Eye-patch
In the original version of True Grit Rooster Cogburn has an eye-patch over his left eye, but in the new version it's over his right eye. Was there any reason for this?
shareI would imagine the placement of the patch would have to do with the comfort of the actor involved.
"What else can you fellas play outside of "Tiger Rag" and pinochle?"
SPOILERS!!
SPOILERS!! REALLY!
The reason the eyepatch placement is problematic in the new (2010) version is that it is, as far as I can determine from personal experimentation, nearly impossible to *aim* a rifle fired right-handed, from the right shoulder (as Rooster is shown doing in the *new* version), with the *left* eye. Try it for yourself, if you don't believe me. You don't even need a real rifle to check -- a kid's BB gun or even a realistic toy will serve.
Yes, you can discharge a rifle in the general geographical direction of the target from the right shoulder using only the left eye, but you almost *cannot* get your head over far enough to actually *aim* with your left eye. I mean to actually align the front sight and rear sight both. It (your head) just won't go. At least mine won't.
Now, on the other hand, when aiming a *handgun* it makes almost NO difference which eye you aim with. It may be just a *little* better and more natural if the dominant hand and the dominant eye are on the same side, but a little practice will soon cancel that advantage out. However, with a rifle (or any weapon fired from the *shoulder*) it is a *very* different matter.
Comfort or no comfort, I would have thought someone on-set would have realized this. Heck, Jeff Bridges himself has had enough shooting experience to know it.
It was just about the only false note in the film for me. It kept bugging me.
Ozy
And I stood where I did be; for there was no more use to run; And again I lookt with my hope gone.
I used to know an old gunsmith, long gone, now, who was right-handed, but his left eye was dominant. He mastered the technique of shooting with his right hand while using his left eye, and actually competed at a master's level. But I think he was the exception that proves the rule.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae
I used to know an old gunsmith, long gone, now, who was right-handed, but his left eye was dominant. He mastered the technique of shooting with his right hand while using his left eye, and actually competed at a master's level. But I think he was the exception that proves the rule.Are you talking about long guns, Captain?
Also, to relate my experience: before I underwent LASIK surgery 13 years ago, I used my left eye and right hand to shoot handguns. As suggested by the poster above, it actually added little or no difficulty, but it was practically impossible for me to fire long guns that way.
Also, bonus points for the phrase, "general geographical direction of the target."
Somedays it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.share
Hey folks,
I like to shoot clay birds on a trap range. I am right handed and right eye dominant. About five or six years ago, I tore some things in my right shoulder, and at my age, it took over a year to repair to where I could shoot trap with my right shoulder. Rather than give up shooting all that time, I switched and started shooting left handed until my right shoulder healed.
While shooting my shotgun left handed, I also had to change my sight picture and use my left eye. As Ozy mentioned earlier, and quite correctly, I could not find any way to shoot left handed while using my right dominant eye. If someone is able to do this, I have no idea how it would be accomplished. Also as Ozy mentioned, while my right shoulder and arm were down, for pistol shooting I was able to switch and shoot pistol left handed while sighting with my dominant right eye.
During my left handed shooting days, I found I was able to perform better at trap using my left eye than I was able to shoot pistol left handed while using my right dominant eye. When I was able to go back to right handed shooting again, I was glad to do so. I did fairly well shooting left handed, but not as well as right handed.
I also cannot imagine how Rooster could shoot a rifle right handed with his left eye.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
You must remember, we're talking about John Wayne!
By the way . . . have you ever noticed how many actors are left-handed? There is a disproportionate percentage compared to the average. Only 10% of the population are southpaws, but the percentage of actors and actresses is much higher than that . . . perhaps as much as 40%. That is because southpaws use the right side of their brains predominately -- and are therefore more creative.
Hey Clint,
You do have a point about the fact it was John Wayne. If anyone could do it, it would be John Wayne. This country owes its existence to John Wayne considering all the wars he has won for us. Let's see, he saved us in the French & Indian War, was known as the Fighting Kentuckian, fought at the Alamo, saved China while flying for the Flying Tigers, drove PT boats in the Phillipines as well as submarines, was the Marine hero of Iwo Jima, flew Wildcats as a Marine at Guadalcanal, was the hero of the Normandy invasion. Do you realize how close we came to losing all those wars if it had not been for John Wayne?
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
Hey David,
After reading your blog, I am going to use the letters LOL for the first time, (and that doesn't stand for Lots Of Love). You have a very good point there. I also know John Wayne fought in the Civil War several times, the Indian Wars many times, and he invented the Higgins Boat. He fought in the Vietnam War too, not to mention putting out oil fires and capturing wild game in Africa. There is no way to repay this true American Hero. He even held up American honor by fighting that rash Irishman, Victor McLaughlin. I believe they put his footprints in cement in Hollywood to honor him, but Lucille Ball stole the concrete blocks.
Might wanna look into the difference between a blog and a discussion board post there, youngster!;) Unless you have a link to an hilarious lol blog, in which case hand it over, pilgrim. And while I'm picking nits, it's Bridges' Cogburn that would have to shoot left-eyed. Just saying, in that if you hadn't assumed that it was Wayne then the exchange between you and davidwile wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have been amused by it (not the picking points- amused at the overall content).
So, thanks for that.
Hey Phydeaux50,
Are you saying that Bridges and Wayne wore their patches on opposite eyes? Why, that's unthinkable, Pilgrim. And here I thought this was a true story.
Where can I get a handbook about the differences between blogs and discussion boards? I don't want to be accused of improper protocol.
Handbook?? You mean PDF! Why, there hasn't been a handbook round these parts since aught and two. Handbooks spook too easily. A friend of mine broke his arm trying to get a handbook into his ebook. He thought PDF stood for Push Down Forcefully. The thing bucked and he was throwed into a blackberry. Bush, that is.
Here's a link to some educational material that has sustained me through long, dark nights of peril, loss, and heartache.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI
Nope, talking about the 1911A1 pistol, .45 caliber.
"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae