The Performances, Compared
It was a challenge for the Coens to find an actor for the role that gave John Wayne his Academy Award, being that it remains one of Wayne’s best-remembered performances.
However, Jeff Bridges' take on the character is vastly different to Wayne’s, breathing renewed life into Rooster Cogburn.
Bridges added many layers to the performance that Wayne’s image wouldn’t have allowed for—such as the comedic tone he brought to the group, plus the character’s heavy drinking.
Whereas Wayne had the “Wayne-ness” trait that gave his Rooster a manly feel, Bridges' take was deeper, more nuanced, and more endearing.
The same is true for Matt Damon’s update of the La Boeuf character, with Glen Campbell’s original being more serious than Damon’s. Campbell brought a cocksure attitude to the role, which Damon used and turned into comedic arrogance.
Kim Darby’s original performance as Mattie Ross is the only one from the original film that doesn’t stand up compared to the remake. Hailee Steinfeld’s updated incarnation was more well-rounded and felt like more than a voice from the back of the convoy.
In truth, the Coen Brothers' version ofTrue Grithas better performances all around compared to the originalTrue Grit. The only real standout from the original is John Wayne’s character, whno holds up to this day.
The Direction, Compared
Henry Hathaway directed the 1969 version ofTrue Grit. He was a venerated and consistent director of Westerns who frequently worked during Hollywood’s Golden Age, right through to the early-1970s when he sadly passed away.
Hathaway has a place noted in cinematic history for the amount of Westerns he directed during his career. However, without sounding unkind, Joel and Ethan Coen are objectively better filmmakers.
Indeed, Joel and Ethan Coen are two of the best filmmakers to ever grace cinema, having proven themselves capable of shifting genres with ease. That’s something they did with their version ofTrue Grit, which had them stepping into a new realm as Western directors.
The performances and aesthetics of the 2010 remake ofTrue Grittrump the original, even if the original embodies what classic Western filmmaking was at the time (largely because of Hathaway’s work).
Joel and Ethan Coen find comedy in the story—a particular strength of theirs—and use it to craft the tale around their vision, all while allowing the performances of Bridges, Damon, and Steinfeld to flourish.
Related:Famous Movie Directors and Their Styles, Explained
The Cinematography, Compared
The Coen Brothers assembled an elite filmmaking squad to remakeTrue Grit, and they didn’t settle for just any good cinematographer. They hired Roger Deakins, the legendary British cinematographer who’s earned 15 Academy Award nominations for his work to date (and won twice).
As the vast open plains engulf the trio of characters while they search for Cheney, the feeling of being out in the wilderness brings a sense that they could roam it for decades without encountering another soul. It permeates Deakins' work on the film and showcases his immense talent.
The hiring of Deakins makes the comparison of films slightly unfair, as many consider him to be one of the greatest of all time. But as great as Deakins is, Lucien Ballard still did a great job with the original.
Much like Deakins with the Coens, Ballard and Hathaway often collaborated on films together—andTrue Gritis a fine example of that. But comparing the way both films look, Roger Deakins' output on the 2010 version ofTrue Gritencapsulates his mastery of his art.
Related:What Is Cinematography? Movies With the Best Cinematography
The Script, Compared
Charles Portis published the novelTrue Gritin 1968—and immediately Marguerite Roberts went to work on adapting the story.
Her writing did the film and the original novel justice, as the tale of a trio doomed in their hunt for revenge gave John Wayne much great material to work with in his performance.
For their updated version, Joel and Ethan Coen didn’t just remake the original film—they continued their long tradition of going to the source material and adapting it to film themselves.
The depth of their screenplay, with the fleshing-out of Cogburn resulting in a more rounded character than in the original, gave their incarnation of the film greater meaning. (Some of the blame can also go to John Wayne, whose films typically “starred John Wayne” much in the same way that Christopher Walken always seems to play Christopher Walken.)
The Coens' renewed depth is what makes theTrue Gritremake a better-written adaptation overall. To be fair, they had much more time to work on the script than Marguerite Roberts did, who was pressured by the studio to churn out her film adaptation as quickly as possible.
Which True Grit Movie Is Better?
Without a doubt, the remake ofTrue Gritbests the originalTrue Gritis multiple areas. While John Wayne’s portrayal of Rooster Cogburn is still so very memorable, the Coen Brothers' film remains the better of the two in almost every manner.
Yet even for its superiority, theTrue Gritremake won’t ever be as well-remembered in cinema history as the originalTrue Grit.
Read next:The Coolest Movie Cowboy Characters, Ranked
