Film Comparison

I will be discussing the relationship between the film “True Grit” and it’s remake. The cultural background of both films is a classic western. This film was based in a time when life was very hard and woman had less rights and were not expected to fight as men did. The original true grit was directed by Henry Hathaway. The remake of the film was directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen.
The original film had a budget of $35,000,000, The remake had a budget of $38,000,000 and both films were distributed by Paramount Pictures. This film would fit into the genre of action adventure. This is based on the overall feel of the film. There is small parts of the film that feature gun fights and action. Whilst the theme of the film is about the search for an outlaw named Tom Chaney. The Films certificate is 15. This is as there is mildly violent themes throughout. . This was a one off film and did not feature a prequel or sequel. The production companies behind this film are Scott Rudin Productions and Mike Zoss Productions.. One thing that is a main difference between the two films is the style of the visual approaches and how their moods and overall technical aspects come across to viewers.
Henry Hathaway who was one of the leading old school directors in Hollywood went for a more traditional set up with his shots. The earlier film was much brighter and more naturalistic and didn’t rely on tricks or flourishes (which is often used with today’s easy access to technology). In the original, there are more quiet parts with nothing going on, where as in the remake, made with more attention to detail, there is always noise, be that crickets, birds or wind This made it easy to understand and had a broad appeal to audiences.
When it comes to the remake, The Coen Brothers did a great job with the offbeat direction and cinematography in True Grit. They use a variety of photographic effects and interesting colour schemes giving the film a washed out, gothic look. Their aesthetic in this film really has more in common with something like a Tim Burton movie than a classic Hollywood western. It was interesting to look at and I appreciate their darker spin on the tale but at the same time it didn’t fill in any meaningful spaces in the story for me.
The music between both films is another big difference. In 1969, the score by Elmer Bernstein reflected the times and was more upbeat. It featured the main song by Glenn Campbell which was a pop/folk ballad. The Coens’ film score by their collaborator Carter Burwell is of however more serious in tone. It is in fact closer in feel to a thriller than a Western.
In conclusion Coen’s film is darker and less uplifting at the end.





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