Citizen Kane: A Portrait of Sucess?

Although it purports to be about a fictionalized American named Charles Foster Kane, Orson Welles's celebrated film is really a barely veiled portrait of the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst.  One of the things that makes Welles's film so unique is the method by which he creates this portrait: the film reveals Kane's failures and successes by interviewing the people who know him, thus providing often contradictory individual visions of this "great" man.  Discuss what we learn about Kane from these interviews and what his life says about the types of ambitions that defined his life.  How does the film's structure function as a unique method for uncovering those details and contradictions that marked Kane's goals, personality, and decisions?

True Grit

Looking at the characters in the Coen brothers’ “True Grit,” viewers can see some similarities as well as differences in their roles while in comparison to traditional Western film characters.  In “True Grit”, the hero is actually the heroine in the form of Maddie, who arguably shares the main role with the man she hires to kill her father’s murderer, the “Rooster” Cogburn.  Throughout the film it would seem Maddie is constantly at odds with her environment, both physically and mentally.  Compared to John Ford’s “Stagecoach”, where the roles of women were clearly defined (the harlot or the saint), Maddie struggles with reconciling her intelligence, which is far more mature than her age, and her sexuality—or lack thereof.  As is frequently noted, Maddie is not considered an attractive girl and her age is often a topic of concern.  Inconsistent with the traditional heroine role, Maddie’s innocence and clumsiness deny her the persona that would otherwise establish her as the femme fatale in this film. 

The role of Cogburn as hero and antihero is a duality that is emphasized throughout True Grit.  True to the nature of the hero, Cogburn’s role as protector is emphasized as his relationship with Maddie grows and develops.  Also true to the traditional role of the hero, Cogburn is considered a lone pioneer, even up until the end of the film, when he dies while travelling with a Wild West Show, a tribute to the Old West.  What is unconventional concerning the character of Cogburn relates mostly to his physical flaws which are inconsistent with traditional Western heroes.  The character of Ringo, for example, in Stagecoach is handsome; he is a lone rogue that stands as a sort of moral compass throughout the film—a role not readily present in Cogburn.  Though we know Cogburn to be a good man, his character is “tainted” by his incessant drinking and “quick-draw” attitude.  At the beginning it is clear Cogburn is considered to be a relic of the Old West, someone who was once great, but who has since lost his purpose.  It is clear in the times Cogburn had to draw his gun, that he was never guaranteed to make his target as is represented when he accidentally shoots LeBeouf and when he is mocked for having one eye and challenged to shoot a whisky bottle in the air. 

LeBeouf is also an interesting character, seemingly portraying the ideal hero.  Unfortunately LeBeouf’s self righteous attitude and selfish tendencies separate him from the traditional cowboy. 

Aside from the characters in “True Grit”, the narrative structure strays from the traditional Western narrative in the fact that our antagonist, Tom Chaney, is not as daunting or dangerous as would have been made out in the beginning.  In fact, one would argue that the boss of the Pepper gang, Ned, is more of a villain than the character of Tom.  While the characters of Dallas and Ringo ultimately ride off into the sunset at the conclusion of the film, Maddie and Cogburn go their separate ways and never reunite.  Additionally, Maddie never submits to a romantic relationship, stating she never had time for such things, but alludes to her time with Cogburn as “lively”—though we as the viewer know his role was more fatherly than romantic.  In a way, Maddie retains the attitude she has always had as a child, yet her outlook on life seems to resemble that of Cogburn’s in her description of herself as a grouchy old maid. 

Brilliantly adapted, True Grit dually captures the epic beauty of a traditional Western, yet renders the tale in such a way that takes it further, and deeper, through the use of unconventional characters and storyline. 

True Grit

True Grit re-inscribes our expectations of the western hero by giving us a fourteen year old girl who goes against everything that has come to be expected of the protagonist in a western film. Unlike Ringo Kid, for example, Mattie is a girl who is much younger than those around her and is anything but a soft spoken hero who we might expect to see. Instead she is an incredibly intelligent individual who knows what she would like to achieve, and uses her gumption to ensure that things go her way.

Unlike the typical females seen in western films, Mattie does not do what she is told, and she is smart enough to work things so she can have her way. In the movie Stagecoach both Dallas and Mrs. Mallory rely on the men for help and guidance. Dallas even goes so far as to ask permission from Doc Boone to have her happiness with Ringo.

Mattie on the other hand only relies on the help of the men whom she chooses. She knows her limits, and hires the help she needs with the money that she negotiated for herself and her family. Unlike the typical woman in most westerns, she does not wait for things to happen, or for the law to provide justice. She makes her own justice.

And it isn’t just Mattie who breaks stereotypes. Cogburn and Laboeuf both break convention with their characters. Cogburn is an old, drunk, martial with an easy trigger finger; and Laboeuf is a Texan Ranger who’s tracking skills are questionable, and whose stories may or may not be true. Unlike the typical western males, these two are flawed, and are both unsympathetic at times. The viewer doesn’t have the knowledge that they may have a past, but are on the whole good guys. Instead they are both men with a record who have some good in them, but also have bad.

True Grit is a darker version of a western with takes on characters not typically seen in movies like Stagecoach. It takes the genera of the western film, and takes a new look at how it can be told, portraying the characters in a manner which is much closer to the reality of human nature. 

A Glimpsed at "True Grit"

    The shocking part of the film is Mattie Ross. She’s a challenge because she defies the role of a woman. Mattie is out of the ordinary because she's only 14 years old but she has the will and courage to avenge her father's death. Typically, we expect a male to do her part but she's an atypical female who is brave enough to go out of her way to catch her father's murderer. This also displays a atypical western female character because usually females stay at home, take care of the children, and cook but Mattie is the opposite. She is more like a fatherly figure in her household. The feminist character that Mattie plays is being challenged because it's rear to see women do the 'hunting'. It also makes her a powerful figure in her society because it shows other women that they have the capability of doing more manly things than they are expected in our society.

    Secondly, Rooster Cogburn is a typical western hero in the movie. He goes on an adventure in hopes of finding Mattie’s father’s murderer like a hero does. He took it on a personal level where Mattie became important in his journey and helped her find Chaney to bring justice to Mattie's family. He is the main hero in this film because he possessed most of the characteristics of a hero. He is out to save the world from the bad guys and he brought Mattie justice by helping her find her father's killer. He displayed a fatherly figure to Mattie. And to all the women in society, he shows that women are to be treated with respect, fairness, and equality.

    Last is LeBoeuf. He's also another hero of True Grit because he helped Mattie find Chaney. He also protected her along the way. He served as a second hand hero when Cogburn wasn't there to protect Mattie from the anti-heroes. As a typical Texas ranger, he was doing his job to find the bad guys. He is on the good side of things rather than running away from the problems of society. 

    In comparison to Stagecoach, True Grit definitely has similarities in terms of how Western movies should be portrayed, especially the characters. They have the hero, anti-heroes (the 4 cowboys inTrue Grit), and the conflicting situations among characters.  The 'Western' genre of True Grit and Stagecoach both displayed a problem in society. They have the stars of the movie who is seeking to find the truth and the heroes who will fulfill the truth. 

True Grit 2010: Turning The Western On Its Head

In most Hollywood westerns, the classic image of the American cowboy has come to embody values of freedom, power, and bravery.  The cowboy is someone who can expertly mount a horse, handle a gun with precision, and handle anything the wilderness puts before him.  In the Coens' film, True Grit, we see several cowboys who defy these Hollywood expectations.  And, perhaps more significantly, we see a female character that challenges our expectations for women's roles in the western.  Discuss how the characters in this film re-inscribe and challenge our expectations for the western hero, male or female.  In what other ways do you see this film defying the genre's conventions?  How does the film compare to John Ford's classic western, Stagecoach?

Western films often have very set shoes for male and female characters to fill. However, the Coens’ True Grit has a tendency to flip this typicality on its head with many of its characters. Each character has a trait that helps him/her break the stereotypes. The movie itself breaks some traditional elements to the Western as well, such as, the Native Americans not being portrayed as an inherently evil force, but still holds on to some of those tried and true pieces including the revenge plot, and the long shots of the scenery.

         Rooster Cogburn meets some of the expectations for your typical cowboy in a Western film. He slightly defies the upstanding lawman expectation due to his fondness for whiskey, because often in a Western we do not see a character on the protagonist side of things as having so many rough edges. The only time drunkenness and a lawman are put together is when the character is set up to be a crooked officer of justice. We also see another atypical trait during his demonstration of his shooting ability. It’s also very interesting that we do not see how poor of a shot he is until he and Mattie are further into the journey, and it comes as a surprise that the great Marshal Cogburn is so deficient with a gun.  However, he does demonstrate the wisdom and knowledge of the wilderness that is typical of the Western male hero. We also see how he still upholds justice, as we expect him to due to his role when he threatens to shoot Lebeouf for switching Mattie. In this way, Cogburn and Ringo from Stagecoach are similar because they still uphold the belief that a lady shall be treated like a lady, and Mattie has proven herself not to be a child anymore.

         Lebouf is very much so a non-standard cowboy. Even the way he is dressed is too hokey for the normal cowboy in a Western film. He matches from head to toe, his facial hair is neatly trimmed, contrast this with Ringo, Buck and Curly from Stagecoach, who looked very “average Joe”, with worn hats, poorly shaven faces, etc. Granted, this could be because he is a Texas Ranger, and it’s his uniform, but this only entices the audience’s sympathies with Cogburn in his relentless goading, based on our expectations of the rough and tumble cowboy. Lebouf talks about all of his Texas Ranger customs for being in the wilderness and pursuing a criminal, but Cogburn dismisses almost every thought Lebouf offers. Cogburn’s age and reputation make him seem more credible. Lebouf comes across as very green and naïve, which is odd since he isn’t exactly a young man. We would expect such naiveté and cockiness from a teenage boy in a Western.

         Mattie is the most surprising character of the film in regards to the way she defies the stereotypical role of a female character in a Western. Most women in Westerns are either portrayed as fragile, delicate and submissive, that is when they are not prostitutes, in which case they are often portrayed as hard-hearted, or their role is entirely based on their promiscuity. Mattie is, in contrast, a hardheaded and passionate young lady. She is not at all intimidated by any men she encounters, all of which attempt to hold her in the typical role of a woman of the time period, but in fact this fuels her to fight more passionately for her causes. She also knows how to negotiate, perform business, and is clearly well educated. Often a well-educated woman of this time would be portrayed as an aristocratic genteel woman, such as Lucy Mallory in Stagecoach, who would not be involved in business affairs. A farm wife, probably is not as well read, but may know how business works, however it’s really not often that we see a woman performing business in a Western, especially one who is only fourteen years of age. Mattie having both the education and the “street smarts”, if you will, is what completes her character as being the antithesis of a typical female character in a Western film. She also defies the expectations we have for a child with her knowledge and lack of fear and intimidation. She has everything she needs to reason her way through the world, she still possesses the child-like naiveté to speak her mind, and the passion for what is right, which combined make her a powerful and atypical female character.

From Classic to Coen: The New True Grit

In a typical Western, female characters are often times the schoolmarm or most likely a woman soiled by the profession of prostitution. In the Coen Brother’s True Grit adaptation this is certainly not the case. The film follows vivacious, brave, fourteen year old Mattie Ross. She is a young girl fraught with strife over her father’s death and in pursuit of the slow witted Tom Chaney, her father’s murderer. Unlike typical Westerns True Grit empowers the only female character in the film. She sports a consistent hair-do of braided pigtails and dons her father’s jacket and hat, all of which are oversized. She is witty, intelligent and outspoken often times calling the older, hard boiled Rooster Cogburn her employee, insinuating he is her subordinate. Not only is it rare to see a female character playing such a prominent role in a Western but Mattie’s age also sets her apart. Rarely are children featured in Westerns, let alone portrayed as the heroes. Though Cogburn plays the tough, gun-slinging cowboy the film’s protagonist title clearly belongs to Mattie.

Additionally, this updated Western moves away from the typical wide screen angles often associated with genre. Close-ups are prominent, along with low angle shots and less emphasis is put on the surrounding landscape in which the film takes place, though the Coen Brothers sprinkle them throughout. The film does resort back to the typical Western motifs often associated with the conventions of Westerns. There are multiple gunfights, numerous cowboy hats, and Cogburn adheres to a code all his own—a trademark of the cowboys featured in Westerns. This updated film takes a fresh look at an old genre and reminds audiences why Westerns still sell out at the box office.  

A Much Darker Wild West: True Grit (2010)

True Grit (2010), defies expectations of a Western genre film. It breaks even further from genre expectations than its 1969 predecessor. The classic True Grit (1969) broke away from Western conventions as well, but cast John Wayne, a star synonymous with Westerns, which leads viewers to quickly deem that version similar to western genre films. True Grit (2010), directed by the Coen Brothers, deviates even further from the western genre than the John Wayne version, despite the fact that the premise of the film is the same as the 1969 classic. True Grit (2010) was directed by the Coen Brothers, and this in itself leads the audience to expect a different type of film. The Coen Brothers are famous for directing films such as O’ Brother Where Art Thou, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, and Fargo. The style of these films fills audiences with a preconceived notion as to what the style of True Grit (2010) will be.

      (True Grit, 1969)      (True Grit, 2010)

The Coen Brothers, true to their style, deliver a much darker True Grit (2010) than the John Wayne classic. True Grit (2010) is darker not only thematically, but the overall look of the film is darker as well. The setting of True Grit is one of the main deviations from the classic Western genre. In a traditional Western, the setting is the desert of the “Wild West.” As we have read, John Ford, a typified Western director, preferred to shoot his films in Monument Valley, to capture a desert landscape. 

 

 (Monument Valley)

 

 (True Grit, 2010)

 

 The setting of Stagecoach, for instance, is said to take place in Arizona and New Mexico. True Grit, however, is meant to take place in Arkansas into Oklahoma. The setting of True Grit is in the woods, rather than the open desert. True Grit (2010) takes place primarily in the middle of winter, and the look of the film is dark and bleak. This differs from the 1969 version, which had shots that were very sunny, and had a feel of spring. The Coen Brothers film has a much darker ending than the classic version as well. In the 1969 version, LaBoef is inevitably killed by Tom Chaney smashing the rock over his head, but first, aids Rooster and Mattie out of the rattlesnake filled hole. Rooster stays with Mattie through her long recovery. The audience is left with the final scene of Mattie (still fourteen) showing Rooster her family’s cemetery plot, and Rooster telling her to come visit him. The 2010 version obviously leaves the audience in a much darker place. We are 25 years in the future, and she has lost her arm, and is traveling to see Rooster. (The last time she saw him was when he delivered her to the doctor.) When she finally reaches her destination, she finds that Cogburn is already dead. She then has his body transferred to her family plot, and this is the final scene that the audience is left with.

 

        

Mattie, herself, is a deviation from the traditional Western. It was not typical for female characters to have such a strong presence in the Western genre. Mattie is an assertive and cunning young woman. She takes the initiative to take care of all of her father’s affairs, and to pursue his killer herself. Mattie in the 2010 version has an even stronger presence in the film than the 1969 character version. Mattie in 1969, was given a short “tomboy” haircut, while the 2010 version maintained two long braids that appear to give her more of a feminine look. This could reveal that a 2010 audience may have been more willing to accept a strong female character who maintained her feminine appearance, rather than have a female lead who appeared to be attempting to be more masculine. In other words, the female lead in the 2010 version maintained her strength in her own right, and the 1969 version’s female lead may have been viewed as drawing strength from her attempt to emulate her male counterparts.

 

 

                

Another difference of both True Grit films to the Western genre is the character of Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn. In typical Western genre films, the protagonist is a cowboy who typifies the traditions of the “Wild West.” The traditional cowboy is governed by a higher morality, and represents the law. John Wayne, as Ringo Kid, in Stagecoach is an example of this typical cowboy, hero character. He believes in justice, always makes his shot, and even sees the good in a former prostitute. Rooster Cogburn, in True Grit, is not this typical character. Cogburn can be viewed as an anti-hero. He is flawed and certainly does not always make his shot. Cogburn is a drunk, and his drinking causes problems throughout the film. Cogburn, even ends up shooting LaBoeuf in a shoot-out that took place while Cogburn was trying to save LaBoeuf. Rooster is a gruff character, and appears to only be in business with Mattie for the money. However, the viewer ends up sympathizing with Cogburn, roots for him as he is running Mattie to the doctor, and we are saddened in the end when we find out he has died before Mattie is able to reach him. Though, it would make sense for Cogburn to be a sort of anti-hero, because the true hero of the film is Mattie, herself. She is the one who ends up getting her own justice, when she delivers the final shot to Chaney, which kills him. 

 

Challenging the Genre: The Coen Brothers' True Grit

The Coen brothers challenged everything their audience knew about a typical western. The biggest challenge of the typical Western we see in this movie is the hero of the story. It is not often we see the protagonist of a Western be a child, especially not a young woman. Women, especially not teenage girls, were not supposed to be riding through the wilderness with a couple of men in search of a wanted criminal.

Most of what we know about the Western was that is centralized around a conflict of civilization versus nature; a story about how the lead characters are trying to settle the Wild West. In True Grit, there is no settling to be done. It is simply about a crew in search of a murder. They want to take him to the authorities so he can be charged for his crimes.

Stagecoach was everything that I imagined a Western should be. The good guy gets the girl and they ride off into the sunset, the bad guy gets caught and taken to jail, and everyone else goes about life as it should be. Like Stagecoach, True Grit had a “love story”, but not in the same sense. The audience is happy to see that Rooster Cogburn cares about someone other than himself in all he does for Mattie Ross.

    

I will admit, I wanted a happy ending, I wanted Rooster to be at the circus he invited grown up Mattie to meet him at, and I wanted them to spend the rest of their days together, he could be the father she lost. But unlike every Western I have ever seen, True Grit ended on a sad note.

True Grit

In the Coen brothers movie "True Grit" they defy every expectation society has for heroes of a western movie. One of our main characters Mattie Ross is a 14 year old girl. She is taking care of her family after her father has died and is acting as an adult. In society today a 14 year old child would not take her fathers revenge and families safety upon herself. She is a smart young woman who could make her place in a town where women are normally at the home.The other main characters Rooster Cogburn is our here but comes off a a drunk and murderer. In classic westerns the hero/cowboy is a more noble, righteous man working to serve the people. Cogburn is rough around the edges. Throughout the entire movie he comes off a lazy and uncaring. The viewers tend to not like him. Then in the end he redeems himself by saving Mattie. 
Comparing this movie to stagecoach there are few similarities and differences. More of the classic vs. new. This movie gives a different view then a cowboy saving a damsel and falling in love.. It's a story about friendship and revenge. 

In most Hollywood westerns, the classic image of the American cowboy has come to embody values of freedom, power, and bravery.  The cowboy is someone who can expertly mount a horse, handle a gun with precision, and handle anything the wilderness puts before  him.  In the Coens' film, True Grit, we see several cowboys who defy these Hollywood expectations.  And, perhaps more significantly, we see a female character that challenges our expectations for women's roles in the western.  Discuss how the characters in this film re-inscribe and challenge our expectations for the western hero, male or female.  In what other ways do you see this film defying the genre's conventions?  How does the film compare to John Ford's classic western, Stagecoach?

Stagecoach Characterization

The way that John Ford developed his characters was very different than we see in films today. Many of the movies that I have seen that hold too many main characters tend to not be liked by people because they confuse the different stories that the characters have. However, I have really liked some of the films that use this technique. One of these films is He’s Just Not That Into You. I really enjoyed this movie because of the complexity of the different characters and how they all connected at some point in the film.

I think that Ford also does a good job of making many of these characters round. We know the different stories that got the characters where they were before they entered that stagecoach. The only characters that were more flat to me were Curly and Buck because a majority of the time, they are outside of the stagecoach so viewers don’t see as much of them as the other characters and therefore weren’t given as much time to develop.

As far as static and dynamic characters go, most characters remain static. Ringo started out the movie as being a nice and accepting guy and continues this attitude throughout his heroic journey by accepting that Dallas is a prostitute. Mr. Hatfield doesn’t make any significant changes along with Mr. Peacock and Mr. Gatewood because they all are the same people at the beginning of the movie as the end. However, it is the dynamic characters that make Ford’s movie a lot more interesting. Dallas realizes her self worth and her ability to start a new life. Mrs. Mallory (Lucy) grows a greater empathy for people who aren’t upper class when she starts to tell Dallas that if she needs anything that she can come to her. However, she interrupts this comment because she hasn’t change in a sense that she doesn’t want to give up her status and go against the other upper class women to help Dallas.

Characterization In Stagecoach

As a whole, the film gives us a variety of characters to work with. I think the fact that there is variety in the characters is what makes the many-main-character structure work. Much of the development of the characters happens so naturally that we don’t realize at first that it’s happening so obviously. The characters open up to each other, as travelers do when stuck in a close space together for an extended amount of time, just like today you may talk to the person next to you on an airplane.

The first main character we are introduced to is Curly. He is introduced to us as a man determined to support justice. He’s somewhat of a stock character, the lawman, who surprises us with his heart. The audience goes from thinking he wants to arrest Ringo for the reward, to realizing Curly thinks prison is the safest place for him, to watching him help Ringo and Dallas ride into the sunset into their happily ever after. We realize it isn’t that he’s the good guy, and Ringo is the bad guy, and this is even tipped off by the fact that Ringo is an “outlaw”, yet he wears a white hat, which is symbolic of the “good guy”.

Our next character is Buck, who is a flat character, and also a stock character. He’s the typical big, loveable, garrulous and clueless goofball. Next we meet Doc Boone and Dallas.  Doc Boone is also a stock character for the western genre of film, the drunken doctor. He is a dynamic character, and he has so many facets from his intelligent history and literature quoting side, to his “happy drunk” side, and finally seeing him redeem himself by successfully delivering Mrs. Mallory’s baby, and maintaining relative sobriety for the rest of the journey. It seems that when he was given the opportunity to show his skill, he rises to the occasion and redeems himself by the end. Dallas is developed as the Hester Prynne of Tonto. We know for some reason everyone has exiled her, but it is never said that she is a prostitute, but it is inferred at the end when she tells Ringo not to follow her further in Lordsburg. I found it interesting that her attire was an even mix of dark and light, which I think very easily could’ve been intentional to represent she had a “bad” side, but has a good heart.

         We meet Hatfield and Mrs. Mallory in the same few moments. Hatfield is a flat character, we follow him all through the movie as one of the untrustworthy men of the group, and even his name carries the negative connotation of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. He does seem to be well intended toward Mrs. Mallory as he escorts her to Lordsburg. We can say he is a static character because this never really changes. Lucy Mallory seems to be a genteel southern bell, and we come to expect all of her behavior until after her baby is born. It is at this point we watch her dynamic shift, because she begins to treat Dallas as a lady and not like a dog. Peacock, the whiskey drummer is a mildly dynamic character. I say this because we watch him through the better part of the movie fall into his role as the short, quiet straw man, but when the baby is born; he speaks up much more, with much more boldness than we see previously. He doesn’t play a humongous role, other than his complimentary role for Doc Boone, and his role as the quiet common sense of the travelers. The last character we meet in Tonto is Gatewood, the banker. Bankers are often not considered upstanding in this time, and the time of production also adds to the negative role of the banker. He is also introduced with two long lingering shots, with him looking us right in they eyes. These shots confront the audience, and let us know that he will play some sort of role, and his expression indicates it won’t be good.

The final major character we are introduced to is Ringo. As I mentioned before, Ringo is the “outlaw”, but seeing his white hat and his casual demeanor amongst the law, we realize he can’t be all that bad. He is a very round character, and we learn a lot about him because of his openness with his fellow travelers.  He definitely has a strong concept of justice, not only demonstrated through his drive to avenge his father and brother’s deaths, but also in how he makes sure Dallas is still treated like a lady, despite whatever predisposed idea all of her local acquaintances have. He doesn’t really change; he’s very stable and static. It reinforces the strong, stable, rugged, determined and rugged cowboy persona John Wayne is known for embodying.