One element that True Grit and Stagecoach share is the use of violence simply for the sake of violence. The battle scene between the cowboys and Indians in Stagecoach is full of action, but there is never any real explanation as to why the Indians are attacking the stagecoach. In True Grit, one of the most violent scenes involves cutting off a man's fingers, then showing them lying on the table surrounded by blood. There does not seem to be any purpose for this action in the film. In addition, Stagecoach really emphasizes the setting of the film by using wide shots of the desert and hills. This typical element of Westerns is used in True Grit too. As LaBoeuf prepares to shoot some men at the bottom of a hill, the camera shows the entire setting and the open nature around it. Finally, the storyline of True Grit involves Mattie seeking the man who killed her father in order to have him arrested and killed; but she is determined to make it clear that this is the reason he will be executed. A traditional Western involves characters seeking to follow their own morals. Mattie wants Chaney killed for her own specific reasons, regardless of what other crimes he is accused of. This is also true with Ringo's character in Stagecoach. Ringo helps the riders on the Stagecoach fight off the Indians even though they are the people arresting him. He does not care about what the social norms might be: he simply wants to do what he believes is right.
Unforgiven is a revisionist Western because it takes place in a time period where the frontier is becoming more explored and less wild. The characters in this film are not typical for traditional Westerns. For example, Will has a family and lives a quiet life, whereas the traditional Western hero lives a life full of adventure and danger and acts independently. Mattie in True Grit is also not a typical character for a Western. As a 14-year-old girl, it is unusual that she is the hero of the story. In addition, the characters in both True Grit and Unforgiven are multi-dimentional. We see many different sides to Will throughout Unforgiven; when Ned is killed, Will is very sad and a more sensitive, emotional side of him is shown, but when he finally goes to shoot the owner of the bar, he comes across as aggressive and dangerous. In True Grit the audience learns a lot about Mattie's character and background, making her feel more three-dimentional.
In my opinion, True Grit more closely resembles a traditional Western than a revisionist Western. Though Mattie is a more revisionist character, Rooster fits the role of the traditional Western hero. He is reluctant to go on the trip with Mattie at first, he is not "respectable" in society but well respected in the frontier, and he is violent for no reason. In addition, though characters in True Grit have some dimension, their character development is not very important towards the plot. The storyline is more about the adventure. Finally, the setting is a very important part of True Grit. There are many beautiful scenes of the desert and woods, and the part where Mattie falls into the pit with the snake emphasizes the danger of the West, something that is always present in classic Westerns.
No comments:
Post a Comment