Cinematic Style: Rugged Americana, Courtesy of "True Grit"

By Chris Frey
December 22, 2010

True Grit

Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, Matt Damon as LaBeouf, and Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn in Paramount Pictures' "True Grit."
Photo Credit: all images courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn.
Matt Damon as LaBeouf
Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross and Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper
Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney

As perhaps an early Christmas present, the irreverent, unstoppable Coen Brothers give holiday filmgoers the sprawling, atmospheric American western movie “True Grit,” opening today, to sink their teeth into. Filled with fugitive outlaws and sparse landscapes, the new Coen Brothers movie is a faithful adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel of the same name, first adapted for the screen in 1969. That version of "True Grit," directed by Henry Hathaway, garnered John Wayne a Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Rooster Cogburn, the boozy, trigger-happy US Marshall enlisted by Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl, to assist in her quest to avenge the death of her father at the hands of a drifter named Tom Chaney.

This time around, Coen Brothers alum, Actor Jeff Bridges ("The Big Lebowski"), on the heels of last year’s Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Crazy Heart," plays Rooster: bloated, bearded, and with a menacing eye patch and a whiskey flask at the ready. Actor Matt Damon as Texas Ranger LaBoeuf is the splashiest of the cast, sheathed head to toe in buckskin, with a belt of bullets and loads of fringe, even on the trim of his gloves. But it’s the determined Mattie Ross, played by actress Hailee Steinfeld, who steals the screen. She literally wears her father’s memory on her sleeve: her innocent Peter Pan collar buried beneath her father’s heavy wool coat, cinched with a saddle pack belt to contain her petite frame; her long dark braids peeking out from underneath her father’s wide brim felt hat.

"True Grit" movie trailer, courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Shot in Texas and New Mexico but representing 1870’s Arkansas and Indian Territory, the "True Grit" film is bathed in natural light that compliments the deep, rich colors and textures of the costumes. Wool duster coats, 10 gallon hats, suspenders, leathers saddle bags and rough hewn boots all evoke the late 1800’s turn of the century style that fashion designers like Billy Reid and Rag & Bone, among others, continue to reference in their designer collections today.

Costume designer Mary Zophes told the L.A. Times that because of the lack of photographs that exist from that time period, she turned to two books extensively to help her achieve the authenticity she desired: “Calico Chronicle: Texas Women and Their Fashion 1830-1910” and “Bad Men: Outlaws and Gunfighters of the Wild West.” She says that because the people of that period wore only a few pieces of clothing for long spans of time between washings, the movie's wardrobe had to feel aged, dusty and worn. Mary Zophes went to great lengths to construct and then “age” every piece of clothing for the film, and her handiwork is stunning.