The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Westerns regarding Jesse James are not a rarity. Like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday, the legend of James has been revisited often, with countless cinematic adaptations resulting from its rich legacy. It is then a cause for celebration when one comes along that is so innovative and interesting and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is just one of those occasions. Andrew Dominik's riveting adaptation is a startling display of skill and ingenuity, a film that immediately brings to mind many of the masters who have visited the great legends of the west. While not for everyone, TAOJJBTCRF is a tremendous achievement that simultaneously dispels and rewrites the myths of James.

At the film's core is a story that has been told over and over again in just about every medium imaginable. For those who have missed it up to this point, Jesse James (Brad Pitt) was arguably the most notorious and infamous outlaw in the American West, a man known for his high wire robberies and ruthless nature. Jesse and his brother Frank (Sam Shepard) terrorized the railroads and banks during the last half of the 19th century with reckless glee. The film opens with what Frank thinks will be their last robbery and as their new gang waits in the woods for the targeted train to arrive. What immediately becomes clear is the odd obsession that Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) has with Jesse, eagerly trying to please the outlaw. He is initially ignored but after the robbery (the most breathtaking scene of the film), he is able to get into the good graces of James and with that, the film is off and running (well more like walking).
As the film continues and members of the gang begin to crack under the increasing pressure from the law's search to locate them, James begins to methodically track the men down, in order to get an impression of their mindset. In doing so, it becomes clear that James is suffering from the same pressures as the rest of the men and like them, his grip on sanity (already dangerously slim) is beginning to slip. He concocts a plan for another robbery and enlists the Fords, Robert and Charley (Sam Rockwell) to help. As the group moves along the frontier, tensions increase and by the time the title action takes place, the tension is almost unbearable. It slowly builds and builds, however, when the act occurs, it doesn't release. Dominik magnificently keeps it at a high level, right until the final frame.

The tensions exist largely due to the wonderful characterizations and performances. Unlike many of the studio-era westerns about James, Dominik's film centers on the drama between the characters, largely eschewing the set piece gun fights that characterized the westerns of yore. In fact, TAOJJBTCRF is really a western by setting only, rather choosing to be an in-depth character study and drama. With this choice, Dominik is able to distance himself from the previous incarnations of the legend far enough that the film is able to succeed. Throughout TAOJJBTCRF , the film works to subvert the well known versions of the legend by depicting James as a father and family man, albeit one with an interesting profession. In doing so, the film seems less concerned with Jesse James, the outlaw, than Jesse James, the man.

However, in the way that Dominik (and his cinematographer Roger Deakins) chooses to shoot the film, in a realistic style that is interspersed with breathtaking surrealistic moments, he ends up not destroying the legend of James but merely re-working it back into a new myth. In that sense, TAOJJBTCRF is unlike the great revisionist westerns of the 1970's, with their elimination of the stereotypical western heroes in place of a realistic look at what the West really was. Instead, the film takes the myth, destroys it and quickly rebuilds it back up in the final post-assassination 30 minutes, which may be the best stretch of the film, thanks to Affleck's tremendous performance. Between this and Gone Baby Gone, it strikes me that there is a legitimate star on the rise, an actor with enough chops, intelligence and charisma to become a true legend. Affleck's work here is nuanced and subtle, making Ford's emotions evident not through painful overacting but through the great texture he brings to it. It is a great understated performance that deserves viewing and consideration as one of the year's best.

The rest of the star-studded cast is more than up to the task, with Pitt and Rockwell bother delivering great work. Both take a hold of their characters and imbue them with more than enough vitality to warrant the film's length. With Dominik's choice to make a long, methodical brooder, it was pretty much a requirement that the performances are able to sustain the length and they definitely do. Like Affleck, Pitt is more than capable of taking James and crafting him into a character that is difficult to get a hold on. James is equally charismatic and dislikable, a man who is an enigma to the audience, his family and in many ways, himself. It is unclear as to how James feels about his own character, as Pitt portrays a man who is greatly conflicted by his actions. There are moments when he shows no remorse, others when he breaks down into tears following an act of violence. This muddy ground lends itself to Dominik's ability to re-craft the myth in his own way. The audience, despite their look into the life of James, is left much like the people of the day, without a firm grasp of who James was. It is a brilliant stroke by Dominik that adds an air of mystique to the film.

TAOJJBTCRF is not for everyone, I'll admit that. It is a intentional slow, 2 hour and 40 minute epic that focuses more on character and mood than action and narrative. As a result, I would not be surprised for some to call it boring and overlong. But to say that is to miss the point. By using the length that is does, the film feels epic and mythical, a story that is so great it can't be told in any other way. It is filled with larger than life legends that demand a larger than life film. It is amazing that it can feel so epic, yet be so focused on character. Almost every scene takes place between two characters and the film is mostly dialogue. Yet it just feels huge and important. Its masterful exploration of the themes of celebrity and the classic western dichotomy of good/bad or hero/outlaw are done with subtle, graceful movements. It’s a small film in large trappings and it works wonderfully. It is filled with great performances and a great story; it features great cinematography and great direction; it is, quite simply, a great film, surely one of the year's most interesting, different, difficult works and also surely, one of its best.

*****