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.

[–] BenHur59 8 years ago

I get the impression you think only "right-wing extremist" people can be cold-blooded killers.

What would you say about Josef Stalin and Fidel Castro?
(Fidel, R.I.P... NOT)

By "right-wing extremist" do you mean, gotta be republicans?

Here are three more recent mass murderers:

– Nidal Hasan – Ft Hood Shooter: Registered Democrat and Muslim (the religion of peace).
– Aaron Alexis, Navy Yard shooter – black liberal/Obama voter
– Seung-Hui Cho – Virginia Tech shooter: Wrote hate mail to President Bush and to his staff, registered Democrat.

[–] joe_538 8 years ago

it's impossible to look past this movie's pro-capital punishment themes,

It's a western. People didn't see the point in keeping murderers around in those days, and spending thousands of dollars a year keeping them alive so they could die in a moldy prison after several decades of confinement and prison rape instead of at the end of a rope.

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.

And Rooster was such an angel in that remake you prematurely praised? The character is written as flawed, and it's played that way in each interpretation, including the obscure Warren Oates TV project. When was Rooster a despicable cold-blooded killer? He was a was a federal marshal trying to bring criminals in alive throughout the movie, and gave them opportunity to surrender. If people want to fight the law, they're going to get a fight. Not every movie hero is a flawless knight in shining armor; some drink too much, don't shave for their court appearances, and will take a wagon without permission to save a girl's life.

[–] phillipsdan83 (101) 5 years ago

A lot of the point of the book is that Rooster's left behind in the taming of the West and is reduced to reenacting his former deeds in a Wild West show, and that he was the product of violent times. And what was he supposed to do with Tom Chaney and Ned Pepper, sing "Kumbaya" to them?

[–] liscarkat (18541) 3 years ago

OP = imbecile.