The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford [Blu-ray] [2007]

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Of all the movies made about or glancingly involving the 19th-century outlaw Jesse Woodson James, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the most reflective, most ambitious, most intricately fascinating, and indisputably most beautiful. Based on the novel of the same name by Ron Hansen, it picks up James late in his career, a few hours before his final train robbery, then covers the slow catastrophe of the gang's breakup over the next seven months even as the boss himself settles into an approximation of genteel retirement. But in another sense all of the movie is later than that. The very title assumes the audience's familiarity with James as a figure out of history and legend, and our awareness that he was--will be--murdered in his parlor one quiet afternoon by a back-shooting crony.
The film--only the second to be made by New Zealand–born writer-director Andrew Dominik--reminds us that Dominik's debut film, Chopper, was the cunningly off-kilter portrait of another real-life criminal psychopath who became a kind of rock star to his society. The Jesse James of this telling is no Robin Hood robbing the rich to give to the poor, and that train robbery we witness is punctuated by acts of gratuitous brutality, not gallantry. Nineteen-year-old Bob Ford (Casey Affleck) seeks to join the James gang out of hero worship stoked by the dime novels he secretes under his bed, but his glam hero (Brad Pitt) is a monster who takes private glee in infecting his accomplices with his own paranoia, then murdering them for it. In the careful orchestration of James's final moments, there's even a hint that he takes satisfaction in his own demise. Affleck and Pitt (who co-produced with Ridley Scott, among others) are mesmerising in the title roles, but the movie is enriched by an exceptional supporting cast: Sam Shepard as Jesse's older, more stable brother Frank; Sam Rockwell as Bob Ford's own brother Charlie, whose post-assassination descent into madness is astonishing to behold; Paul Schneider, Garret Dillahunt, and Jeremy Renner as three variously doomed gang members; and Mary-Louise Parker, who as Jesse's wife Zee has few lines yet manages with looks and body language to invoke a well nigh-novelistic back-story for herself. There are also electrifying cameos by James Carville, doing solid actorly work as the governor of Missouri; Ted Levine, as a lawman of antic spirit; and Nick Cave, composer of the film's score (with Warren Ellis) and screenwriter of the Aussie western The Proposition, suddenly towering over a late scene to perform the folk song that set the terms for the book and movie's title.
Still, the real co-star is Roger Deakins, probably the finest cinematographer at work today. The landscapes of the movie (mostly in Alberta and Manitoba) will linger in the memory as long as the distinctive faces, and we seem to feel the sting of its snows on our cheeks. Interior scenes are equally persuasive. Few westerns have conveyed so tangibly the bleakness and austerity of the spaces people of the frontier called home, and sought in vain to warm with human spirit. --Richard T. Jameson

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Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Molly Parker, Sam Shepard Director: Andrew Dominik

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11 Reviews 5 star:  (8) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (2) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   11 of 14 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Probably Best Film of 2007, 12 Feb 2008 By  Ruben Armando "Rams" (Portugal) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Assassination of Jesse James follows a trio of Westerns(well,a quintet counting 3:10 to Yuma and Seraphin Falls)released in 2007.The thing is,all of them are not traditional Westerns,they either have a Western setting or feel to it but still far away from the Typical Western.These films are No Country for Old Men,There Will be Blood and of course this one.All of them are beautiful,all were slow paced,all were long,all of them were brilliant,which makes this perhaps the year of the Western,even though people hardly realised that they were in fact that. Even though 3:10 to Yuma was a lot of fun it was undoubtetly an easier film for the public to like,fast paced,action oriented,cool,but still a far more compromised and not-as-brave movie as this one,which brigs the feel of the likes of Terence Mallick,P.T Anderson,and the Cohens(all of them acquired tastes for the more mature filmgoer)in its scenery,beauty,music,humor,pace and actual narration.As such every scene of the movie is in its right place,plot strands that you might think could be left out are actually essential to the central plot and work like clockwork,performances by the actors(including Cassey,Pitt and Rockwell)are brilliant,cinematography is some of the best I seen(by Cohen's fave Roger Deakins),music is some of the most touching I've ever heard(by musician Great and Western buff Nic Cave,fresh of The Proposition)sets,costumes,sound...this film says quality in every place and to me it should've been nominated for a heck more Oscars,and as it stands,along with There Will be Blood and Country for Old Men,is the best of the year and one of the Best Westerns ever done.But,if you're looking for action search elsewhere. As for the Blu Ray itself its a huge disappointement,not only are there barely any extras,the transfer is heavily compressed in a single 25 Gig layer(it's a 160 minute film)and as such exhibits a big amount of edge halos,black crush,digital artifacts and unatural grain that really spoils the gorgous cinematography.granted,given it's style it was not the sharpest of pictures to begin with,but it looked a lot better in the cinemas,there is a sharpness on the disc if you look for it but unfortunately the artifacts make this a far too digital transfer and not as film-like as it could.Sound on the other hand,even at normal DD,sounds excellent and portrays the subdued but strong soundscape and music perfectly Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Film, great BD, 13 Feb 2009 By  Mr. Blu (Europe) - See all my reviews At 160 minutes this is a long film, but it didn't seem long, which must be a good sign. It is not a typical Western - certainly not a film my dad would go for, an old-school Wayne and Eastwood fan. This film is much more of a character study, based primarily around Jesse James and Robert Ford. Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck are both excellent in the lead (?) roles. Affleck's nomination as supporting actor is deserved if questionable. For all Pitt's senior acting status, there is certainly a case to be made for saying that the lead role was Affleck's and that the film is more about Ford than James. Still, I don't suppose running against Daniel Day Lewis would have improved Affleck's chances of bringing the Oscar home, he is good but not that good. A review on here bemoans the 160 minutes on 25 GB approach and criticises artefacts and what not. Personally, I thought that this was a very good Blu-Ray and that you won't see imperfections unless you go hunting for them. The cinematography is beautiful and Blu-Ray does full justice to this in my opinion. The film features excellent dialogue, well-judged musical accompaniment, and top-notch characterisation. Brad Pitt is surprisingly unsympathetic as Jesse James at times, and the character so maligned in the title will manage to make most viewers think better of him than they expect to. Of course the title limits the potential for surprise as to the major plot outcome, but the film remains gripping nonetheless. Highly recommended, truly grown-up cinema, in my book better than "No Country for Old Men" and a much more finished and accomplished (if less ambitious) film than "There Will Be Blood". Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Beautiful Film Ever Made, 17 Jun 2008 By  Steven Stewart "Critic Extraordinaire" (steveo.stewart@hotmail.co.uk) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       I've been thinking of a good way to start my review, I've been pondering many opening sentences, but none of them are close enough to the point, so I've decided to just say that this film is perfect in all aspects. When the credits started to roll I didn't move at all, I sat staring at the screen just thinking about what I just watched. I was trying to understand if what I just saw was really that good, or if I was just thinking it was. The film runs at almost three hours, but never looses your attention for one second. It moves forward through dialog that is poetic, but increasingly haunting at times. First off, the performances. Brad Pitt as Jesse Jame makes you feel that he is a vulnerable person, and then at the next second he'll make you completely change all your feelings for him. He doesn't talk much in the film, but is none the less flawless. Casey Affleck as Robert Ford is in his best performance ever, makes you hate him. His character is very shaky, very nervous at times, but always seems confident of what he's doing, whether it's right of wrong. He steals most of the scenes he's in. The biggest surprise however for me was Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford, Robert's brother and Jesse's right hand man. At the beginning of the film, you think that Charley is the stupid brother and that Robert is intelligent beyond any standard Charley could reach. At the end of the film though, the roles switch. You realize that Robert has been making all the dumb decisions, and Charley has been trying to save him by covering them up and usually taking all the crap for it. His last scene was intense and beautiful. One other performance to talk about is Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil, an outlaw womanizer. His performance is somewhat comedic, but in some scenes he can be the backbone for the drama. I can easily see Pitt getting a Best Actor nomination while Affleck pulls in the Supporting Actor for the win. The musical score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is on par with Clint Mansell's classic Requiem for a Dream score, if not better. In the films most horrific scenes, the music turns them into something beautiful. You'll want to sit through the end credits just to hear it one more time. The music will draw you back to the film to see it again. The score also fits the tone for the most of the scenes. Andrew Dominik's direction is perfect. He uses the camera in such a unique way that you never miss anything that happens. In one of the film's best scenes, he places the camera so that you can only see Pitt's silhouette become meshed into a train's smoke and then reappear seconds later as it pops out. Dominik also wrote the entire script by himself, which really shows how versatile he is. He originally wrote the film into a 3hr and 50min cut that the studio made him trash. I can't wait to see that cut. The best thing in the film though, is Roger Deakins' cinematography. That is what you gives the feel for the film. The blurry landscapes, the wheat fields that Pitt gracefully moves through, and the greatest train robbery scene ever on film. It perfectly portrays the landscapes of the old 1800's and everything that took place there. The film is consistent with providing one memorable scene after the other. When the assassination finally happens, you'll be sitting in your chair gawking at the screen in amazement of how sudden it happens. I am very proud to say that this is now my favorite film of all time, and my definite choice for Best Picture of the year. It brings new flavor to the art-house scene and never lets you down. I recommend this film to everyone. It truly is a beautiful film. I give it a 5 out of 5 Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 11 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars The Closer to Caesar the Greater the Danger In 1928 a long forgotton Western star called Fred Thomson made a film called "Jesse James". It portrayed the James boys as loyal confederates fighting for righteousness. Read more Published 2 months ago by Bob Salter 3.0 out of 5 stars The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, Blu-Ray I guess looking at other reviews of this film this is one you either love or hate. Personally, despite the drawn out story and lack of action, I found it to be quite enjoyable... Read more Published 6 months ago by Spider Monkey 5.0 out of 5 stars The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford Ok so I just recently watched this movie for the second time and felt compelled to write about it. I enjoyed this movie a huge amount, certainly one of my favourite... Read more Published 13 months ago by Mr. A. J. Hughes 5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Classic Superb film.For me this is up there with The Unforgiven as the best modern western.Criminaly overlooked at the oscars. Published 13 months ago by M. Levick 5.0 out of 5 stars Country for young men With this, No Country For Old Men, and There Will Be Blood, we've recently been given a formidable apocalyptic Western triumvirate - you wait fifteen years (Unforgiven was... Read more Published 14 months ago by R. J. Harvey 3.0 out of 5 stars Powerfull film, a bit boring. Picture is great, sound is great, actors are well within acceptence but the story is a bit long. Timeconsuming movies must have a strong story wich this movie has but not strong... Read more Published 14 months ago by Christian Silver 5.0 out of 5 stars As close to perfection as LOTR. What an amazing film, to begin with the film is a little hard going but it is not long before you release what a great film it is, the soundtrack is suberb and very in keeping... Read more Published 15 months ago by A. Mordecai 5.0 out of 5 stars The Film By far the best film of 2007. I'm not a fan of westerns, but this really stand out. It's structure is wonderfully unique- groups of scenes are divided by poetic... Read more Published 18 months ago by H. Wyeth Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 11 customer reviews...

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