True Grit is similar to the classic western Stagecoach in many ways. True Grit focuses on revenge in much the same way as Stagecoach. In True Grit Rooster Cogburn is going after the killer of Mattie's father. In Stagecoach Ringo is going after the men that killed his family. In this way both films deal with the death of close family members of main characters and their paths to seek justice for the killings. They are also similar in that both Rooster and Ringo are main characters that are loners and wherever they go their reputations as outlaws and killers follows them. Both movies in the classic western way do not show any good in the villains. The villains are all shown in a way that makes them look purely evil. Both Stagecoach and True Grit also use the setting as a way to really show the western environment. Both use a lot of long shots and pans while the characters are traveling on their journey. Stagecoach and True Grit also show similar pacing too in how they both have long periods with no action and then one long action scene. This is shown through when the Indians are attacking in Stagecoach and the ending action scenes in True Grit.
True Grit also shares many similarities with Unforgiven. They are both revisionist in how they focus more on the female characters than the traditional western film. In True Grit Mattie plays a huge role and is really the only character that Rooster really seems to care strongly for and listen to. In Unforgiven the women also play a much bigger part than in the typical western. Delilah and the other prostitutes play a very big role and Delilah and Will Munny can really relate to each other and share some very powerful scenes in the film. True Grit is also similar to Unforgiven in the language it uses. The characters especially the main characters Munny and Cogburn use some strong language and are very frank about what they want. Both films also deal with older cowboys that had long since given up their ways but are then forced to return to what they are best at. Both True Grit and Unforgiven are also similar in the way they portray violence. In Unforgiven the affects of violence are shown in a very real and gritty way especially in the scene where Munny shoots the man in the leg and he slowly dies while the audience watches his extreme pain. In True Grit the hand cutting off scene also portrays violence in a way that is a lot more graphic than the traditional western.
Overall I found True Grit to be more of a revisionist film like Unforgiven for a number of reasons. The main reason is the way that Mattie is really the main character and the whole story is told from her point of view. She narrates the story and is really at the heart of it while Rooster and Labeef act more like supporting actors. This is very revisionist for a western. Most traditional westerns would focus on the Rooster character a lot more in depth because he really embodies the traditional character. True Grit chooses took a different more revisionist and fresh take on the western instead. Another reason why I found True Grit to be more revisionist is the way it shows violence in a way that the traditional Stagecoach western does not. The violence is bloodier and more graphic as shown in the ending scenes. In a traditional western I don't think they would show the finger cutting onscreen. I also found True Git to be revisionist in how it incorporates a lot of black comedy into the film. Especially in the beginning during the hangings. Overall I found True Grit to be mostly revisionist with some classic western elements also.
