Byrdz Even on a small television screen John Wayne is a BIG big man. Not only in size, but in his incredible talent. His Rooster Cogburn is not the typical all around good-guy we have come to expect and WOW ... is he good ! Oscar worthy ? Sure .. why in heck not ? The story is well presented. The supporting cast is outstanding. Even non-actor Glen Campbell carried it off. Special mention for Robert Duvall... one of those chameleon actors who can handle the most rural or urban roles without batting an eyelash.The scenery !!! No need to say more ! One small negative... the constant overuse of the theme music. When the music is this noticeable and repetitive ... it's wrong.If you have not seen the original, I suggest that you remedy that situation as soon as possible. Just watch it and don't worry about comparing it to the re-make. That always seems to be to be a pointless activity anyway.

sol- Set on avenging her father's murder, a teenager hires a US marshal reputed to be a man of "true grit" in this Henry Hathaway western, best remembered nowadays as the film that won John Wayne an Oscar. The film benefits from a decent story and well-chosen title as the question arises of whether the marshal or the girl has more grit. It is also a surprisingly violent film with a memorable decapitated fingers scene. Rewatched back-to-back with the Coen Brothers' 2010 adaptation of the same novel, the 1969 film stands up better than expected. The Hathaway film is nowhere near as atmospheric and Kim Darby pales significantly by comparison to Hailee Steinfeld. Not only is Darby too old for the role, she tends to reduce her character to whinging and whining, which makes it hard to root for her. Wayne on the other hand is equally as solid as Jeff Bridges. With his constant joking around (especially in court), Wayne carves a more jovial character than the characters he is best known for playing and he manages to establish credible rapport with Darby. The 1969 film also benefits from one of Elmer Bernstein's most memorable scores and ineffectual as Glen Campbell may be, it is a treat to see the Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper doing all they can with pivotal supporting roles in this version.

vincentlynch-moonoi There's a lot to love about this film. Yes, love. And there aren't many actors I can say that about...even though other Westerns are more favorites for me.Let's start with John Wayne's performance. I think he deserved the Oscar...and not just as a nod to his career, but for this film in and of itself. It isn't just that Wayne was getting old, it was that here he wasn't playing typical Wayne. More than most of his films, here he played a character...and the performance is simply iconic.The next best thing about the film is the scenery and photography. Most of it was filmed in western Colorado, and the photography does the scenery justice. The one exception is the scene in the aspen trees fairly early in the film; the camera wasn't level, and I found it quite distracting.And then there's the music. Another bold and brilliant score by Elmer Bernstein.Kim Darby's darned good here. Rooster had grit, but Mattie had spunk. Those qualities work together well, even if -- as it is said -- she and Wayne didn't like each other much.So what's not to like? The performance by Glen Campbell. Don't get me wrong, as a singer, I liked Glen Campbell. But as an actor -- PU! John Wayne made almost a dozen films after this one (and I did enjoy the sequel with Katherine Hepburn), but when I think of John Wayne riding off into the sunset...this is the film that comes to mind.

Scott LeBrun John Wayne shines here, in his Oscar-winning portrayal of a cantankerous, tough, hard- drinking, one-eyed federal marshal named "Rooster" Cogburn. Headstrong young Mattie Ross (an appealing Kim Darby) approaches him for help: find Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), the no- good type who shot and killed her father, and bring Chaney back to face the hangman. Mattie requires Roosters' services because this killing is no longer a matter for the police as Chaney is now hiding in Indian territory, riding with the bandit Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall) and his gang. Mattie insists on tagging along with Rooster every step of the way, and also along for the ride is a stubborn Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (singer Glen Campbell).The characters are surely a very compelling bunch, with Wayne dominating the screen in his inimitable style. Although they didn't really get along behind the camera, he and Darby work pretty well together on screen. Campbells' part comes across as not that likable to start, but he does endear himself more to the viewer as the story progresses. Based on the novel by Charles Portis, with a screenplay by Marguerite Roberts, the film is extremely well directed by Henry Hathaway, and gets a lot of juice from the sparks set by the two main characters. In addition, it's very effective in the realistic, even handed way that it treats the villainous Pepper. Duvall is superb in this low key performance where you won't see any "moustache twirling".The always very reliable director of photography Lucien Ballard makes the film look just gorgeous, and Elmer Bernstein composed a wonderful score.There's an absolutely delightful line-up of talent in supporting and character roles: Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin (his scenes with Darby are very amusing), Ron Soble, John Fiedler, James Westerfield, John Doucette, Myron Healey, James McEachin, Jay Silverheels, and Hank Worden.Ultimately, this is charming and poignant and Wayne makes the most out of the material, with Cogburn emerging as one of the most colourful parts of his career.Nine out of 10.