The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

"When James was around clocks slowed, sounds amplified, rain straightened."


The world's fascination with outlaws is a little bit of a mystery. If anyone these days notched up multiple killings in the same way Jack the Ripper, Ned Kelly, or Jesse James did, they'd be rightly vilified. However if you did it in the late 19th century, you were regarded with anything from respect to outright adulation.

Jesse James has been portrayed 35 times on film as well as countless other times on the small screen. Actors such as Robert Wagner, Tyrone Power and Robert Duvall have taken on the role of America's most fabled outlaw. Brad Pitt turns his hand at this larger than life character to cinemas for the 36th time in Andrew Dominik's second film as director.

Pitt's Jesse James is as the end of his career and both tied to, and tired of, his celebrity status. The Assassination... begins with Jesse and his brother Frank, attempting their very last heist on a railroad in Blue Cut. Their regular gang all killed or captured, the James brothers have recruited a local gang of misfits. During the heist, James has to be pulled off of a postal worker who he attacks not because he has crossed him, nor opposes him, but because he is frustrated by the lack of money in the train's safe; it's the first sign of James losing control. His emotional stability descends throughout the film. He sets upon a young boy. He cries for no reason. He struggles with paranoia.

Unable to trust even his most loyal of friends, James ditches practically everyone that has known him and allows just two men, the Ford brothers, to ride alongside him. The elder brother (Sam Rockwell) is someone James has known for years. His younger brother, Robert (Casey Affleck), is new to the scene but knows more about James, or at least the legend of Jesse James, than anyone. Having idolised him since he was a young boy reading dime novels, Ford realises his dream in living alongside his hero.

Dominik's film follows the path taken by these three men towards a denouement that we know is inevitable from the title of the film, but this is about how we get there, and, more importantly, with who. In a year that already featured as many character driven pieces as the last 4 years combined, we have yet another that confidently and unapolegetically dispenses with a sophisticated or elaborate plot, instead focusing on characterisation.

Pitt's James is probably the best performance of his career, but can't quite stack up to many of the great performances we have seen this year. It also cannot stack up to a brilliant turn by Casey Affleck in a role that will lead to a plethora of scripts landing on his agent's doorstep. I've seen Affleck in throwaway roles in the American Pie and Ocean's etc films and that very small role in Good Will Hunting. He played a teen in that film, and, 10 years on manages to get away with playing a teen again. At 32 he looks much younger and totally passes for an immature 19 year old. The one substantial performance of his I've caught was in The Last Kiss, and I have to say it wasn't an enjoyable one.

I kid you not when I say I had to turn the subtitles on every time Affleck spoke. It was an absurdly hushed and inarticulate delivery and one that made me question his ability. However here any inarticulateness is absolutely perfect in capturing a character who openly admits in the first scene of the film that he creates an awful impression on everyone he meets. Ford is almost impossibly mumbling and nervous. Frank James (Sam Shepherd) announces after meeting Ford for the first time that he gives him the willies and not to be within earshot of him for the rest of the evening.

It is a joy to watch Affleck's performance as the strength is that his is not an overtly affected one, rather like Pitt's delivery in Twelve Monkeys for instance. His mannerisms and anxiety are more subtle. There's also a charater arc here that is convincing and substantial. He totally convinces and certainly finds himself on the shortlist for year end awards consideration.

I've read that Dominik's first cut ran at 4 hours long. The cinema release runs 2 hours 40 minutes. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is forced. Dominik's screenplay is an adaptation of the 1983 novel by Ron Hansen, one that was shortlisted for the PEN/Faulkner Award. Indeed the screenplay is extremely literary, in the very best sense of the word. Much of what we learn about James is delivered in Hugh Ross' narration, with wonderfully poetic passages, that ensure that this device, which is rarely used well, and often completely ruinous to a film, actually adds to the quality of this picture. The first line in this review is an example and this is, I believe, amongst the best narration committed to screen, although I'm sure many will see even this as a distraction or perhaps even a sign that the story wasn't being told through the characters themselves. Whilst that may be a criticism of narration in general, I don't feel it's fair to use that here.

Perhaps though it does bring some slight negatives. Pitt's James never quite captures the iconic, "clock slowing" grandeur that is described to us. Whilst certainly good, perhaps even very good, it's not a performance that screams Oscar, nor in fact should even be considered for a nomination. Affleck out-acts Pitt in every scene they share and should receive any acting notices the film gets.

Other quibbles include a pointless turn by Mary Louise Parker as James' wife. Parker is a very talented actress, but is completely wasted here and her one reasonable scene towards the end doesn't work. At 160 minutes this is not necessarily too long - indeed it is not a tough sit at all and if trimmed would have felt rushed, however there are some moments that do drag ever so slightly.

But this is a very good film , featuring one very very good performance and stunning cinematography from the always brilliant Roger Deakins. Deakins is the director of photography of choice for the Coen Bros, for Sam Mendes and undoubtedly for many other who would jump at the chance of working with him, if only he wasn't so in demand. He delivers visuals that are as beautiful as anyone else working today and a career that boasts just 5 Oscar nominations, and zero wins, is bordering on travesty. He'll surely be nominated this year and must stand a good chance of winning.

Also notable is Nick Cave's score. Perhaps not quite astonishing enough to throw superlatives at, it is certainly very good and a wonderful composition.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is another fine entry into 2007's catalogue of great films. It demands to be seen on the big screen, so do so while you have the chance.

B+