True Grit

Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen                                                            By Steve Norton

Rated PG-13 for violence                                                            Rating: ****1/2 (out of 5)           

            “The wicked run away when there is no one chasing them.” (Proverbs 28:1)

            This is the verse that opens the Coens’ remake of True Grit, and it sums up the world in which Joel and Ethan create perfectly.  Theirs is a wilderness that is harsh and unforgiving and the world in which these characters exist even more so.

            Set in the mid-19^th Century, Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is a 14-year-old girl, sent to town to pick up her father’s body after having been murdered by an outlaw named Tom Cheney (Josh Brolin).  However, upon her arrival, it is revealed that she has much more in mind.  Rather than returning home, Mattie seeks justice for her father’s death and enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn (an unrecognizable Jeff Bridges), a broken, alcoholic US Marshall, to go with her on the journey.  To complicate matters, Mattie and Cogburn must also deal with La Boeuf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger who seeks to capture Cheney for his own reasons.  Together, the unlikely trio ventures into the unforgiving terrain of the West to bring back Cheney for his rightful hanging.

            Most interesting to me, however, was the spirituality that pervades this dark scenario.  Rather than one of contemplative humility, the God of this world is one of judgment. An illustration of this comes in the film’s early going as we witness a hanging of three outlaws.  In this instance, the prisoners to the left and right are cold and unrepentant of their crimes.  They are men who act because they choose to.  It’s who they are.  However, when given the chance to speak, the offender in the middle pleads for grace.  Nevertheless, despite the fact that he seeks forgiveness for his actions, his character appears sniveling and weak and, ultimately, receives the same fate as those that are unrepentant.  The message?  Take it like a man, boy.  Everyone dies.  Scenes such as these are mere snapshots of the film’s sense of morality.  Grace is available to all, but only taken by the weak.  No, in this harsh reality, true justice comes in the form of retribution.  (However, it is also interesting to note that redemption is also possible in this world, as exemplified through the transformation of Rooster Cogburn.  Nevertheless, despite his transition, Rooster remains unrepentant for his history of violence, deeming it ‘what was necessary’.)

            What’s more, this world is an example of what happens when we shape God into our own image.  One manifestation of this comes through the extended thematic use of ‘Leaning on the Everlasting Arms’ throughout the course of the film.  Used to set the feel of a traditional western, I also found its use quite ironic given the film’s commitment to vengeance and violence.  These are men and women who take their lives in their own hands.  Yes, there’s concern for the afterlife… but only when faced with death directly.  The best example of this comes through Steinfeld’s Mattie Ross who, at the age of 14, understands God as merciful—she quotes Scripture on several occasions to that effect—yet maintains a heart of vengeance and justice.  Within her, it is almost as though there is a complete disconnect between her understanding of grace and real-world application.  Of course, there are those that deserve forgiveness… just don’t tell her it’s Tom Cheney.  This ‘shaping’ of God is extremely poignant in a culture such as ours that emphasizes personal experience over God’s objective reality.  “God created man… and then man returned the favour” is a phrase that has become increasingly commonplace.  Throughout our culture—and especially the church—we have come to emphasize snippets of God that we like, while downplaying aspects of His character that we do not.  As a result, the Coens have touched upon a cultural value that speaks to our own desire for self-reliance.

            With this in mind, there is a distinct flavour of God in the Coen Brothers’ vision of True Grit.  Though His grace is referenced, it is a picture of the violent and vengeful aspects of God that break through in this portrait of the West.  The God of this land is very present yet as harsh as the terrain that they inhabit.