True Grit (the old one)

Interestingly-timed was the arrival of the original True Grit through the post from Lovefilm while I was away in Jordan. At first I thought that was a little depressing to watch the same film twice in a row, but then I thought it was remarkably good timing as I'd be able to properly compare and contrast.

I think it might be a generational thing, but I preferred the remake. Maybe it's something to do with the Technicolour, maybe the 1960s production values make it look slightly more cheesey than it wants to be. I don't know what it is really, but The oddest thing about watching this original version was my realising that I don't think I'd ever seen a John Wayne film before, or at least I don't think I've every watched one in which he was so clearly the star. There'll be purists out there who'll disagree vehemently with me, but I enjoyed Wayne's Rooster Cogburn less than the Jeff Bridges version. Wayne seems to be playing the character from a much more of a slapstick angle than Bridges does, whose version of the character is much more pathetic and sad - and as such endearing.

One large bonus that the old version of True Grit has over the remake is its casting of Robert Duval and Dennis Hopper as members of the gang to whom Tom Chaney turns for refuge. Overall though there wasn't anything in this original version that would make me think anything more of 'True Grit' as a story. I remain unconvinced.