Synopsis
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Reviews (200)
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E
There’s an almost Spielbergian sense of family-friendly adventure-fare to True Grit, a classic western with a title which seems to suggest equal amounts realism and extreme violence, but ultimately has neither. To be honest, it’s all a little hokey. Elmer Bernstein’s score is painfully overused, character motivations don’t always make sense, and John Wayne is just too friendly for a lonesome killer with an eyepatch — but hey, there’s got to be some shootouts that cater to the kids. Landscapes, direction and performances inevitably drag it out of the dirt. Revenge is almost always watchable, but here it’s more lukewarm than cold. Extra points for Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper.
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D
“You can’t serve papers on a rat, baby sister. You gotta kill’em of let’em be!” – Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn After teenaged Mattie Ross’s father is murdered she takes the trip to town to claim his body. Mattie is a bit of a tomboy, highly intelligent, and extremely determined. She also has a thirst for justice but the sheriff can’t do anything about it because the felon ran off out of his jurisdiction to Indian territory. Upon asking around town she seeks out the most nasty U.S. Marshal she can find, a one-eyed man by the name of “Rooster” Cogburn, famous for his track record in apprehending convicts in the territories and infamous for the amount of them who end up…
67 1 -
C
Mattie is a fucking legend. A classic story of a young child and a jaded old badass , probably something that was very original to people in the 60s not so much to us now. But I think it really works because you care about these characters , John Wayne plays Cogburn as someone with a rough exterior ,but layers of tragedy to him and a life wasted. Mattie is assertive, determined and fair and La Boeuf is cocky and abrasive , but charming somehow. You get to experience their quest for justice as they travel beautiful landscapes as Elmer Bernestein’s music helps the immersion.
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L
𝔸 𝕃𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕒 𝕊𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕒 𝔽𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 Dear Dad, I’m sorry it took me this long to watch your favorite movie star in your favorite movie of his. If it was John Wayne, you watched it; it didn’t matter which one it was, good or bad, your eyes were glued. It feels all kinds of wrong not only that I never watched this with you, but that I waited eight years after you were gone to finally see it. I can see why you loved it as much as you did. This might be Wayne at his most dynamic. He always infused his characters with his own larger than life persona, but this one somehow supercedes that to become…
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J
One of those times where, after watching the original I felt that the remake (here by the Coen Bros) was a vastly superior telling of the story. Not to say there aren’t charms in the John Wayne-led version, first and foremost his Oscar-winning performance (even though again, Jeff Bridges may have personified Cogburn better overall). And it’s hard not to admire Hailee Steinfeld’s performance as a teenager playing a teenager as opposed to Kim Darby who is clearly in her 20’s but still effective…if not a little sociopathic when it comes to life events like the death of her father, being in terrifying situations, etc. I wish Elvis played La Boeuf over Glenn Campbell who is just…fine? Great to see…
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S
True Grit, above all else, is surprisingly moving, embracing good messages to drive its dazzling adventure with potency and excitement. Rooster Cogburn is a man who takes no BS, constantly utilizing his aggressive and independent tone to intimidate others. However, Mattie Ross is a toughie, and will not let Cogburn get the best of her skillful power. These two form an everlasting bond that may have taken a bit to solidify, yet exemplifies the unlikelihood and distinctiveness of friendship. In a literal sense, it’s a revenge story; in a gratifying sense, it’s a story about developing companionships and surpassing your preexisting faith. Sure, the narrative itself is somewhat simple, but that classic, untouched 60s magic makes it all the more special.
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B
“True Grit” is a gorgeous-looking Western with a highly effective screenplay, and a cast that does their level best with said material. And whilst I think the film still holds up well, I can’t deny that the Coens took the story and improved upon it in every way. Still, this is a very solid Western. Although it’s a film that seems to have been caught between the old school whimsical style of the 40’s and 50’s and the new wave of Hollywood anti-heroes pioneered a year earlier by Sam Peckinpah with “The Wild Bunch” (especially in the Western genre). For the majority of the film, John Wayne’s “Rooster Cogburn” is a fairly unpleasant lead, and it was intriguing to see…
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X
Rooster Cogburn: “Boots, I got Hayes and some youngster outside with Moon and Quincy. I want you to bury ’em for me. I’m in a hurry.” Capt. Boots Finch: “They’re dead?” Rooster Cogburn: “Well, I wouldn’t want you to bury ’em if they wasn’t.” Elvis Presley was considered for the role of La Boeuf, the Texas Ranger. However, “Colonel” Tom Parker, his manager, insisted that Presley should receive top billing over John Wayne. The part was given to Glen Campbell instead. Despite its commercial success, John Wayne was not pleased with the finished film. He strongly disliked Kim Darby’s performance, and while promoting the film for its US release in June 1969, he told interviewers that he had starred in…
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R
“John Wayne! You wanna tell me he’s a—” Well, out of respect for John Wayne, I won’t finish the sentence — but those who saw Midnight Cowboy probably remember that funny exchange between Ratso and Joe Buck. The film is set in 1969, and according to Ratso, that cowboy stuff only appeals to, well, the more effete kind of men. But in Buck’s book, Wayne is the embodiment of manhood, and a cowboy outfit is the ultimate ladies’ eye-catcher and hormone-tickler. And it seems that the release of True Grit in the same year proved Joe Buck right. Not only that, but as a kind of poetic justice against Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight’s quarrel about Wayne’s sex appeal, it…
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S
There’s something so special about 60s cinema, and with True Grit specifically there’s that grainy touch that graciously covers and emphasizes the beauty of landscapes. The mountainous backgrounds, untouched trees, free fields and shinning waters act as a symphony in unison, immersing the viewer into a wonderful adventure. And with Kim Darby and John Wayne giving us chemistry that is classic and reminiscent, there’s no way I couldn’t enjoy such a pure and exciting adventure. Best Actor Rank
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T
In Henry Hathaways’s “True Grit,” a bastard dies two deaths: first, when he kills his own soul, and second, when someone sends a bullet through the husk that’s left of him. Whether in the form of a harsh frontier landscape, or a grouchy sad sack of a drunk – forgiveness, though hard earned, is always possible. Hathaway’s rendition of the 1967 novel gives less narrative agency and focus to the strong spoken Maddie Ross character than the Coen Brothers grant her in their 2010 remake. With Hathaway, the central trio – played by John Wayne, Kim Darby, and “Rhinestone Cowboy” country music legend Glen Campbell – seem nearly crushed under the Spartan necessity of their quest, without the assurance of…
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D
Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) has already seen his best days as a U.S. Marshall. Though he is still a success tracking down criminals, he’s usually quite drunk and ornery. When a young teenager’s (Kim Darby) father is murdered, she hires Cogburn to hunt him down. Reluctantly, he brings her along. This is a straight up classic and features the best John Wayne performance on film. Director Henry Hathaway finally coaxes a performance out of Wayne that shows he could actually play someone other than the same personality he played for 50 years. I was genuinely impressed that he disappears so deeply into this character. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. Deservedly so. The Coen brothers…
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RRob O'Hara 8 月 23, 2026
John Wayne agrees to help a girl track down a group of baddies
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L
The film for which John Wayne won his only competitive Oscar. Softening the source material, and giving Wayne a role as a dipso scoundrel with some sympathy under his gruff exterior, the film plays just fine, but lacks a distinctive style.
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B
John Wayne was not super convincing at this point in his career. The girl was amazing. Too much gratuitous sexism, ableism but ultimately entertaining.
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P
The four-on-one charge proved that Cogburn was indeed a man of true grit
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L
Papa, I finally got around to watching one of your favorites and I gotta say it’s pretty good! A couple of slurs here and there but I can see why you loved it so much 💕
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J
Watching both True Grits back to back was an interesting exercise, they really are quite similar. A ton of dialogue is the same which is surprising for the Coen brothers. Where they veer away from each other is the ending and the relationship between Rooster and Mattie. Wayne’s Rooster is still a drunken mess but treats Mattie as more of a colleague than a force to be reckoned with. Then again Hallie Stanfields’ Mattie is just a little more pig-headed.…
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C
Pound for pound probably Wayne’s best performance. Without access to Hattie’s inner monologue like in the book, the character comes across as rather baffling and gives the whole proceeding a somewhat paternalistic air that undercuts what it’s trying to accomplish, and the lack of its connective tissue makes certain scenes feel stilted and pointless. Campbells performance is interesting because it’s godawful, but suited to the character. Everything is too clean and starched, as is often the case with classic non-spaghetti westerns, though Wayne is trying his level best to combat this.
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T
Although this may be the best performance of John Wayne’s career, 1) that’s a low bar (he was a movie star more than actor) and 2) the movie is just decent. So many Westerns from the 60s and 70s have been remade and this feels like the only one where the original is worse than the remake. The story is good, but the tone feels wrong- it can’t decide whether to be serious or lighthearted and the score feels both…
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E
Perhaps it was because I saw it first but I loved the remake of this so much more. L
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T
New band name idea: Ned Pepper The dialogue while riding shots were really cool; the final showdown between Ned & Rooster went absolutely insane & John Wayne is electric in this role. But also there is a lot of blatantly racist shit in this movie. I won’t elaborate but yowza.
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K
I love the goofy, odd atmosphere that’s present throughout this movie. All of the characters feel like they have their own quirks and personalities, down to the small bit parts. It’s like it’s trying to do a Western story but it’s in a world populated by thugs who talk like birds, Texans who pronounce LeBoeuf as “Le-Beef”, and arrogant businessmen who feel genuine befuddlement at being legally out maneuvered by a little girl. Everyone feels larger than life and yet…
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AAdam 8 月 20, 2026
Fill yer’ hand you son of’a bitch! One of John Wayne’s most memorable performances.
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L
It was really good and I understand why it’s a lot of peoples favorite but I like when it’s more cinematic shots of the west. I also love glen Campbell
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T
ive seen truer grit
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A
genuinely hilarious movie. incredible scenery in this one as well. too many good one-liners that need to reincarnate 50+ years into the future
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J
Good.
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C
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D
Solid late Wayne flick 🙂👍
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M
if your heart is true and your pistol willing, the west blesses you on your quest for revenge
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T
I couldn’t stop looking at the scenery in the background. Unbelievably gorgeous. Hilarious, though, that it claims to take place in Arkansas
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J
Don’t love the more lighthearted tone this adaptation aims for, and the dynamic between Rooster and Mattie isn’t quite as affecting as you’d hope. Fortunately there’s still fun to be had in plenty of its sequences, and Wayne gets to deliver some nice one-liners.
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O
-They tell me you’re a man with TRUE GRIT
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D
Really engaging until the last 20 mins
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J
Rated G Some sick horsin and landscapes First time watching for john wayne the man. Enigmatic fellow. Wears a stunning bracelet for a one eyed drunk. Serious skills w horses and guns. Even w his handicap he starin fools down. Gleason got some mad eye moody ideas
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T
Never a John Wayne Wayne fan although this was my favorite film of his. Saw it many times as a child and it was always a good watch. But it is dated.
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J
Wanted to watch this before I rewatch the new one. I haven’t seen that one since high school, but I don’t think Jeff Bridges is as good as John Wayne. It’ll be interesting to see how similar they are, but I can see why the Coen’s remade it. The dialogue is hilarious and matches their quick pace. I mean this story really doesn’t waste anytime. Kim Darbie is fantastic, she really helps elevate this from other classic Wayne westerns. Glenn…
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O
I was only watching every so often with my wife but wtf is this movie
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M
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S
Delivers exactly what you want from a Western. It’s got a few rough edges but nothing that gets in the way of a solid, enjoyable watch.
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N
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A
Good Old John Wayne! Something I truly admire about this film is the character of Mattie. Mattie from the beginning is portrayed as a strong independent girl, whose father even depends on her let alone her whole family. The film has themes of revenge, but it also breaks the barriers of society that even such a young girl as Mattie doesn’t really need men to get the things she wants done. One thing I will take from this film is…
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H
Os anos 60 ainda foi uma era muito forte pro gênero Faroeste, em 69 você teve The Wild Bunch; Butch Cassidy; Era Uma Vez no Oeste; e pra finalizar, Bravura Indômita. Se comparado a estes anteriores do mesmo ano e até outros como a Trilogia Dólares, Bravura Indômita mesmo indo numa direção de faroeste clássico e até alto astral, não perde em nada quando faz um equilíbrio ótimo na exploração de seus personagens e o andamento da trama. Até agora,…
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M
Ned Pepper: What’s your intention? Do you think one on four is a dog fall? Rooster Cogburn: I mean to kill you in one minute, Ned. Or see you hanged in Fort Smith at Judge Parker’s convenience. Whitch’ll it be? Ned pepper: I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. Rooster Cogburn: Fill your hand, you son of a bitch! The dialogue in this film is sooo good! I do like the remake, however, there is a whimsy to the original that I prefer as a re-watch.
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T
youtube.com/shorts/Vw40zHQc2vA?is=ca7W4NvwEaxaLZWz
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N
En una época en la que el western crepuscular, el spaguetti y toda desmitificación del salvaje oeste ya parecían haber enterrado para siempre al genero como espacio de héroes y aventuras, apareció Valor de ley mezclando humor y drama.
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C
This whole time I’ve laboured under the delusion that John Wayne won his sole Oscar as more of a career achievement award. After all, by 1969 he had been a major movie star for around thirty years, and had turned in hundreds of swaggering movie star performances. But aside from a few notable movies like Red River, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Searchers he has never really stood out as a brilliant performer beyond the sheer presence…
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Western Rank 🐎 Hacía tiempo que no me veía ni un western ni una peli de John Wayne (que es mi actor favorito). Y que mejor opción que True Grit. Fue la actuación que le valió su primer y único Oscar a John Wayne. Aunque sinceramente no es ni de lejos una de sus mejores actuaciones, por eso creo que le dieron el Oscar más por su trayectoria y porque se lo debían que por la actuación. Yo me ví…
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C
Far from my favorite John Wayne performance but he is really great and I understand why he won an Oscar.
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S
Il miglior John Wayne, ma non il suo miglior film.
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N
that there john wayne was the greatest reverse ratatouille rider old hollywood ever did see. this is up there with war horse and seabiscuit. anyway I’m amazed pixar let them get away with this.
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A
I ate this shit up as a kid. The gritty 60s western landscapes are sick
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C
I had a lot of expectations about this film, and they were wrong. I recently watched The Searchers and liked it, but I liked True Grit better. I have stereotypes about western that only hold with typical westerns, and this one is not typical.
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T
Derecho Outage Watch 2026 #8 I know there’s a version that features Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfeld instead of Glen Campbell and Kim Darby, and I like that version a lot, but I never watch it instead of this one.
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T
yeah the remake clears by a wide margin. so stiff, but the story is still good and the performances make sense for their time
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S
John Wayne was great in this
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J
Damn that eyepatch looks cool and adds +10 to intimidation. I enjoyed rooster and how little sister earns her spurs along the way. A good story of characters who bond over an adventure.
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N
True Grit is a suitable end of an era for Mr. John Wayne, and even at age 62 he kicks ass in this role, even if I still take issue with how much of a hard ass he can be. But the 69 version of True Grit suffers from the same issue that The Ten Commandments suffered from for me, and one that it can’t help. It’s hard for me to be sufficiently impressed by a film like this when…
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I
A pretty fun, sweet and cool ride. Kind of long, but not a lot of filler, everything is pretty interesting. The story is exciting, and they tied things off nicely. The cast was great, super believable. I loved Rooster Cogburn and especially loved General Sterling Price. Every character was pretty cool.
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T
“We’re all booked up on account of the hanging.” We used to be a proper country. The reason this works is because Mattie presents an alternative to getting things done beyond Cogburn’s blasting and fighting. Take her away and it’s nothing special. Meant to turn on the remake but this came on instead. Not complaining!
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E
Strother Martin, Glenn Campbell, Kim Darby, John Fiedler, and Dennis Hopper. Hell yeah. And John Wayne, too, I guess. I mean, I get it. Wayne is his most Wayne here.
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D
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OOwl From Louisiana ✝ 🍋 🍅 8 月 9, 2026
A delightful film with great locations, colorful characters, and most of all an absolutely amazing screenplay. Truly one for the ages.
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M
Just read the book so I’m doing a double feature I’m pretty sure this is the only John Wayne film I’ve seen before, so I can’t really critique it for “John Wayne is just playing the role of John Wayne.”
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C
john wayne was fucking funny dude IM MATTIE ROSS AND MY DAD IS DEAD. I HAVE A LAWYER!
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K
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G
This Western, driven by revenge, has aged rather poorly. To modern eyes the plot feels predictable and formulaic, and so too does the characterisation of the fiesty tomboy. That said there there are stunning shots of the landscape and some lovely turns of phrase in parts of the dialogue. I’m sure this had audiences excited in ‘69 but today, while still being serviceable, it feels bloated and not particularly fun.
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L
I am in complete agreement with people who say John Wayne should not have won an Oscar for this performance. He’s not even giving the best performance in the movie, absolutely an unnecessary legacy win. Some very beautiful filming locations.
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R
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L
Good cinematography shots cool story, good acting
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K
I liked all the characters, especially the kid, and the dialogue was snappy and surprisingly smart. The music really worked for me too, that and the visuals that all of these older westerns have been doing so well. It almost lost a point at that dragged out ending but I just couldn’t do it. The film is pretty good but that final 15 minutes really needed trimming
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T
Starting to understand why my shitty grandpa loved westerns
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C
Não gosto do John Wayne, mas o federal Rooster Cogburn é o seu papel mais agradável, dando a oportunidade de John Wayne interpretar outro personagem que não fosse ele mesmo. E isso é o maior barato de “True Grit”. Mudou minha opinião sobre o ator. Continuo achando-o limitado, mas no que se propunha a fazer, ele de fato era bom. E a relação de seu personagem rabugento e cínico Rooster Cogburn com a independente e atrevida Mattie Ross forma uma…
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AAndrew Jones 8 月 5, 2026
Not seen this version before, just never really appealed to me especially once the Coens made a miraculous adaptation. Watched it, surprised at how sluggish it is, scenes that play out just as long in the 2010 version have no deftness or depth of character, place, vibe. Wayne isn’t it, he never really was. A face and a voice on screen, and I never have found his work compelling, so this Rooster, like The Searchers before it, finds no purchase to me as screen presence and figure.
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D
Since I reviewed the 2010 remake of True Grit, it’s only fitting I also tackle the original 1969 version as well. And I’m gonna be honest, I think I’m glad for watching the remake first, because watching these two together honestly feels like a day and night difference. That doesn’t mean that the original is bad by any means, but the remake honestly told the original book’s events better, as apparently it’s more closer to the original source material. Where…
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A
It’s crazy how they turned an interesting book into the most boring slop ever
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E
The original Grit of Truth.
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K
This is one of those movies that you feel that you just have to have seen, and I should have seen long before. And in the end I enjoyed it more than I initially expected to. A big part of that I think is due to the unusual and surprising character of Mattie Ross and the slowly thawing relationship between her, Rooster and the Texas Ranger, all set amongst some beautiful landscapes. The story had some great dialogue and nice…
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A
Finally settling in to watch this after many, many years of procrastination….chiefly as a way to catch up with more of the major Oscar winning films I’ve never seen. Will come back with a full review once I’ve watched this. Time 9:05am August 5, 2026 *****************REVIEW************************* Well, it would seem I’ve been unkind to this fairly solid western by putting off watching it for so long! Essentially, most of my negative feelings came from the fact that Wayne won the…
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D
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K
Truely as great as they say.
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E
The 2nd half of this film is so much better than the first. Maybe its everyone finding their footing, or maybe just getting the story going. But it does feel very messy to me, even for the time. Ive Never been a huge John Wayne fan so maybe thats it. He’s much better in this than most but still his performances tend to blend together. I would much rather watch the Coen Brothers version of this western. If im looking to watch this story unfold.
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DVD
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K
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D
John Wayne spielt hier mal eine etwas andere Rolle als betrunkener Marshal für die er seinen einzigen Oscar bekommen hat.
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R
John Wayne was my dad’s favourite. If there weren’t any violence in a movie, he wasn’t interested in watching it – only exception was a Wayne Western.
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A
I watched this and the Coen Brothers remake back to back, and I must say that I prefer this version far more. It adds so many more tiny moments and interactions that flesh out character motivations and personalities and natures. John Wayne may have been a piece of shit, and the whole story centers around two post-Civil War confederates and the child of a slaveowner, but at its heart is a story of a 14 year old girl who ends…
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M
“What are you doing?” “Lookin’ for a sign.” “You couldn’t see it if you saw it.” That line fucking killed me.
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U
Those who take the sword must die by the sword.
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D
I’m looking to find a specific movie I came across once a long time ago; it featured a tomboyish young woman grabbing a gun and joining the burly, doubting men on a manhunt. Turns out, it wasn’t this film…but it was great regardless and makes me want to experience the Coen Brothers’ recent adaptation. I felt a jubilant exhilaration each time Maddie pumped her target full of iron, I think it was twice? I guess she might be a two…
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R
This film is so behind the times filmmaking wise. I exclaimed “1969!” To myself when I checked the year this was made. Good movie but felt like it was from the 50s.
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D
This is possibly John Wayne’s most iconic movie, yet I don’t think it’s near his best. This is a perfectly good movie, I like his character and it’s a good story. However, like most movies with a teen lead, I think Mattie is very poorly written and annoying. She often comes off as annoying and useless, not aiding our heroes in their journey but hindering and pestering them. I do like the relationships in this movie between her, Rooster and the Texan. Robert Duvall is a fun villain to hold this movie together. All in all, a perfect fine, fun western in my opinion. 80%
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I
For a revenge epic about a stubborn tomboy who hires a U.S. Marshal to track down the man who shot her father (on her own terms) and has to let an arrogant Texas Ranger tag along, Henry Hathaway’s best film appears mighty invested in flipping the John Wayne mythos upside-down with long-lost Western characterization (mutual begrudging respect in a feisty teen girl willing to critique his cynical headstrong drinker) and old-school road-trip charm (the hiring process, the dugout cabin, the…
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2
Fill your hand you son of a
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A
my favourite western tbh the only one i watched fully growing up so its automatically a fav
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M
Kim Darby’s Mattie is so dreadfully self-righteous and schoolmarmy. I simply cannot get fully behind such a character played sincerely. Somehow a little bit of sentiment from the kid-softens-the-old-loner’s-heart trope does manage to land, and I will never complain if Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper show up in a film. Not great but not bad!
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M
I used to watch this with my dad a lot, it was one of his favorite movies. Fill your hands you son of a bitch!
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S
The first time I saw this film was at a drive-in when I was seven years old. For whatever reason, I have always wanted to slide down a hill like Mattie. I love this movie so much, not just for the story, but for how deeply it resonates with me and takes me back to my childhood. It’s remarkable, too, that I know literally every line in this movie. If you’ve only watched the remake, by all means, do yourself a favor and watch the original.
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H
I remember walking in on my dad watching this when I was little and getting fully drawn in. I’m sure seeing Mattie Ross was a big contributing factor to me sitting through this film as a girl, but it’s been a minute and man does it hold up! Surprisingly witty, and of course John Wayne is John Wayne. The original Joel and Ellie.
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P
Super cute!
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B
Ever seen a one eyed man firing 2 guns with 100% accuracy and reloading while riding a horse at full speed
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A
It’s fun, but in a comic-book way that the Coens’ later version leaps miles over. It’s also fascinating, watching it again for the first time in years, to see how much less Henry Hathaway made of his a drop than the brothers did.
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B
so much better than i remember. robert duvall so good. john wayne still got it despite what the haters (my dad) say. also when i was younger i was in love with the girl lol
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C
I relatively liked this film and probably enjoyed it more than most hwo watch it. Whilst its kinda cheesy its also a pretty well done and relatively realistic feeling western. Though The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is of course better this movie is still solid compared to it. One reason it stands out to me and i believe is a solid western is its use of language which i had never heard before. It sounds just very western.…
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TTimKul 7 月 28, 2026
Bad pacing. By the time I’d been watching this movie for three hours, I checked the runtime and it had only been fourty minutes.
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M
Not overly gritty for a movie called “True Grit” Yeah, I tried really hard to put aside my “John Wayne is an absolute cunt” bias for this, and while some of the acting was alright (albeit a bit dated) and there were some beautiful and colourful shots, the Coen Brothers remake is just better in every way. I get how people would be creaming their shorts for John Wayne if they grew up with him, but he wasn’t nearly as…
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P
Closed – Gone to Hanging Very solid Western. Unfortunately Glen Campbell has a striking resemblance to JD Vance & it nearly derailed the whole thing. Eventually I just accepted JD Vance was co-starring opposite John Wayne.
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L
Really don’t know what to expect from this and it was a lot of fun. I like the overall story, the tone, and the characters. They don’t just go for the typical kinda of characters, and that makes it more interesting. John Wayne, Kim Darby, and Glen Campbell all work off each other pretty well. John Wayne’s character in particular really sells everything. Lots of great depth. The score was pretty cool and unique. The prod design, costumes, and sound work were pretty cool too.
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J
I think it’s very difficult for a movie to have a child character with spunk and personality without being annoying, but this accomplishes just that.
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J
I just finished the book before watching this, and I intend to watch the Jeff Bridges version in the next few days. I remember back when my Grandpa first started showing me old westerns, there were a few that I pretended to like just for him and there were a few that I genuinely loved. John Wayne’s TRUE GRIT was one of the latter. After reading the book, I realize it does not quite capture the spirit of it (especially…
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J
👍
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S
A wonderful film for entirely different reasons than the Coen remake. It doesn’t necessarily feel quite as focused on Mattie’s point of view, which works here because if I’m being honest, Kim Darby was a bit annoying at times. John Wayne plays an excellent morally ambiguous Marshall who almost happens upon doing the right thing occasionally, and his and Kim Darby’s chemistry WAS very good. Where this one realllllly shines is the just absolutely stunning landscapes captured in the location shooting.
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I’m sorry but every time Rooster talks I can’t help thinking of Ernest P Worrell doing an impression
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Id watch a grizzly John Wayne cowboy all over cowboy country. Only 168 films of his to go.
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M
The whole movie feels like an side mission from rd2. Fun, but could get pretty boring at times…
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G
Un film indubbiamente di culto ma vecchio già nel 1969, quello dei Coen è di gran lunga superiore. John Wayne è pazzesco, ma era molto più “da Oscar” in Red River di Hawks.
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P
One of the glories of True Grit is that it recognizes Wayne’s special presence.
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Ddunpeal 7 月 25, 2026
They added John Wayne films to netflix! Wahoo! I was just furiously blogging about him in The Searchers somewhere else. Dude. I always wanted to watch this version. I was watching clips of it on Youtube. I actually was gonna have to delete stuff and clear out space but nope! lucky day! It’s on Netflix as of now so! Gonna watch it! Wahoo! I wanna watch more Wayne films. I wanna watch The Searchers again too. YEAH! Was watching clips back in June. On the 29th! Almost a month. So woop!
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C
John Wayne’s Oscar winning performance as an old fat alcoholic is truly inspiring, we just don’t see method acting like that these days. (This ain’t got shit on Man who shot liberty valance)
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D
I disagreed with much of this politics, but Wayne was a hell of an actor and deserved the plaudits he received for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn. Gritty lawman, with few manners and a drinking problem, he’s hired by Mattie, the plucky rancher’s daughter out to avenge her murdered father. Kim Darby takes on the role, non-nonsense, forthright and confident, dealing appropriately with anyone who tries to take advantage of her youth. Her scene with the miserable pony trader is…
3 -
Q
One of the more famous movies I had never seen. Honestly it probably exceeded my expectations a bit because I expected to dislike it. It’s just not the kind of film I enjoy – a triumphant western without any critical self-awareness. The cinematography was a lot better than I expected. It’s pretty good. Not great or anything though – it’s overly lit too many times and sometimes the colors are a bit too drab. I’m with those who think that Wayne is pretty bad in this. Definitely a bottom-tier Oscar winning performance. He has a nice moment or two but is otherwise just pretty embarrassing.
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B
Won him his Oscar, and he was great in it. But it isn’t his best.
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S
A fun adventure movie, though mostly it made me want to watch the Coen brother’s version, which I saw first. Darby isn’t bad, in a 1960s kind of way, but this also made me appreciate Steinfeld’s performance all over again.
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GGarrett 7 月 24, 2026
“General Price don’t belong to me. He just rooms with me. Cats don’t belong to nobody. ‘Course, I depend on him.” Have gone my whole life thinking Kim Darby was insufferable in this but revisiting as an adult, she’s playing the precocious girl coming into her own that the story is written.
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Ffr4ncoo 7 月 24, 2026
Fell asleep im sorry i was really really tired but the parts i saw were decent
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J
Pretty good. I actually liked John Wayne a little more in this than the Searchers. The writing is a little goofy because it kind of shifts between super on the nose and expository to snappy and witty. Despite that it’s a really fun western. Curious to see how the 2010 is, knowing it’s much grittier.
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J
My first John Wayne Western
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A
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C
One of those movies that my dad would watch pretty much any time it was on TV, so I have a soft spot for this one. Still, this is a pretty good film, one of the Duke’s better late-career movies. At this point, he was basically playing John Wayne in all of his movies, but he still broke out some character acting every so often (like in THE COWBOYS and THE SHOOTIST). Here, he takes an irascible, drunken, buffoonish US…
1 -
T
Watched as part of a series of films set in Colorado and no complaints about that part. It makes the mountains and aspen trees around Ouray look great. I see why this worked for John Wayne since he’s the only one consistently selling the weird Charles Portis jokes. It also just has a gee-whiz sheen that undercuts all the death and danger throughout
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Z
I was gonna say that I expected this film to be terrible because of the era that it came out but then I remembered that Rear Window came out 15 years prior to this one and realized there is no excuse for this. It should not take a fucking hour for a film to get started.
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J
So awesome. Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!!!
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E
Se deja ver, pero es bastante sencilla, predecible y para lo que cuenta pudo durar menos. PD: El Óscar que se llevó John Wayne es cuestionable. No es que lo haga mal, pero como actuación del año y teniendo en la competencia a los nominados John Voigh y Dustin Hoffman por la gran “Cowboy de Medianoche”, pues el galardón se lo dieron más por su carrera que por su trabajo realizado.
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S
Must be one hell of a lawyer….
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T
Really fun performances. Was quite impressed with John Wayne and Kim Darby. Both played their parts very well. Especially when Rooster tells Mattie about his past, his ex-wife and his son. Shot quite well, and feels quite modern in a lot of places. I especially liked how much the camera moved, gave the film a kinetic feel to it. The story is quite fun. I prefer my Westerns to be a bit more thematic and edgy, but this was still…
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I
It was cute. I liked the story
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M
I liked it
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J
I preferred the 2010 version of this film because i think the cast was much better and the Coen Brothers did a much better job at directing than Henry Hathaway. There are still very good elements about this film
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D
Rooster Cogburn is more than a little based
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W
Esse eu gostei bastante, é surpreendente como ele consegue trazer algo novo ao ter como protagonista uma garota de 14 anos que está muito longe de qualquer esteriótipo de “donzela do lar”. E esse deu o Oscar para o John Wayne, não sei se é o melhor papel dele, mas aqui ele está muito bem. O único problema é que eu não consegui achar uma legenda decente para o filme, todas tinham erros grotescos. Diante disso, tive que ficar voltando as cenas que a legenda não fazia sentido para entender as cenas, mesmo com meu inglês meia boca.
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L
While I much preferred the remake from the Coen Brothers, I cannot deny how entertaining this story is! I adore all of the characters – especially the unique and admittedly quite twisted dynamics between them, it makes for such a compelling and unpredictable tale. I do have to say however, Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld were both more inspired casting choices, and were just 10x better in every single way. At times, this did lack the sharpness that the remake…
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N
An oldie but a goodie
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J
No where near as good as its 2010 remake- I think mainly due to the cast upgrade, and getting the Coen brothers to revitalise the screenplay. However, the story of True Grit is a great one! Perfectly charming and fun, brilliant to watch and quite moving at parts. The cinematography was also an impressive stand out here!
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L
(Statler and Waldorf voice): This movie’s tone is just like John Wayne’s performance: inconsistent!! Hohohoho
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J
Less great
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S
With the exception of Duvall’s and hoppers scenes, John Wayne carries this weak western.
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M
TRUE GIFT (Temple De Acero) (1969) Dir. Henry Hathaway Con John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Jeremy Slate, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin y Jeff Corey 9/10 Basada en la novela homónima de 1968, escrita por Charles Portis, este es uno de los grandes films del género western en el que mezclado con la road movie logra una gran hazaña en un producto tan recomendable por lo bien escrito que está el guión, además del gran elenco destacando John…
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D
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A
The girl was horrible. Just absolutely fucking unbearable for every second she was on the screen. Hard for me to enjoy a movie when thats the protagonist. But John Wayne and Robert Duvall were awesome. Their gunfight scene and the pov shots were sick. And the cinematography was great as to be expected with all the movies from that era. My only western experience is lonesome dove and blood meridian, the two western killers, so going back to a traditional…
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J
I wish my name was Moon.
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R
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Z
Perfectly fine. It’s funny, this is such an iconic Wayne role but i just don’t buy him as Rooster. He’s too clean cut and put together, too sober. It’s kinda how i feel about the whole cast. with the exception of Duval’s Lucky Ned they’re all just a little too okey-dokey, How The West Was Won coded. Plenty of Portis’s dialogue is here but it has no rhythmn, no poetry, it’s subsumed by an overall cleanliness that betrays the story…
5 1 -
C
Death and legacy are ever-present, royal violet is hung around and adorns those who get close to it. John Wayne gambling with his Chinese friend and ginger cat “General Sterling Price” is charming in the best of ways.
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0
This was okay. Some great scenes but I expected a little bit more. Wayne is good.
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J
Not my favorite western, but it had great moments and great scenery. I’m not the hugest John Wayne fan, but he does command scenes well. Eventually I’ll watch the remake to compare.
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C
Finished the book today, so I thought I’d check out the film. I had only seen the Coen Brother version, so this was a real treat.
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A
Good soup.
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R
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D
Old Hollywood style of filmmaking; with a grounded story in coming of age, meets hardship finds its heart again. Classic John Wayne that was one of my grandfathers favorites.
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J
Pretty good, but the Coen Brothers remake is of course better.
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E
The original at least cleared how “LaBoeuf” is pronounced as “LaBeef”. Seeing the 1969 version right after the Coens’ remake made me appreciate every little change. Especially the completely unnecessary arm tax.
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K
l’antipatia che provo per Mattie è indescrivibile
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H
La obra definitiva sobre el valor indomable y el relevo de los mitos disfrazada de un monumental western de venganza… Henry Hathaway filma con un naturalismo sobrecogedor, utilizando la hostilidad de la frontera como el escenario perfecto para que el choque de voluntades se transforme en un lazo humano inquebrantable. La película es un triunfo de la evolución del arquetipo: a través de una brillante autoparodia, John Wayne entrega una actuación icónica, desnudando las imperfecciones, la pesadez y las cicatrices…
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E
Overall it was decent, had some great scenes and exciting moments, I think the beginning after a big moment needed some pacing though.
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C
alright
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A
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A
Really a great and iconic story. One of the best John Wayne movies.
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M
My Nan recommend me this one, and as I expected, a pretty passable classic western, perfect for a drowsy Saturday afternoon. Also, Kim Darby is one cool gal!
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S
Beef weird as hell just going around spanking people
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M
Now I can watch what the Coen Brothers did to the same story.
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F
Great father/daughter watch.
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E
This movie was beautiful and I loved General Price 🙂 But did she really have to keep talking about her lawyer and how she was from Yell County?
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L
All the horses died and also a rat and snake but i dont even care. I had a fun time riding and shooting w mr. Wayne. My dad showed me this when i was 10 bc he wanted to be like Rooster w a daughter soooo bad bc of this movie. Thanks for being my john wayne pop (:
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M
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L
True Grit begins with teenager Mattie Ross who, after her father is murdered by a colleague, hires grizzled marshal Rooster Cogburn to track down the killer. Rooster is joined in his pursuit by Mattie and Texas ranger La Boeuf, as the trio must face dangerous outlaws and fight to survive. I found the film’s most interesting character to be Rooster; he’s a gruff, sometimes brutal, lawman with a heart of gold and a sick sense of humor. His one-liners can…
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J
Bold talk for a one eyed fat man
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C
I was surprised how much I liked this one. As a bonafide John Wayne hater I must admit, he does a good job here and brings out the childishness of Rooster that isn’t in the 2010 version. It is also a great deal more colorful, filmed in Colorado and with costumes that pop more. Kim Darby is a capable actress but she is never convincing as a teenager. Glen Campbell is not an actor and brings the proceedings down unfortunately. The story still works thankfully and in fine fashion.
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R
Having watched the Coen Brothers one recently after watching Supergirl less recently, I thought I’d watch this, and now I’m trying to review this one without making constant comparisons with the Coen Brothers one. Anyway, here are some reasons why the Coen Brothers movie is better than this rat shootin’ one: – Jeff Bridges – Matt Damon – It keeps some of the exact same dialogue when it’s good, but cuts out some of the bad dialogue when it’s bad……
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Z
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TTamir Zalman 7 月 8, 2026
Wished I woulda watched this before the Coen’s. Kinda liked it more ngl.
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L
The little girl has more grint than John Wayne. Facts.
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Y
Kim Darby and Glen Campbell are given way too much to do. Every line reading by each of them is painful and really takes its toll. Otherwise, great story and incredible Wayne performance. Fun seeing Duval and Hopper. I’m excited to see the Coen version, which I imagine will be tighter and not feature two agonizing performances.
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J
Westerns Ranked? Fill your Hearts you Son of a Bitch. Your standard John Wayne film. It’s hard to believe he won an Oscar for it. I’ve got to assume it’s a legacy award, one for his ongoing contribution to putting the “wood” in Hollywood. In his defence, he’s not as bad as Glen Campbell. That man should never have been put in front of a movie camera. The two of them, alongside the irritating Kim Darby, are why the film…
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J
Me ha gustado bastante. Es un western clásico de los que ya apenas se hacen, con una historia sencilla pero muy bien contada y con personajes que consiguen ganarse tu interés desde el principio. Se nota que John Wayne ya tenía una edad y está lejos de la imagen más física y dominante de sus primeros años, pero eso juega incluso a favor del personaje. Tiene una presencia enorme y aporta experiencia, rudeza y un punto de cansancio que encaja…
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D
Pretty enjoyable but doesn’t come anywhere close to the book. A lot of the southron edges are sanded off to the point where the ghost of the civil war and the existence of southern identity is nonexistent. Also is the religious aspect of the book and its commentary of revenge as duty is absent as well. I haven’t seen the Coen brothers remake in 4 years so I can’t really compare it. It’s pretty sick to see Dennis Hopper and…
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M
I watched this every week as a child with my dad. I love everything about this film. It’s my second favorite John Wayne performance next to Ethan in The Searchers.
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T
True Grit stars John Wayne as the hard-drinking U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, Kim Darby as the determined Mattie Ross, and legendary singer Glen Campbell as Texas Ranger La Boeuf. After Mattie’s father is murdered by the outlaw Tom Chaney, she hires the aging Cogburn to track down the killer. Joined by La Boeuf, the unlikely trio sets off across the untamed frontier in pursuit of justice, facing danger, hardship, and moral tests along the way. John Wayne delivers a commanding,…
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D
The least bad Wayne has ever been. He’s still just doing papa Wayne but the script is written for it and it works. Terrific directing—that hanging scene—and a very human, deft screenplay.
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D
glenn campbell highlight in a film full of lowlights cannot recommend
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K
Milly Alcock is prettier than John Wayne. I don’t care what the Snyder bros have to say about it!
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R
Esta peli la había visto hace algún tiempo y la tenía olvidada. John Wayne obtuvo su único oscar como mejor actor con esta película.
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H
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J
I thought this western was better than expected. Odd and kinda silly at times, but I enjoyed seeing Rooster and Mattie become caring towards each other, the bond they created.
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AAyeItsMicah 6 月 28, 2026
going through arkansas movies as someone who lived in it for a bit. i can see the bones of great movie, but as it is—its alright!
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W
Not a great western by any of my standards. I was honestly pretty bored and uninterested during this movie. John Wayne does a solid job and some of the actions scenes are decent, but otherwise nothing much to praise. I did not care about any of the characters and the story was forgettable. I think it’s widely overrated, but some people will absolutely disagree.
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O
La réalisation oscille entre naïveté et amateurisme. Scénario parfois divertissant et souvent ennuyeux. Seule l’interprétation de Wayne donne un intérêt au film.
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R
There is a moment in “True Grit” when John Wayne and four or five bad guys confront each other across a mountain meadow. The situation is quite clear: Someone will have to back up or die. Director Henry Hathaway pulls his telephoto lens high up in the sky, and we see the meadow isolated there, dreamlike and fantastic. And then we’re back down on the ground, and with a growl Wayne puts his horse’s reins in his teeth, takes his…
- Synopsis
- The murder of her father sends a teenage tomboy on a mission of 'justice', which involves avenging her father's death. She recruits a tough old marshal, 'Rooster' Cogburn because he has 'true grit', and a reputation of getting the job done.
- Director
- Henry Hathaway
- Writer
- Marguerite Roberts
- Studio
- Wallis-Hazen Inc., Paramount Pictures, Taurus Film
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1969
- Runtime
- 128 mins
- USA11 Jun 1969
- Brazil21 Aug 1969
- Denmark29 Sep 1969
- UK28 Dec 1969
- France18 Feb 1970
- Ireland17 Apr 1970
- Netherlands07 Jun 2002
- Netherlands26 Jan 2011
- Sweden11 Jun 1969
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