MovieChat Forums > True Grit (1969) Discussion > This movie is so right-wing extremist

This movie is so right-wing extremist

posted 15 years ago by IceboxMovies
76 replies | jump to latest

Despite the fine direction by Hathaway and the brilliant scenery, it's impossible to look past this movie's pro-capital punishment themes, and how despicable of a "hero" Rooster Cogburn is. After the eloquent way he deconstructed himself with the Thomas Dunson role in Red River and the Ethan Edwards role in The Searchers, it's very disappointing to see Wayne reverting back to the kind of cold-blooded killer we're supposed to be rooting for. At least Ford and Hawks frowned down upon the extremism of his characters- Hathaway, however, celebrates it. All the talk in this movie about how they can't wait to "hang" the antagonist is rather sickening. I hope that when the Coens remake it, they are wise enough to make the story a little more complex.

What I don't understand is how we're going to stay alive this winter.

[–] MisterGumby 14 years ago

At the risk of inciting a political debate, I lament your irrational and baseless compassion for psycopathic killers rather than men of justice. I'll just quote John Wayne for this one:

"I can't understand these people who carry placards to save the life of some criminal, yet have no thought for the innocent victim."

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] jun19fan40 14 years ago

This movie shows that if you wanna survive you gotta shoot first and ask questions later. In the real world you gotta say *beep* the next guy and do whats best for you and yours, and anyone who whines and says otherwise don't know *beep*

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] DJ_LaLa 12 years ago

Great post.

A Place in the Sun

[–] naturboy99 14 years ago

The tone of the movie pretty much matched the tone of the novel so if you want to accuse someone of being right wing Charles Portis would be where to start.

If the movie or novel were set in the 20th or 21st centuries I might agree with you about this being right wing. But the setting is the late 19th century where justice and revenge still pretty much were interchangable.

The terrorists won a battle with America on 4/21/10 thanks to the cowards at Comedy Central

[–] doc-hawk 14 years ago

I suppose if the OP was in Mattie Ross' position (s)he would have wanted to hunt down Chaney to give him poppa's horse Judy and the reward from Texas for killing Sen. Bibbs.

[–] Rey_Kahuka 14 years ago

This thread is a joke, right?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] retiredsleeve 13 years ago

Funny...the book was written by a blacklisted left wing extremist...

"Just the facts, Ma'am"

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 13 years ago

I haven't ever heard of Charles Portis being blacklisted. Provide details, please.

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

[–] retiredsleeve 13 years ago

I meant the screen writer for the movie....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_Roberts
"Just the facts, Ma'am"

[–] timoirish34 10 years ago

Yes--the author of the screenplay was blacklisted during the HUAC era. I have never seen this film in any sort of political context. Wayne's Cogburn lives on the fringes of--and mostly apart from--what law and society there is. The film (and the source novel--which is told from the POV of Mattie as an elderly woman) is a satire on the dime westerns of the 19th Century--you can hear it in the comic mock-eloquent dialog and see it in the broadly-drawn characters. Young Mattie believes she is pursuing justice (whatever that may be) but she is really out for revenge; she does get it but at a price. This theme, along with Mattie's hard-won affection and respect for Rooster, are pretty unorthodox in light of traditional, conservative morality. If anything, this is a fairly liberal notion. In a world with few hard rules, morality must, by needs, be a personal thing. That's what True Grit means.

[–] 12 years ago

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