Erin pointed out that Rooster wears a black hat. You can't tell by looking at him whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. By movie standards, he seems to be a bad guy. And then you add the black eye patch, and the impression is even stronger. I can see why the filmmakers gave him a physical flaw (and I assume it's in the book), but I sort of wondered why it was a lost eye vs. a big jagged scar on his cheek or a pronounced limp or something. I know eye patches are associated with daring men — pirates and such, and often with villains — but I don't know if that's the notion here.
And it's curious that the bad guy Chaney is so clearly designated as a villain; he literally has a black mark on his face, which, if I remember correctly, was the result of his being incompetent or merely unlucky in some way with a gun — it's a mark of cowardice or weakness — whereas Wayne's physical flaw, his black eye patch, is more like a badge of courage; he's someone who ignored his mom all those times she said doing something fun or dangerous "could put your eye out."
And Mattie's horse, for what it's worth, is named Blackie.
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The black marks idea is interesting. It reminded me though, when you mentioned Chaney's mark, of Ned Pepper's scar on his lip. He also has a mark from a gun, but rather than signifying his incompetence, it is what makes him "Lucky" Ned because got away from Rooster with his life. Chaney is a coward and is no match for Rooster, but Ned Pepper is more of a challenge.
I love the eye patch. I think the missing eye is another weakness, like the drunkenness, of the character, and it screams "tough SOB" in a way that a limp wouldn't.
Oh yes, the scarred lip! How could I forget that! Ned and Rooster are like two messed-up Tomcats.
I thought maybe the lip was an excuse to use this awesome dialogue.
Rooster Cogburn: Short feisty fella, nervous and quick, got a messed-up lower lip.
Emmett Quincy: That don't bring nobody to mind. A funny lip?
Rooster Cogburn: Wasn't always like that, I shot him in it.
Emmett Quincy: In the lower lip? What was you aiming at?
Rooster Cogburn: His upper lip.
I thought the whole scene in the dugout was good. It was the one time that showed how gruesome violence is. Those other men have scars and disabilities from past violent exchanges, and Emmett’s treatment by the knife reminds us of the conditions where you get such marks. If he had survived, he would have lived the rest of his life without fingers on that hand.
The lower lip line was good.
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