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

Directed by: Andrew Dominik
Written by: Andrew Dominik
Starring: Brat Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell
Rated: R

What a terrific idea to create a film about Jesse James which is not told from the perspective of Jesse James. The famed gunslinging train robber extraordinaire lived his life more myth than man, famed and idolized for his reckless spirit and the air of danger he toted with him. It would make more sense then not to show the myth from the myth's perspective, but to show him from man's point of view--Robert Ford's view, to be exact. For who the man is makes, shifts, alters, breaks the power and perspective of the myth, and this man's singular point of view is key.

Casey Affleck proves himself a star as the coward Robert Ford, a simpering young man with big ambitions whose very state of being invites ridicule. He idolized James ever since he was a child, reading books on him, preparing himself to be James's sidekick. At 19, he was given the chance to work along side him, beginning a relationship spanning several years in which Ford's opinion of James is tested by the latter's braggadocios, bullying ways.

Director Andrew Dominik has a point to make on the power of perspective, but he seems to be in no hurry to make it. At 160 minutes, the film lumbers along and occasionally threatens to buckle under its own weight. It is largely without action which seems counterintuitive considering it is period piece about trigger-happy robbers, but the movie really isn't so much about what the public read of James or how we remember him. Listening to Ford gush about how found he is of him, James comments on the books written about him: "Most of them ain't real." It instead has almost Terrence Malick quality to it, one that breathes and ponders and allows the actors to fully embrace their roles.

Although it is spearheaded by a phenomenal Affleck and a perfectly cast Brad Pitt as James, it is largely an ensemble piece, with Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, Sam Shepard, Garret Dillahunt and Paul Schneider rounding out the James gang. James struts about with a false bravado that hides his own insecurities and paranoia, aspects to his personality which eventually shift allegiances within his cohorts.

Dominik's sprawling film follows James and Ford in tandem, looking at the former and how years of running has broken the mind of the great American outlaw, and how the latter's obsessive adoration slowly morphs into loathing. The title of the film makes no effort to hide the end of the film, nor does history evade James's final end, but the point of the film is why and how. My money would go to the lover spurned, as the film is saddled with an abundance of homosexual undertones, but any number of things could drive a man to murder.

Dominik tries to insert himself as director quite often in the movie, but despite his best efforts it is in its core an actor's film. I was unsure of this in the first 30 or so minutes, as the film's large opening scene involves a cinematic, visually-daring train robbery with some spectacular camera work. The rest of the film unfortunately did not match the grandness of cinematographer Roger Deakin's work in those first few minutes.

The power play of two deeply troubled men, however, is engaging enough to carry the sometimes labored efforts, and the story raises some interesting points. At about 135 minutes Jesse James is killed by Robert Ford. I was surprised to see it happen so soon and wondered what had to be said that needed 25 minutes. It turns out far more than the time allotted for it. After the assassination Robert became the most famous man in America for a year and then quite suddenly turned into a pariah. Without this film we might not even recognize the man's name. So how does a man kill the most famed person of his time, become a hero, and then vanish into obscurity? Again it's all about myth and perception.  The public looks for those it wishes to demonize and glorify, and although this story may change our views of who deserved what, Ford happened to draw the short straw.

I am torn as to whether it was too long or not long enough. The results of James's murder felt abbreviated when there was so much to explore. That said, the film we do have is rich, emotionally complex and is a fine showcase for some very talented male actors. I sincerely hope Affleck makes a name for himself in the way that his brother has, for in this case Casey has the talent that should back up the fame.

3/4