Critical Scene Analysis - True Grit

Critical Scene Analysis: True Grit

Adapting a book into a film is often very difficult, as directors and writers need to condense paragraphs - even pages - of text into a only a few seconds on the screen. This often means that many of the finer details are missed. True Grit uses a variety of film elements to bring the original novel on which it is based to life. The movies mis en scene paints the picture of a classic Western movie, beginning with soft, western piano music - reminiscent of something one would hear playing in a saloon. One of the first scenes depicts an old steam engine pulling up to the station of a classically portrayed Western city with a dusty road, bustling with activity. Approximately ten minutes into the film, we are lead to the scene in which Mattie Ross attempts to sell her late father’s ponies back to Stonehill, and has him believe that if he does not, he will see his day with Lawyer Dagget in court.

This paper will examine and analyze the scene portraying fourteen year old Mattie Ross marching into the shop of Col. G. Stonehill to convince him to buy back his ponies. The scene is where the reader and the audience watching the movie get a sense of who Mattie is, what she’s capable of and the confidence she carries. The scene begins at 8:29 in the movie, and on page 32 of the book.

01 8:29; the scene opens with a full frontal profile of Mattie Ross in the foreground using a public shot. Her braided hair and dark dress paint her as a reasonable character and emphasise her sense of purpose. The scene is devoid of background music, and the only noise the viewer hears is that of an active village. After a few seconds, cut to a matching eyeline shot to Col. G. Stonehill’s place of business. 02 At 8:41 the scene cuts back to Mattie Ross, now opening the door of Stonehill’s shop. 03 8:45 the director again uses a matching eyeline shot to Stonehill sitting at his cluttered desk, in direct view of the door. Stonehill is described in the book as a “prissy bald man,” the actor fits the description well. 04 8:47 the camera cuts back to Stonehill looking at Mattie as she asks about the prices of cotton. The viewer is then shown a medium shot of Stonehill which captures his upper half. 05 At 8:54 the camera follows Mattie to Stonehills’s desk using a tracking shot, possibly using a dolly, as she moves further in to the shop towards Stonehill. 06 She briefly stops to look at a record book near the window. This part of the scene captures only the top half of her profile. 07 At the beginning of the ninth minute, the scene again cuts back to Stonehill before displaying a medium shot of both Stonehill and Mattie at 9:03. At this part of the scene we see Mattie taking a chair across from Stonehill, who is visibly disinterested in what Mattie has to say and preparing to send her away as quickly as she came. 08 9:11 brings us to Mattie’s point of view again, looking directly at Stonehill’s half profile. 09 Cut back to Stonehill’s point of view. Ten seconds later we see the second shot including both characters, with Mattie in the foreground and Stonehill midground. 10 Mattie is just about to explain that she is the daughter of Frank Ross. 11 Stonehill then becomes slightly more interested in what she has to say next. 12 At 9:22 the camera goes back to Stonehill’s view of Mattie at a slight angle. 13 At 9:25 the camera cuts back Mattie in the foreground and Stonehill in the midground. 14 Stonehill is finally giving Mattie his full attention. The initial empty banter is coming to a close and the viewer is starting to get a feeling that something is going to happen. 15 At 9:36 the camera cuts back to Mattie. Stonehill has just expressed his condolences the audience gains a better idea of his history with Mattie’s father. Mattie explains her desire to sell ponies recently bought by her father back to Stonehill. 16 At 9:41 we cut back to Stonehill who seems to be amused with the request, and explains that he doesn’t want the ponies back and will ship them to her when he’s ready. The shot lasts for 10 seconds before cutting back to Mattie at 9:52. 17 Mattie is undeterred by Stonehill’s response and pushes Stonehill for $300 for her fathers horse that was stolen by his murderer while in Stonehills care. 18 At 9:56 we can see that Stonehill is starting to get annoyed with Mattie and explains that he cannot be held liable for the theft. 19 At 10:01 the camera cuts back to Mattie, who explains that because the horse was stolen from Stonehill’s stable, he is responsible. 20 At 10:06 the camera cuts back to Stonehill. Stonehill begins this frame by saying, “I admire your sand,” which references the name of the of the movie “True Grit”. 21 At 10:11 the movie cuts back to Mattie, giving the viewer another glimpse of her smarts as she compares her father’s stolen horse from Stonehill’s care to the stealing of money from a bank. 22 At 10:15 we see that Stonehill is now upset and has had enough of Mattie. The pace of conversation begins to speed up. The audience notices that neither party is prepared to walk away from this conflict. 23 At 10:26 the frame begins with Mattie but then quickly cuts to Stonehill as Mattie explains what a fine mare Judy is. Stonehill is once again amused. 24 The frame then goes back to Mattie at 10:32. This dialogue is almost word for word how it’s written in the book. 25 At 10:35 Stonehill is ready to dismiss Mattie as he is not willing to give her what she wants. Stonehill begins to summarize and categorically acknowledge and deny every request and point that Mattie has made up until this point. 26 At 10:45 the camera cuts briefly to Mattie listening to Stonehills summary before cutting back to Stonehill. 27 At 10:52 Mattie is fully understanding that without assistance she will not win this argument she threatens to take the case to court. 28 At 10:53 Stonehill interrupts Mattie and exclaims she doesn’t have a case. 29 At 10:54 Mattie lists all of the reasons why despite not having a solid case she would win because of the context surrounding the conflict. Mattie notes that a jury would sympathize with a widow with three kids and not a businessman. 30 At 11:00 Stonehill acknowledges that a judge and jury would buy Mattie’s story over his offers $200 to Matties estate. 31 At 11:06 we see that