Lights, Camera, ACTION!
In the beginning there is dim lighting and it is snowing. The narrator begins to speak at first, while there was a door open, and a dead corpse in front of the house, Mattie's father. A few seconds later Mattie is ridding off. There was a landscape shot of Fort Smith, Arkansas, where Frank (Mattie's father) was killed. There was a close up scene when 3 people were going to be hanged, while awaiting to be hanged they had their head covered in a black bag, and then they were hanged. Mattie in the film is just as the character in the book, she has a very demanding way and she knows what she wants she is also very serious. When Mattie was given her fathers belonging the first thing she picked up was the gun and tears flowed down her cheeks. When Mattie went to see Rooster at the court case in the beginning everything was seen through her eyes. At the court case the only people there were men, as well as in the jury. Mattie was the only lady there.
There was a fade when Mattie finished talking to Rooster, which transitioned the movie into the home in which Mattie is staying at. LaBoeuf was introduced when the fade occurred in the porch, the next morning he appeared in Mattie's room to talk about business. When Mattie got a letter the letter was read by the person who wrote it in the background. There was a landscape scene where it showed the town before Mattie parted, meanwhile in the background there was sweet music and Mattie reading a letter she wrote to her mother while she packs her bag. Rooster and LaBoeuf left before her just like in the book and she catched up by making her Blackie cross the river. During the movie LaBoeuf leaves Rooster and Mattie and goes his own way but eventually they are reunited. There was a close up when Mattie and Rooster are awaiting for Tom Chaney. Mattie's reaction is serious and shocked because of the killing she just saw at the house.
The days seems endless and the only way you know its a new day is by the weather. The music was loud when Mattie met with Tom Chaney. Mattie very fidgety when she tried to take the pistol out to shoot Tom but she was nervous, it was the 1st time she used a pistol. Tom Chaney took hostage of Mattie. LaBoeuf then came to the rescue. Rooster ended up seeing Ned and killed all his friends. Tom Chaney ends up dead and the musket sends Mattie flying to the pit. At the end there was soft music, fades in scenes to transition the time periods, Rooster and Mattie have been riding to reach to the hospital. There was a black out when Mattie ended up at the hospital ... The black out signified the time passed and the older Mattie was talking about what happened while she grew up after her avenging Tom Chaney. Older Mattie only had one hand. at the end Mattie was by Roosters tomb walking away landscape shot, soft music playing.
My reaction to the film was that it was just as exciting as the book. The film had some details that were included that were not in the book. As I watched the movie, I was thinking how different it was from the movie I envisioned in my head while I was reading. The film I would give it two thumbs up. The dialogue between the characters was very strong worded and some parts were paraphrased from the movie. All in all, the movie was a great experience and it was exciting !
