than for this run of the mill western. And whilst it is true Wayne should have taken Oscar home for Red River and The Searchers, there is no way that True Grit is run of the mill. Nor Wayne's performance.It always annoys me when people say John Wayne always played himself and was an actor of limited range. Wayne was a victim of the mostly left wing critics who abhorred his stern right wing politics and found it difficult to separate the actor from the commie bashing propaganda machine Wayne had become. Shame on them - What's so wrong with being patriotic?
True Grit is a superb western and Wayne's turn as the drunken, one eyed Marshall is far more rounded than the script allowed. Not just any actor could stand out alongside Kim Darby's powerhouse performance as the young girl out to avenge the death of her father. And in a film full of great performances Wayne dominates the screen. He comes across as a great big lumbering, but strangely graceful grizzly bear
Wayne's one eyed fat man, who has seen it all and is as tough as old leather, comes perfectly to life. In fact Tru
e Grit may be the perfect western - the scenery is spectacular, the action varied and exciting, and the bad guys so much larger than life. Of course Wayne made more serious, intense westerns, films with more depth (several of his films with John Ford are classics of any genre) but in True Grit he made a film that can be enjoyed on many levels by the entire family. And what's wrong with that? There's no hidden agenda woven into True Grit- the film does what it says on the tin. It ENTERTAINS and those critics who set themselves up as barometers of celluloid quality can go kiss my arse.So do me a favour the next time someone say's John Wayne couldn't act - simply smile politely and then punch the son-of-a-bitch on the nose.
Nuff said.
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