is done. Cogburn isn't happy,
but the money is good. There's an additional incentive: the
wanted man has hooked up with Ned Pepper, a notorious outlaw
Cogburn has long been pursuing.
Adding
friction to the mission is a Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell)
who joins up for some reward money and clashes often with
Cogburn and Mattie. A good performance from Campbell.
Needless
to say, the Blu-ray disc shows the Colorado locations to great
effect and there's plenty of action after a bit of a sluggish
start to the film. The solid supporting cast includes Robert
Duvall and Strother Martin.
The
2007 Special Collector's Edition DVD marked the 100th anniversary
of Wayne’s birth, and includes the same four featurettes
and commentary on the making of the movie as the Blu-ray.
Cast members Glen Campbell and Kim Darby are among those interviewed.
