Movie Review: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (2007)

The Essentials

Title: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (official site)
Directed by Andrew Dominik
Written by Andrew Dominik (screenplay) and Ron Hansen (novel)
Running Time: 2 hrs. 40 min.
Release Date: September 21st, 2007
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence and brief sexual references.

The Plot of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”

Robert Ford, who’s idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

The Story of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”

The story is a narrative of the twilight months of the infamous James Gang portayed through the deteriorating relations of the few remaining gang members struggling to maintain a semblance of normal life set against a stark Missouri winter landscape. Years of crime, violence, and life in seclusion have taken their toll on the physical and mental health of the characters, especially Jesse James (Brad Pitt) who exhibits increasing paranoia and unpredictability.

Young Bob Ford (Casey Affleck) has grown up worshiping the legend of Jesse James and through his older brother Charley’s (Sam Rockwell) affiliation, is introduced to the 34 year old James. The young man longs to prove his mettle to his larger-than-life idol. As he becomes increasingly exposed to the real personna, an inevitable disillusionment takes root.

The story turns when Bob is drawn into the middle of an adulterous feud between Wood Hite (Jeremy Renner) and Dick Liddil (Paul Schneider). Ford spontaneously guns down Hite to save Littel from execution. Fearing Jesse’s likely reaction, the Fords conspire to cover up Hite’s disappearance. Charley’s unconvincing lies drive the characters on an unrelenting path toward a bloody incident. They pre-emptively strike when Jesse inexplicably dis-arms in their presence affording Bob the opportunity to define the story’s title with a less than heroic act. The Ford brothers’ ignominious act spawns an unexpected notoriety that they shamelessly exploit. Finally, the cloud of cowardice and the ever expanding aura of James as a folk hero gradually alienates and ultimately destroys the brothers. (from the IMDB)

The Review of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a poetic retelling of the story behind the death of one of the world’s most notorious outlaws. Those looking for a typical shoot ‘em up western, despite what the title might suggest, should look elsewhere. This film is a languid and contemplative saga far more reminiscent of a Terrence Malick picture than a John Ford western.

First time director, Andrew Dominik, has crafted an epic tale not of an assassination, but of the events leading up to and the aftermath of the assassination. This film isn’t about an outlaw who is shot in the back in his own home; it is about the man who shot him and why he felt he must. The complete irony is that the title labels Robert Ford a coward while the film forces us to question whether Ford pulled the trigger through cowardice or bravery.

At its core this is a film about hero worship and what it means when an impressionable mind becomes so enraptured with the star status of another that the hero worshiper wishes to become that person. This is a probing character essay, but it isn’t about Jesse James – it’s about Robert Ford.

This film was actually shot in 2005, but sat on the shelves of the studio for two years because the studio didn’t know what to do with it. The studio executives had a Brad Pitt movie that didn’t really star Brad Pitt. They had a western that wasn’t really a western. They had no idea what kind of movie they really had. They had no clue how to market the film, and the film suffered for it. It’s a dreadful shame.

I cannot begin to imagine how hard it must have been for Casey Affleck, who plays Robert Ford, to know that for two years the studio was sitting on the best performance the young actor has ever given. Did he know what he had accomplished in this film? Perhaps not. The truth is, however, that Casey Affleck’s performance in this film is one of those rare moments in cinema history where we can look back and watch an actor become far more than someone’s little brother.

As Robert Ford, Casey gives a performance that should be considered one of the best of the year. Affleck perfectly inhabits the role of the needy and ambitious Ford. He brings to the character both a sense of innocence and evil. His every look and gesture is spot on perfect. Many of his movements seem almost uncomfortable to watch, but perfectly convey the smarmy nature of the unpredictable Ford. It’s a brave and unflinching performance that easily outshines everything his better known and established co-stars bring to the table.

In many ways I think this film would have been better and would have performed better at the box office had Brad Pitt not played Jesse James. I understand that it was probably only Pitt’s involvement that allowed the film to be made in the first place, but Pitt’s star status is simply too much to overcome in the role of Jesse James.

There is little denying that Brad Pitt can be a dynamic personality on the big screen. He’s a fine actor as well. I found no fault with her performance in this film other than what I would blame on how the character was written. However, Pitt’s well known face and mannerisms lent a certain attraction to his character that I feel was detrimental to the theme of the film. Pitt made us want to like Jesse James even as the director and screenplay were actually steering us more towards the side of Robert Ford. As a viewer I found myself pulled in two different directions. I think a lesser known actor in the role of Jesse James might have allowed the film to put the spotlight where it really needed to be – directly on Casey Affleck’s Robert Ford.

It will always be a travesty that Casey Affleck was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards this year when his role was so clearly deserving of a Best Actor nomination. There was nothing that was supporting about his character or his role. Robert Ford was the meat of this film. How the Academy could fail to see that is beyond me.

At least the Academy got it right when they nominated the always talented Roger Deakins (also nominated for No Country For Old Men) for his stunning Cinematography. My one complaint was an effect they used extensively in the film which I can only describe as a sort of fish-eye lens effect where the edges of the screen were blurred at various times. The effect wasn’t as distracting as I feared it would be when the film started, but I didn’t feel it added anything significant either.

I thought the sound mixing and editing was especially good. Many times you won’t notice things like that in a movie, but the thing that really caught my attention was how the gunshots actually sounded like real gunshots and not at all like the kind you normally hear in movies. It was a small but important distinction that the director and sound crew got exactly right.

The supporting cast which included Sam Rockwell, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Sam Shepard, Garret Dillahunt, and Mary-Louise Parker were nearly perfect. If I find fault it is only in the narrator, Hugh Ross. I think the narration was necessary and important so I didn’t have a problem with that aspect. However, for some reason I cannot quite put my finger on, I felt the narration by Ross was not nearly as good as it should have been. Perhaps it was tone and inflection that bothered me, but I kept thinking that a better narrator would have added much to this gripping tale.

Having said all of that, I must say that the film is not perfect. I loved the dialogue and much of the screenplay, but the film, at 160 minutes, is long and plodding. I personally enjoy long movies when they hold my attention, but this film sometimes seemed bogged down in its own importance, almost to the point of hubris. I think some tough cuts should have been made for the bettering of the film. Increasing the pacing slightly would have done much to win over a wider audience.

Watch “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” If…

You are a fan of great storytelling and you have the patience for the story to unfold. There is action in this movie, but this is not an action film. Above all, watch this film to see the movie that showed the world that Casey Affleck can be a great actor.