The Western genre’s heyday is long gone. Now considered a relic of sorts, the Western enjoyed prosperous success throughout much of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s before giving way to other genres – particularly crime dramas and science fiction (especially after the Star Wars boom of 1977). As such, not many Westerns are made today.
With that said, some of the most prominent filmmakers of our time are trying their hands at the Western genre – including the Coen brothers. Both The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and True Grit are great movies, but which film is the best is certainly up for debate. They each have their qualities and their flaws.
Buster Scruggs: The Cast
There’s really no going wrong with the cast of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. The film contains a certified who’s who of late 2010s movie stars, including Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, and Brendan Gleeson.
Everyone is excellent in their roles, and like most movies with great casts, it certainly drew eyeballs and attention. Unfortunately, the sheer scope of the cast and the story didn’t allow for anyone in particular to stand out. That wasn’t the case with True Grit…
True Grit: Jeff Bridges & Hailee Steinfeld
True Grit also contained a great, albeit much smaller, cast. Matt Damon was his typically excellent self as LaBeouf, and Josh Brolin shined despite little screen time as Tom Chaney. But the undeniable stars of the film were Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Both were exceptional in their roles, and both earned frequent adoration of critics.
And when it came time for the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, Bridges and Steinfeld both received nominations. Unfortunately, neither would take home the gold.
Buster Scruggs: Something For Everyone
True Grit, like most movies, tells one cohesive narrative. This means if an audience member doesn’t like what they’re seeing, then they’re out of luck. On the other hand, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an anthology, and like most anthologies, there’s something for everyone contained within.
There is a comedic musical segment about a singing gunslinger. There’s a love drama taking place on the Oregon Trail. There’s a bleak, borderline horror tale about a sideshow act. There’s a metaphorical tale about death set inside a stagecoach. As they say, variety is the spice of life.
True Grit: Roger Deakins’s Cinematography
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a beautiful movie, but True Grit was shot by the legendary Roger Deakins. A fifteen-time Academy Award nominee and frequent Coen collaborator, Deakins leaves his indelible mark on every movie he shoots, filling each a rich tapestry of gorgeous shots, sweeping scopes, and popping colors.
True Grit is no different. It’s perhaps one of the most sumptuous Westerns ever shot, and Deakins received his ninth nomination for Best Cinematography for his efforts.
Buster Scruggs: More “Fun”
Despite moments of levity and a wonderfully deadpan performance from Jeff Bridges, True Grit is otherwise a straightforward drama about adventure, revenge, and ultimately, family. In that regard, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is more “fun.” Buster Scruggs never takes itself very seriously, and even its most dramatic stories are filled with moments of dark hilarity.
In many ways, Buster Scruggs is a Western for people who aren’t really into Westerns. True Grit, on the other hand, is a Western through to its blood. Speaking of which…
True Grit: Time-Honored Story
True Grit is easily one of the most famous Western stories ever told. It began life as a novel, written by Charles Portis and published in 1968. It received positive reviews and is now regarded as one of the finest Western novels in American literature.
A film adaptation starring John Wayne was released the following year, earning Wayne his first and only Academy Award for Best Actor and further popularizing the source novel. In short, every Western fan knows the time-honored story of True Grit, and it’s a story well worth experiencing.
Buster Scruggs: The Opening Segment
If nothing else, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs will be remembered for its iconic opening segment. Often singled out by critics, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is an esoteric comedy musical about a white-clad cowboy with a smooth singing voice and an itchy trigger finger.
It’s unlike anything else previously done in the Western genre, and it proves that there is still some creative juice to be milked from this otherwise dry and well-trod movie genre.
True Grit: Carter Burwell’s Music
The Coen brothers certainly know how to assemble a team. Working alongside cinematographer Roger Deakins was composer Carter Burwell, a long-time collaborator of the Coens and two-time Academy Award nominee.
True Grit is easily one of his most beautiful and memorable scores, and it proved Burwell’s 14th collaboration with the Coen brothers. Unfortunately, it failed to secure any major industry nominations. His first Oscar nomination would come five years later for Carol.
Buster Scruggs: Less Predictable
True Grit proves a great story, but it’s a fairly predictable one. Rooster Cogburn, Mattie Ross, and LaBoeuf bond throughout their adventure and become a sort of outlaw family, their tenuous bond forged over blood, hardship, and mutual respect for each other’s ambitions. Mattie gets revenge and kills Tom Chaney, etc.
Buster Scruggs is a far less predictable film, and that’s perfectly visualized in the first twenty minutes when the namesake of the movie drops dead in a duel. Spoiler alert.
True Grit: The Dialogue
True Grit sings. Just as it looks and sounds beautiful, so too does the dialogue do wonders for audience amazement and appreciation. Much of the dialogue was ripped straight from Portis’s novel, and its dialogue is both incredibly difficult and endlessly rewarding.
The phrasing and archaic language can prove confusing and hard to follow, but it’s also poetic and fluid, like Shakespeare in a Western setting. The movie is a treasure trove of great dialogue and memorable lines, both of the flowery and hilarious kind.
