Journal # 4: Brief Screening Roport

Around 34 minutes and 45 seconds into the Coen brothers’ remake of the 1969 classic “True Grit” there is a very important scene. Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Stienfeld, wakes the morning after Rooster Cogburn, played by Jeff Bridges, has agreed to help her find her father’s murderer, to find that he has gone back on his word to take her with him and instead left without her.  Instead of giving up, she heads out to find him and go with him whether he wants her to or not.  Mattie finds Rooster already across a river that is large enough to require a ferry to cross.  When she attempts to ride the ferry across to meet Rooster, she finds that he has paid off the ferryman to prevent her from doing so.  Again she will not be deterred.  She breaks free of his grip and rides her horse head long into the river.  As she and the horse struggle across the river, the camera shows a shot of Rooster’s reaction to this display of true grit.  From his facial expression, it’s obvious that he is impressed and, in my opinion, even inspired.  The camera then switches back to a shot of Mattie and her horse still struggling across the river, as seen from Roosters point of view.  The shot is a wide camera angle as if to further enforce how large the river is and how daunting the challenge of crossing it is.  Mattie still has not wavered in her drive to be a part of this man hunt.  This scene not only demonstrates Mattie’s character type, but also introduces the inspiration that leads Rooster to demonstrate his true character later on in the film.