Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
RevengeisSweeterthanSex: AReviewoftheCoenBrothers’2010Movie,TrueGrit
ByJaneGilgunSummary
TrueGritisaboutthesatisfactionsofrevenge.Revengeissweeterthansex.Thisreviewanalyzestheviolenceofthemovie.Themaincharacters,RoosterCockburnand14 year-oldMattieRoss,haveitbothways,withatwist.Mattieishurtandoutragedbyher father’smurder.Roosterisanavenging,imperfectangel.Theyhavetheirrevenge,allright,butbothpayahugeprice.TheonlycharacterinthemoviewhohastruetruegritisMattie’shorse,Blackie,whointheend,sacrificeshimselftosaveMattie.
 AbouttheAuthor
JaneF.Gilgun,Ph.D.,LICSW,isaUniversityprofessorandresearcherwhohasinterviewedviolentmenformorethan25years.Sheplanstospendmuchofthenext25yearstalkingaboutviolenceanditssavagecontradictions.ProfessorGilgunhasmanypublicationsonviolenceavailableonscribd.com,AmazonKindle,iBooks,andotheron-linebooksellers.Shealsowriteschildren’sstories,articles,andbooksonavarietyofothertopics,suchasresilience,childdevelopment,andqualitativeresearch.
 
RevengeisSweeterthanSex: AReviewoftheCoenBrothers’Movie,TrueGrit
ewantitbothways.Weloveviolence.Thethrillsandchillsofrightingawrongandofseeingjusticereignaregratifying.Snuffthebadguysout.Tearthemlimbfromlimb.Throwthemtothelionsandjackals.It’sonlyright.Somepeopledeserveit.Wehateviolence.Wehurtwhenwearetargetsofviolence,whenpeoplewecareaboutaretargets,andwhenourenemiesuseviolenceinpoliticalcauses.Killthosewhouseviolenceagainstus.It’sonlyright.Somepeopledeserveit.Individualsandthesocietiestheycreatebelievesodeeplyinviolencethatviolencewillneverchange.AcaseinpointisTrueGrit,theCoenbrothers’moviewherethemaincharactershaveitbothways,withafinaltwist.TrueGritisa2010remakeofanoldmovie,remade,Isupposebecauseofitstimelessmessage.Themessageisrevenge.Thetwisttothemovieisthepunishmentthatvisitsitselfupontheavengers..
PlotSummary
AfterahardchasethroughroughWesterncountryinthewinter,MattieRossfinallyfindsandshootsherfather’smurderer.Themurderisparticularlyheinousbecausethefatherwastryingtohelpthemurderer.Mattie’sshottothechestissopowerfulthatthemanispropelledoffacliff.HisnameisCheney.Notonlydoesa14year-oldgirlkillthemurdererofthegoodfather,buthefallstotheearthinaheapofbrokenbones.Howsatisfying.Inthemeantime,hersidekick,RoosterCockburnkillstheothermurdererswhowereCheney’scompanion.Moresatisfaction.Theworldisinbalanceonceagain.Butwait,there’smore.ThekickofthecarbinethatMattieusestokillCheneyissopowerfulthatMattieispropelledbackwards,rightintoapitfullofrattlesnakes.Asnakebitesherlefthand.Roostercomestotherescue,shootsthesnakes,andcarriesMattietosafety.Mattielosesherleftarmuptoherelbowbecauseoftherattlerbite.Weseeher25yearslater,dressedinblack,aspinster,withaleftarmthatendsatherelbow.MattieissearchingforRoosterafterallofthattime.Oh,no,Roosterdiedafewdaysbefore.Deniedthesatisfactionofseeinghersavior,themiddle-agedMattiehashisbodyexhumedandbroughttoherfamily’splot.Thelast
W
 
sceneisofMattiestandingatRooster’sgravestone,thenwalkingoffagainstthehugeWesternsky,hermissinglimbthereforalltosee.
 AnAnalysis
Themoviegivesviolencetousbothways.Wehavethesatisfactionofseeingbadguyssnuffedoutinexcitingscenes.Roostergallopstowardfourbadguyswithgunsablazing,forexample.Nowthatistruegrit.MattiepushesherbeautifulblackhorsetoswimacrossawildanddeeprivertojoinupwithRoosteronthehuntforCheney.Thegrithereisthehorse’s.Theblackhorseistheonlycharacterinthemoviewithapureheart.ThehorsehurtsnooneandhelpsMattiereachhergoals.HediescarryingherandRoosterbacktocivilizationformedicalcare.Thehorsehasrealtruegrit.Thedeathofthehorsehurts.It’salsocontrivedandmanipulative.Withtruegrit,RoostershootsthehorseintheheadasthehorseliesonthegroundpantingforhislastbreathafterhoursofcarryingMattieandRoosteracrossthefrozenterraintowardmedicalhelp.Thismovieshowswewantitbothways.Wegetit,too.Mattiehadherrevenge.Roosterkillsbadguys.Sadly,theypayaprice.Mattielosesherarm.RoosterdiesbeforehecanseeMattie.Mattiedoesn’tgettoseeRoosteronelasttime.Thedeathofthehorsesshowsthatevenvirtuegoesunrewarded.
TheMoraloftheTale
Themoralofthetalegetstotheheartofthings.Revengeissweet,butyoustillpay.MattieandRoosterarethegoodguys.Theyhadthesatisfactionofrevenge.Theymurderedpeoplewhomurderedpeople.Moviegoerssharethesweetanddeepsatisfactionofrevenge.TheyfeltsadbecauseMattielostherleftarmandMattieandRoosternevergottoseeeachotheragainaftertheysatisfiedvengefulquest.Revengeandretributionaresweeterthansex..TheCoenbrothersmaybelievetheyhaveavisionthatismoral.Afterall,MattieandRoosterpaidapricefortheirviolence.Thismoralvisionmaybeastepclosertoarethinkingofvengeance.Yes,theCoenswantitbothways.Theyexploitviolencetoattractattentiontotheirmovies.Theyalsoshowthepriceofviolence.Intheend,revengethroughviolencereignssupreme,evenwhenitexactsaprice.Revengeisapearlofgreatprice.
References
Gilgun, Jane F. (2010). Reflections on more than 20 years of research on violence.
 Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 16(4),
50-59
.
Gilgun, Jane F. (2010). Methods for enhancing theory and knowledge about problems, policies, and practice. In Katherine Briar, Joan Orme, Roy Ruckdeschel, & Ian Shaw,
The Sagehandbook of social work research
(pp. 281-297)
.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.

    • More From This User

    1 p.
    Love
    Jane Gilgun
    73 Reads
    4 p.
    Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: An Executive Function Analysis
    Jane Gilgun
    208 Reads
    4 p.
    Sometimes We Laugh in Horror
    Jane Gilgun
    389 Reads
    2 p.
    The Sweet Burn of Youth: Personal Stories and Research
    Jane Gilgun
    537 Reads
    8 p.
    Amazon Should Set Guidelines for Its Reviews
    Jane Gilgun
    678 Reads
    3 p.
    An Open Letter to the Boston Marathon Bomber
    Jane Gilgun
    1145 Reads
    14 p.
    Readiness to Adopt Children With Special Needs-Self-Survey
    Jane Gilgun
    834 Reads
    2 p.
    My Idea of Church
    Jane Gilgun
    871 Reads
    3 p.
    I Feel Sorry for God
    Jane Gilgun
    914 Reads
    47 p.
    The Qualitative Case Study as a Social Work Research Tool
    Jane Gilgun
    788 Reads
    3 p.
    Shame Drove Me Away; Love Brought me Back
    Jane Gilgun
    1246 Reads
    4 p.
    The Logic of Christian Martyrdom
    Jane Gilgun
    1062 Reads
    1 p.
    International Qualitative Social Work Day, Friday 17 May 2013
    Jane Gilgun
    817 Reads
    9 p.
    Program, International Qualitative Social Work Day 17 May 2013
    Jane Gilgun
    818 Reads
    2 p.
    Everyone Needs a Hometown
    Jane Gilgun
    972 Reads
    2 p.
    The Gun Issue is a Cancer
    Jane Gilgun
    930 Reads
    40 p.
    A Case Study of a Woman who Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse as a You...
    Jane Gilgun
    1187 Reads
    5 p.
    After the Rape, the Overdose
    Jane Gilgun
    938 Reads
    2 p.
    What Matters? Relationships and Giving and Receiving Care
    Jane Gilgun
    1105 Reads
    3 p.
    Celibacy No! Chastity Yes!
    Jane Gilgun
    1250 Reads
    3 p.
    The Roman Catholic Church Dislikes Women and Girls
    Jane Gilgun
    1362 Reads
    1 p.
    Overpriced Vet Care, Underpaid New Vets: What's Wrong with this Pic...
    Jane Gilgun
    1308 Reads
    3 p.
    God Loves Girls and Women
    Jane Gilgun
    1380 Reads
    1 p.
    There is a God
    Jane Gilgun
    1393 Reads
    11 p.
    Reflexivity Statements in Research: An Example
    Jane Gilgun
    1583 Reads
    Notes
    Load more