True Grit Analysis
Ashlee Pitock
Cinematography and “True Grit”
There are only two things that a film has to accomplish cinematically to orchestrate a solid story. First, the film must be flowing. Just as any plot must float along a smooth current of tangible events, the cinematography must match that current. Depending on the style of film, different forms of this fluidity will take place; ranging from wide-angle landscape shots for westerns and post-apocalyptic films to handheld cam horrors and found-film documentaries. The second element the film should accomplish is the coupling of the story and cinematography to the sounds and events that take place within that story. For example; in “True Grit”, a western film about a stubborn young
Mattie Ross …show more content…
The first major use of this subjective perspective is in the courthouse where
“Rooster” Cogburn, a US Marshall, is sitting on a raised platform being cross-examined by two lawyers trying to determine if Cogburn is a murderer. Ross enters the court room from the back of the building, only seeing glimpses of Cogburn in the background as men block her view. As she moves around the courtroom to get a better view of the man, our perspective moves with hers and we begin to notice his certain “mean” traits: an eye batch on his right eye, unkept facial hair and very jerky, drunken body language.
This introduction to the character Cogburn gives us the ideal image of a rough-andtough marshall with a lawless attitude, just what Ross was interested in to extract justice for her father. Not only Cogburn is introduced this way; soon after the trial, Ross walks
back to the Inn at twilight and spots a man on the porch lighting up a pipe. We see this man as Ross would; with his features slowly coming into view and his gaze meeting the camera’s. We later learn this is a Texas Ranger by the name of LaBoeuf who joins …show more content…
The shot from the top of the hill reveals that before Ned arrive LeBoeuf rides towards the cabin. Immediately a sense of helplessness engulfs the scene as Ross realized she cannot warn him of the dangerous men about to ride onto the site. We as viewers watch helplessly as LeBoeuf is
confronted by the bandits. Ned is introduced to the viewers as LeBoeuf is surrounded and tied to a horse. When shooting between Cogburn and the bandits begins, the scene is drenched in anticipation and fear as the men on horses can be seen shooting upwards towards Cogburn and Ross. The subjective perspective helps lock us into that fear. “True Grit” was hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, though nominated for ten academy awards, it received none. The use of this subjective perspective was just one of the many aspects of the film that catapulted this piece into such a category. The audience of this film is able to be completely submersed in the perspective of it’s characters and truly grasp the depth of the story as seen through their
Cinematography and “True Grit”
There are only two things that a film has to accomplish cinematically to orchestrate a solid story. First, the film must be flowing. Just as any plot must float along a smooth current of tangible events, the cinematography must match that current. Depending on the style of film, different forms of this fluidity will take place; ranging from wide-angle landscape shots for westerns and post-apocalyptic films to handheld cam horrors and found-film documentaries. The second element the film should accomplish is the coupling of the story and cinematography to the sounds and events that take place within that story. For example; in “True Grit”, a western film about a stubborn young
Mattie Ross …show more content…
The first major use of this subjective perspective is in the courthouse where
“Rooster” Cogburn, a US Marshall, is sitting on a raised platform being cross-examined by two lawyers trying to determine if Cogburn is a murderer. Ross enters the court room from the back of the building, only seeing glimpses of Cogburn in the background as men block her view. As she moves around the courtroom to get a better view of the man, our perspective moves with hers and we begin to notice his certain “mean” traits: an eye batch on his right eye, unkept facial hair and very jerky, drunken body language.
This introduction to the character Cogburn gives us the ideal image of a rough-andtough marshall with a lawless attitude, just what Ross was interested in to extract justice for her father. Not only Cogburn is introduced this way; soon after the trial, Ross walks
back to the Inn at twilight and spots a man on the porch lighting up a pipe. We see this man as Ross would; with his features slowly coming into view and his gaze meeting the camera’s. We later learn this is a Texas Ranger by the name of LaBoeuf who joins …show more content…
The shot from the top of the hill reveals that before Ned arrive LeBoeuf rides towards the cabin. Immediately a sense of helplessness engulfs the scene as Ross realized she cannot warn him of the dangerous men about to ride onto the site. We as viewers watch helplessly as LeBoeuf is
confronted by the bandits. Ned is introduced to the viewers as LeBoeuf is surrounded and tied to a horse. When shooting between Cogburn and the bandits begins, the scene is drenched in anticipation and fear as the men on horses can be seen shooting upwards towards Cogburn and Ross. The subjective perspective helps lock us into that fear. “True Grit” was hailed as a cinematic masterpiece, though nominated for ten academy awards, it received none. The use of this subjective perspective was just one of the many aspects of the film that catapulted this piece into such a category. The audience of this film is able to be completely submersed in the perspective of it’s characters and truly grasp the depth of the story as seen through their