I just watched John Maclean’s latest work and really enjoyed it, and I thought it made a good comparison with some other Westerns I enjoyed, so it’s time for a compar sesh. Or a comparison session, as you might say. I don’t say the first phrase that much, by the way. It’s just a bit of made-up lingo on the spot. Nice. Anyway, onwards.
The Joints: True Grit (1969, 2010), Tornado (2025), The Nightingale (2018)
I liked both versions of True Grit, although they’re both really similar in terms of shots and dialogue. Almost similar to the point where you wonder why the Coens didn’t just go for something a bit different. Anyway, they’re still good fun. And the Coens’ ‘remake’ probably isn’t as derivative a Lars Von Trier’s ‘remake’ of Psycho, which I haven’t got round to watching. But apparently that one’s just the same film, shot for shot but with different actors and sets. Why?
I just watched Tornado a couple of days ago and really enjoyed it. It’s got some ‘meh’ reactions from the looks of Old Man Rotten Tomatoes, but I liked it, and that’s what matters. Plus it stars Takehiro Hira, who absolutely kicks ass in Shogun. And Giri/Haji. And everything else he stars in. Plus I liked Koki’s performance too. Actors can sometimes be a bit beige when they decide they decide to transition to acting from the musical careers that they’re more well-known for (*cough*HarryStyles*cough*), but she makes a powerful impression as the film’s taciturn protagonist.
And onto The Nightingale. This is the second film by Australian director Jennifer Kent. Horror fans will probably recognize the name from The Babadook, her debut feature which scared audiences worldwide. While the Nightingale is labelled as a drama more than a straightforward horror, it’s definitely horrifying. In an effective sense. Well, effective if you’re able to stomach the opening act. If you can do that, then the rest of the film should be fine. If you can’t, then fair enough, switch it off. Oh, and the villains. The villains, goshdarn. Onto that in a moment or two, but…heck.
Where? Who?
True Grit: Late 19th century, 1880s Arkansas. Pronounced Ar-can-saw. Ah, the wonders of English language pronunciations. But yeah, it’s set solidly in traditional American Wild West country.
The protagonist is Mattie Ross, who fits the ‘fiesty girl’ stereotype to a tee. Not that that’s a bad thing here, there’s just a bit more comic relief provided with his character type than the other two joints. And Charles Portis’ original novel that provided the basis for both films was really good too, there’s just a bit more wit and light relief with this gal. Oh, and the film directors for both versions are American.
Tornado: Late 18th century, 1790s Britain. A whole different time period and location right there. That ol’ Western doesn’t need to be set in the US of A to be defined as a Western. And the characters don’t need to be American either. See below.
The protagonist is known simply as Tornado. Look, it’s the name of the film! But her name too. The title flashes across the screen within the opening minute. She and her father Fujin (a former swordsman) hail from Japan, and now run a puppeteer show. Tornado definitely fits the ‘silent hero archetype’ and even has her own laconic catchphrase, which comes in handy at a few points, particularly near the end. The director? Scottish. A nice bit of variation all round.
The Nightingale: Early 19th century, 1825 Tasmania. Very much not in Wild West territory, then. Kent moves into faraway country (well, not faraway as in she’s Australian, but faraway in the sense of being faraway from America, y’know?) to tell her tale of loss and vengeance. Cool.
Claire Carroll is the heroine bent on revenge in this tale, an Irish convict sent to Australia seeking violent retribution for equally violent acts.
Terrain?
True Grit: As with any good Western, landscape is key. And the iconic Wild West of Arkansas provides a pretty mighty backdrop alongside all those fancy saloons and such. No, I wasn’t writing that previous sentence with a substandard Western cowboy accent in my head. I promise.
Tornado: Landscape (and weather, hence the title mention), play pretty important roles in this joint. The roaring wind is heard right at the beginning as a black screen rolls through the opening credits, opening onto a huge wide shot of an open field as Tornado flees her aggressors. Forests and nature are pivotal throughout, initially representing Tornado’s timidity and lack of skill before turning to her advantage in the final act, as a huge crash of lightning heralds her opening campaign of bloody vengeance.
The Nightingale: Terrain is absolutely pivotal for Claire’s journey, too. While she, like Tornado, is unconfident about the areas in which she walks, she enlists the help – and eventually gains the friendship – of equally vengeful aborigine native Billy. Tornado’s stubborn assertion that the forests of England are her home near the end of the film also mirror Billy’s poignant words as he rails against his colonial oppressors in one of The Nightingale’s most powerful sequences.
Villain?
True Grit: Tom Chaney, a low-down nasty dude who sets Mattie on her path of vengeance. I probs won’t go into spoiler territory on this section cause, y’know, spoilers. But yeah, while Chaney fits the bad guy role pretty well in both film versions, he ain’t as nasty as the two below. In my humble opinion, anyway. Maybe that’s because you don’t see the victim’s death on-screen like the other two joints here, but Chaney has a slightly more cartoonish bad guy vibe to him. Just my two cents.
Tornado: Following in the Western tradition, most of the characters here just have nicknames. So the Big Bad is just called Sugar (Tim Roth), and his son (secondary big bad) is just referred to as Little Sugar (weird seeing Jack Lowden in this kind of role after only knowing him as an all-round goodie in Slow Horses). Sugar’s a bit of a nasty so-and-so with some toxic masculinity problems that need to be addressed. Not that toxic masculinity was a thing in the rugged forests of 18th century Britain, you understand.
The Nightingale: Sam Clafin’s colonial a-hole Hawkins gets the trophy for this one, hands down. I hated him from the first scene he’s in, and progressively hated him more and more as the film went on. Douchebag number one, this guy. But it’s a credit to Clafin that he manages to play the role so well. And it’s also commendable that he managed to eclipse the hatred I had for his posh toff character in The Riot Club. Impressive work.
Violence Level?
True Grit: It’s pretty violent, I guess? It’s hard to measure violence on a scale. Literally impossible, in fact, since violence is an abstract concept that could never be weighed to begin with. But both films are rated 15, so that’s an initial gauge to go by. There’s plenty of gunfights, but nothing too bad aside from that. So vaguely ‘meh’, overall.
Tornado: For the most part, not that violent. But the violence in the final act is definitely what bounces this joint up to the 15 rating. Anecdote time: I think The Last Duel and Last Night In Soho (two ‘Lasts’ in quick succession, wow) came out around the same time, because I remember having similar reactions in a short space of time. Anyway, that reaction throughout the film was something like: ‘Whoa, this dude is 18, really? Then…*cut to penultimate scene* HOLEY MOLEY THAT’D BY WHY IT’S AN 18 CERTIFICATE. But yeah, no spoilers for those two guys. Basically, Tornado’s violence and gore really ramps up in those final bits. The gore is more comic book style Kill Bill-type gore but still, it’s effective, just slightly unexpected. Which is…why it’s effective? Perhaps.
The Nightingale: This gal’s an 18, and this gal’s an 18 for a reason. A wide variety of traumatic elements, it’s fair to say. A whole lot. But yeah, lots and lots of nasty violence, without going into too much detail. Or any detail at all. 🙂
Revenge Western Level?
Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of it. Which film’s got the most Revenge Western ‘feel’ to it? This will be hella subjective, of course, but let’s have a go nonetheless.
True Grit: Probably the most ‘Western’ Western if you’re a traditionalist who thinks Western can only be Westerns if they’re only set in the West. Phew, that was a bit of a tongue twister. But it does have a lot going for it. You’ve got cowboys with their cowboy outfits, a rugged silent hero, that silent hero shtick and a peppy female protagonist , plus the landscape stuff. It’s good, very good in fact. I just think the female characters are more compelling/mysterious in the other two films. Just havin’ my say.
Tornado: It’s basically a subversive Samurai Western with non-traditional terrain. Tornado has got all of the Western staples going for it, whether it’s the iconic eye close-up shot between Fujin and Sugar or the glorious sunset conclusion where the traditional Man With No Name hat is swapped for some Kasa Kasa headwear. Smooth.
The Nightingale: Again, I love all of that subversive Western shiz. And I particularly love Claire’s arc with the aid of Billy from timid victim to vengeful warrior. Few of the traditional Western symbols are present, but the landscape provides a perfect setting for an epic journey of bloody revenge.
On balance, Tornado probably gets the win this time round in terms of strict Western genre adherence. To echo the character’s sentiments, she is Tornado, remember her name.