Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck star in this western which delves into the private life and public exploits of America's most notorious outlaw.
There is something great about "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" that is really hard to identify - and it is not the photography, which is clearly stunning. It shows the last stage of Jesse James" life as his paranoia becomes rampant, his friends and family distant, and his world-weariness looms large. The entire film is haunted by a kind of sadness (expressed in its pacing, music and cinematography), and the questions how and why did the ruthless James become a hero for many Americans during and after his lifetime, and one of the first figures of celebrity in the Western world. Despite what I thought were several flaws, it was my favourite movie of 2007 and I watched it in the cinema twice. At first I wasn"t too impressed with Pitt"s Jesse (he didn"t give the taciturn James quite enough emotional range in the face), but was very impressed by Affleck"s Bob Ford. I thought the secondary characters were all brilliant. I was unsure whether it was a subtle and compelling critique of the cult of celebrity, or guilty of a bit of hero worship itself. I found Nick Cave"s cameo jarring and out of place in the film, but the music was otherwise excellent. It didn"t feel like a western (or any other genre film), either, so no clue how to feel about it there either. After a third watch, I am still not too sure why I think this film is brilliant, and its many parts effect me differently every time. Maybe next time... And I can say that it is a beautiful film, though-provoking and entertaining.
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Having idolised Jesse James all through his young life, Robert Ford desperately tries to join the outlaw's gang, only to soon find himself getting resentful towards his hero...
Western starring Brad Pitt as the legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James. To those he robbed and terrorised, he may have been just a criminal, but in the sensational newspaper articles and dime novels chronicling the James Gang throughout the 1870s, Jesse was the object of awe and admiration. Foremost among his admirers was Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), an idealistic and ambitious young man who had devoted his life to the hope of one day riding alongside his idol. When Robert is recruited into James' notorious gang, he eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and when he and his brother Charley (Sam Rockwell) sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.
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