Joel and Ethan Coen had a big hit in 2010 with ‘True Grit’. Not only was the western excellently staged and staged, it was also graced by a whole host of absolute Hollywood stars. Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting”), Jeff Bridges (“The Big Lebowski”), Josh Brolin (“Deadpool 2”) and Hailee Steinfield (“Hawkeye”) were there in her first role. Ultimately, despite ten Oscar nominations, ‘True Grit’ came to the awards ceremony empty-handed, but the Coen brothers still delivered a strong western.
But what many people may not have known is that “True Grit” is a remake! The original, “The Marshal,” was released in German cinemas in August 1969. John “Duke” Wayne is seen here in the role of Rooster Cogburn – and won his only Oscar for Best Actor. Haven’t seen ‘The Marshal’ yet? Then you can catch up today, December 29 at 9:55 PM, on 3sat – without commercial breaks. Alternatively, the film is also available with a Paramount+ subscription.
That’s what ‘The Marshal’ is about
Young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) can only identify her father’s body in Fort Smith. He was murdered in cold blood by the bandit Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). Although Mattie focuses on law enforcement and justice and not revenge as you would expect from her, the authorities have no interest in pursuing the gangster and his gang.
So the stubborn teen resorts to self-help. For $100, she hires washed-up Marshal Reuben J. “Rooster” Cogburn (John Wayne) to finally catch Chaney. Half drunk and half amused, he is about to throw the girl out again, but then gives her request a chance. Cogburn gets back in the saddle and goes looking…
An absolute John Wayne classic
For much of his career, John Wayne would fit the archetypal image of a classic Western hero: tough, ultra-masculine and utterly authoritarian. But with “The Black Falcon” the first breaks were added to this image. This is also where “The Marshal” by Henry Hathaway (“That was the Wild West”) comes into the picture. Wayne is even allowed to satirize himself here to a certain extent – and he does so with a playfulness and richness of nuance that rightly won him an Oscar.
You shouldn’t expect ‘The Marshal’ to be a perfect masterpiece, but if you are a western fan you should see the film. This is also what our author Martin Soyka thinks, who gave 4 out of 5 stars in the official FILMSTARTS review and writes: “Director Henry Hathaway is a veteran in the best sense of the word and gives John Wayne a long leash. There is no photographic or directing hassle; after all, we’re watching a movie with the Duke. And he thanks you with an Oscar-worthy performance.”