'Assassination of Jesse James' proves 2007's best underground film
By Max Bonem, Staff Writer
March 12, 2008 | 3 p.m.
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" did not prove to be the box office smash that many expected. With its recent DVD release, however, the film could make as big of a splash as the title itself.
Based on the novel of the same name by Ron Hansen, the film is a 160-minute epilogue that describes the relationship between legendary Missouri outlaw Jesse James and one of his biggest fans, Robert Ford, who turns on him in the end. The film documents many aspects of James’ personal life, including his use of a pseudonym, personal issues that conflict with his lifestyle and the paranoia that set in after members of his final gang were rounded up by authorities or killed.
The film’s cast includes Brad Pitt as Jesse James, Casey Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone") in an Academy Awards nominated role as Robert Ford, and Sam Rockwell ("Confessions of a Dangerous Mind") as Charley Ford, with smaller appearances from the likes of Mary-Louise Parker (TV's "Weeds") and Zooey Deschanel ("Almost Famous").
Although the film received critical acclaim and the actors’ performances were well-received, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” essentially went unnoticed by moviegoers when it was released in October 2007. What is hard for most people who have seen the movie is to understand the reason why.
There is something to be said about biographical movies based on bizarre American icons because they seem to do reasonably well at the box office (even "The Aviator" was not a complete financial failure). But “The Assassination of Jesse James…” did not even appear on the public’s radar until Casey Affleck appeared on television at the Oscars for his nomination in the film. Although there are many reasons for this lack of attention (none of which have anything to do with the fact that Pitt has no shirtless scenes in the film), the major reason relates to the vision of director Andrew Dominik.
Dominik, who made his American writing and directing debut with “The Assassination of Jesse James…,” did not design the film as a high-action shoot-out that framed Jesse James as some kind of rebel icon. Instead Dominik sought to hide nothing of James’ story and to allow the impeccable acting to speak for itself, simply by being in the forefront throughout the film.
When the film begins, the mysterious narrator describes James and his gang’s various accomplishments and details the effects that this life has had on Jesse James himself. “Two unhealed bullet wounds…17 murders to his name…his own children don’t even know his real name,” the opening sequence states. This beginning sets up the film for what it really is -- a funnel that leads all events to an inevitable end. In a way, the use of narration in Dominik’s film produces the effect that moviegoers are having a book read to them, listening to how this bandit of sorts created his own demise.
The most striking aspect of the flow of “The Assassination of Jesse James... ” is the pace, which is slow and steady, at best. Because the resolution is inevitable, the viewer can feel antsy or even impatient, but Dominik designed the story this way so the viewer would be forced to see all of the factors that went into Robert Ford’s decision to murder his friend and idol Jesse James for the sake of “kill, or be killed.”
Although westerns are not as popular as they were in the days of John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, Pitt and Affleck immerse themselves into a world of dust, desire and long-johns as completely as anyone has since “Unforgiven.” “The Assassination of Jesse James... ” shows a new generation of moviegoers not only how the West was won but also that there is a new Affleck in town, and he will not be going down the path of “Gigli."
---
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Speakeasy Rating: A-
Runtime: 160 Minutes
MPAA Rating: R for some strong violence and brief sexual references.
Genre: Biography, Western, Crime.