The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Director:

Andrew Dominik

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Dominik (screenplay)
Ron Hansen (novel)

Release Date:

10 October 2007 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Western

Tagline:

Beyond the myth lies America's greatest betrayal.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Missouri | Outlaw | Jesse James | Robbery

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Brad Pitt	...	Jesse James
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Zee James
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Mary James
Dustin Bollinger	...	Tim James
Casey Affleck	...	Robert Ford
Sam Rockwell	...	Charley Ford
Jeremy Renner	...	Wood Hite
Sam Shepard	...	Frank James
Garret Dillahunt	...	Ed Miller
Paul Schneider	...	Dick Liddil
Joel McNichol	...	Express Messenger
James Defelice	...	Baggagemaster (as James DeFelice)
J.C. Roberts	...	Engineer
Darrell Orydzuk	...	Ukranian Train Passenger
Jonathan Erich Drachenberg	...	Young Train Passenger

Also Known As:

L'assassinat de Jesse James par le lâche Robert Ford (Canada: French title)
The Assassination of Jesse James (USA) (short title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence and brief sexual references.

Runtime:

160 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English | Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Taiwan:R-18 | Germany:12 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Japan:PG-12 | Sweden:15 | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | UK:15 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Although the film had two production designers (Patricia Norris and Richard Hoover), only one name was allowed to be listed in the credits. Because of this, both decided to go uncredited.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: People in the saloon sing "A Bird in a Gilded Cage." The scene takes place in 1892; the song was written in 1900.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: He was growing into middle age, and was living then in a bungalow on Woodland Avenue. He installed himself in a rocking chair and smoked a cigar down in the evenings as his wife wiped her pink hands on an apron and reported happily on their two children...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Oh, Susanna

A hauntingly beautiful film

Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, is a deliberately paced, stunningly visualized, and emotionally charged exploration of the early development of mass media celebrity in America. The film riveted my attention for two hours and 40 minutes, and has remained on my mind for several days after my viewing. Although centered on one of the iconic legends of the Old West, it is far beyond an updated reincarnation of the Western. It is an epic allegory about the development of the American cult of celebrity and the effects of this obsession on the individuals caught in its web.

Visually, the film soars beyond anything that has hit the screen since Conrad Hall's final masterpiece with Road to Perdition. Roger Deakins, the cinematography genius behind The Shawshank Redemption, Kundun, and all the Cohen brothers" films since The Hudsucker Proxy, surpasses his best work. He pulls out all the stops here—intricately orchestrated changes in focus, richly textured colors, dazzling use of light sources, careful manipulations of time, powerfully significant fade-ins and fade-outs, and shots through rain, snow, and rippled old glass—to communicate the story. Deakins' contribution stands out in the railroad train robbery sequence at the beginning of the film. Clearly defined, flickering light sources and deep black shadows create a dazzling, nightmarish vision that haunts the rest of the film. This sequence alone is worth the price of admission.

The richly textured, historically precise visual aspects of the film bring to mind Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven and Robert Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller. However, instead of the understated, "realistic" performances featured in those films, The Assassination of Jesse James…showcases powerful, yet still realistic performances by an outstanding ensemble cast.

Sam Rockwell, as the not-too-bright but well-meaning Charley Ford, and Mary-Louise Parker, as Jesse's loving wife, stand out. Yet the film belongs to the two titular leads, both of whom deliver the performances of their careers and create characters filled with disturbing contradictions. Brad Pitt's Jesse James is alternately pitiable and terrifying—an affectionate, loving father, an old-before-his-time sage, an adventurous daredevil, an unrepentant bad boy, and a vicious sociopath. Casey Affleck's Robin Ford is a complex, repellent, and tragic character who challenges the audience's complicity in the undercurrents of the film.

All in all, this is a great film—not for those seeking the simple pleasures of instant gratification. But definitely worth the attention of those who still believe that movies are an art form.