The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [DVD] [2007]

I felt in two minds about watching this film , half expecting it to be dolorous ,sombre, dull art-house exercise requiring resolute cinematic stamina . Not for the first time I was completely wrong .The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford is as gorgeous and hypnotic a film as I have ever seen .
The title does of course give way what is going to happen in this film but the real drama comes from the way the narrative explores the relationship between the two men and how circumstances dictate what fates befall both of them.
When we meet them both its September 1881 and they are both preparing to rob a train as part of the infamous James gang . Most of the gang we are informed by the films lyrical voice over ( Hugh Ross)are either dead or in prison but the two remaining James brothers Frank (Sam Shepard) and Jesse(Brad Pitt) are leading the heist. Also part of the gang are the Ford brothers Charley (Sam Rockwell) and Robert (Casey Affleck) Robert has a fan worship thing going on with Jesse and this marks the start of their bond , though not before the more worldly wise Frank says of Bob Ford "I don't know what it is about you, but the more you talk, the more you give me the willies."
It's a perspicacious comment as Bob is a bit creepy and is brilliantly portrayed by Affleck as such - ostensibly a sort of cowboy stalker. Jesse finds him amusing at first then comes to trust him before an all round paranoia and brooding malevolence takes over his character . These two borderline psycho's are well matched in many respects but the film adapted by director Andrew Dominick from the book by Robert Hansen takes its time in getting under the skin of these two characters so we understand implicitly how Ford comes to shooting Jesse James .This is complex and fully requires the lengthy running time in order to do it full justice.
Interestingly the film also explores Fords life post the shooting where he becomes a media celebrity in his own right yet is wracked by guilt and is thoroughly miserable.
The acting is top-notch throughout. Affleck as I alluded earlier is spookily good while Pitt is someone I often find irritating because he mumbles, but in this he's terrific- veering convincingly from wide eyed boyish enthusiasm to menacing glowers or explosive rage. Paul Schneider as gang member Dick Liddil a laconic poetry spouting lothario is especially good, though Mary Louise Parker as James wife Zee is given an underwritten role.
The real star of the film though is the cinematography of Roger Deakins, whose work with the Coen brothers has garnered plaudit's .He gives the film a sepia nostalgic glow but captures the landscape , vast fields of swaying corn or barren snow covered homesteads , magically. The landscapes become more frigid echoing the increasingly frosty relationship between the characters. The scene of a train robbery at night is one of transcendental and startling beauty. The soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is eerily spot on too.
Yes this film is slow but it's also thoroughly engrossing . It is truly insidiously compelling and though many will feel it's padded out , which is often my opinion of many films,I feel that not a frame is wasted in this movie. It truly is a masterpiece of the cinematic art -an all too rare commodity nowadays. Hugely commendable .

It may be the longest title in film history but what a breath of fresh air in this day and age of overblown popcorn movies. Nothing wrong with popcorn movies but it's nice to get your teeth into something with a bit more bite and this has it in spades. Brad Pitt is perfectly cast as Jesse James but it's Casey Affleck, Ben's brother, as the assassin Robert Ford who steals the show. His performance is brilliantly understated and his journey from naïve kid to cold-blooded killer is a joy to behold. Why he didn't win a supporting actor Oscar for this is beyond me. However, all the performances are uniformly excellent, particularly Sam Rockwell as Charly Ford, Bob's brother.

Director Andrew Dominick is to be commended on producing such a leisurely and assured movie as this. Even though not a great deal happens in almost two and half hours the time flashes by because the story and the way it is told is so mesmerising. The attention to detail and the degree of authenticity is some of the best I've ever seen in a Western and the cinematography brilliantly captures the expanses of the plains. Nick Cave's score is also perfectly suited to the piece.

A true `masterpiece'.

'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' is the story of the last few months in the life of Jesse James, America's most notorious criminal back in the late 1800's who was wanted by the law in 10 states. He was also considered a hero, thought of as a Robin Hood by the public - stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Robert "Bobby" Ford, a 19 year old nobody who idolizes Jesse James, befriends the famous outlaw, joins his gang and gains his trust and confidence,before he eventually become his downfall.

There hasn't been many decent Westerns for ages, then two come along at once - 3:10 to Yuma and this. Although 'The Assassination of Jesse James...' isn't as action-packed and exciting as 3:10 to Yuma, I think that the characters, the dialogue and beautiful camerawork is much better. The story is extremely tense, moving at a slow pace to build up the tension, with some real shocks throughout. You know Jesse's fate from the moment you read the title of the movie but finding out how and why Robert Ford is a coward is the true mystery that unfolds over the 2 and a half hours.

Brad Pitt plays the infamous Jesse James very well and, in my opinion, this is one of the best performances I've seen him in for a long time, perhaps even out-doing his roles as Tyler Durden (Fight Club) and Jeffery Goines (12 Monkeys). The real star of the show for me was Casy Affleck with his fantastic performance as Robert Ford. The whole time from the moment you meet him until the closing scene he comes across as likeable yet couldn't trust him due to his mysteriousness and his obsession with James. The characters all work well together and are a real believeable cast.

Another thing that really impressed me with this movie is the truly remarkable camerawork with some of the most breathtaking scenery that I have seen in a film ever. From the dusty, dark woods to the snow cover mountains - there is never a scene where the background is nothing but beautiful.

This DVD edition also comes with a nicely packaged hardback booklet with some of the history and timelines from the Jesse James legend and some great photos from the movie. The special feature on the extra disc is a documentary called "Death of an Outlaw" which gives more facts on the life of Jesse James as well as some behind the scenes footage from the movie and interviews with the cast. Definitely worth the additional pound or two for this special edition.

Overall this is a fantastic movie that I will definitely be watching again soon. There's not a lot of bad points about it other than it can be a little slow at times, which may put off some viewers, but this is totally made up for by one of the best stories I've seen in ages. Well worth a watch and I highly recommend this DVD.