Display MoreIn hindsight, this movie did make an incredible amount of money, and I suspect that the Coen brothers were clever enough to realize how many John Wayne fans were out there who would be 'motivated' by remarks such as "better than the original" and would be compelled to go see it.
As this thread would indicate, some sort of interest was there. Almost 250 people have viewed it, and there are over 450 posts in this thread. Who wouldn't have at least a little bit of interest? Did you read a single article ANYWHERE about this movie, that did not have at least one mention of John Wayne? Clever, indeed!
By the same token, so much interest was generated that the original has certainly seen more attention, and probably an increase in sales. I know my kids had opportunity to share the original with many friends, who previously had not seen a John Wayne movie (and many of whom have since had a greater interest in his movies!).
While we may agree many of us prefer 'the original', the newer version has not been a bad thing for John Wayne.
Chester
That's a great way to look at it, Chester. It does make The Duke shine even brighter in terms of renewed attention to him. Undoubtedly, due to this remake, scores of folks are just now "discovering" the treasure of John Wayne's legendary work! Thank you for pointing out this uplifting perspective!
Blessings to you,
Kcat