Customer Reviews

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford / L'assassinat de Jesse James par le traître Robert Ford (Bilingual)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As others have mentioned here, this isn't a typical shoot 'em up - this is a story and not an action film. I especially liked how the characters were portrayed in the film and how well the actors gave that portrayal.
One thing that especially struck me is the cinematography - the great quality of it reminded me of Open Range's cinematography, just because the quality is so excellent. The sequence with the train robbery and in particular how the train's headlight plays across and thru the trees is beautiful, as are other parts.

this is more than just a movie about the killing of Jesse James.the
story is about the event leading up to the title and the aftermath.it's
a well done movie with great performances from Brad Pitt as James,Sam
Rockwell as Charlie Ford,and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford.the
supporting performances are also very good.this is not an action
film,but a deliberately paced character study.the film is well written
and has some very good dialogue.it also has a voice over
narration,which i thought worked well with this movie.it does tend a
bit toward slowness,but only for brief moments and only
occasionally,and is never boring.the story and characters are quite
compelling.i found myself quite engrossed in the story and the
characters.for me,The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert
Ford is a 5/5

If you love cinema and are open minded enough... if you are thrilled by film-makers pushing the bounderies a little more... if you are in awe of gorgeous cinematography (and I'm not simply talking of pretty pictures but exploring composition and lighting)... if you do not need constant thrills in order to keep your interest... and if you are always searching for a fresh and original vision... then this film is for you! NOTE: This is NOT a typical western so if you dislike the genre, you should still consider it.
Pay special attention to the night time train robbery sequence. It is one of the most outstanding sequences in recent cinema.

Great Movie! Those two words best describe this movie...I found that when I was watching this I was glued to the tv and felt an overall good feeling when the movie was over.So good that right after watching this film I had to go on the net and do some research on the story..I even went on to order the book which I am currently enjoying.Now when I start researching a movie, reading the book and so on that tells it must have been great.

It bothers me that so many people I have talked to found the movie slow and boring...This movie is simply not about gun slinging, horse racing shoot everyone up typical Western,it's simply a good story.It's sad people need explosions and fast paced scenes to enjoy a show nowadays.So to anyone who enjoys a great story then this is the movie to watch...trust me.

Great Movie! Those two words best describe this movie...I found that when I was watching this I was glued to the tv and felt an overall good feeling when the movie was over.So good that right after watching this film I had to go on the net and do some research on the story..I even went on to order the book which I am currently enjoying.Now when I start researching a movie, reading the book and so on that tells it must have been great.

It bothers me that so many people I have talked to found the movie slow and boring...This movie is simply not about gun slinging, horse racing shoot everyone up typical Western,it's simply a good story.It's sad people need explosions and fast paced scenes to enjoy a show nowadays.So to anyone who enjoys a great story then this is the movie to watch...trust me.

There is a point following the titular event in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," where Ford has to listen to somebody singing about the event and "the dirty little Coward, who short down Mr. Howard." That James lived under the name of Thomas Howard during his retirement from being a robber compels history to use the appellation "coward" for Ford as much as the epitaph on his tomb, selected by his mother, which reads: "In Loving Memory of my Beloved Son, Murdered by a Traitor and Coward Whose Name is not Worthy to Appear Here." After enduring several verses of disparagement, Ford fires off his gun, declares his identity and pointedly tells the troubadour that James had two children and not three. In other words, get the story straight, buddy.

Written and directed by Andrew Dominik ("Chopper"), based on the novel by Ron Hansen, this 2007 western purports to set the story straight, but in the end I do not think this film means what it thinks it means. In part because Brad Pitt is playing Jesse James, the outlaw comes across in this film as an iconic celebrity. There are no rock stars in the 19th century, but there were the heroes of dime novels and the portrayal of James as a Robin Hood like figure has made him just a celebrity. We know that from the train robbery that is the highlight of the film's opening act, that James is a vicious thug. Ironically, it is the last robbery for the James gang, and Jesse and Frank (Sam Shepard) are going their separate ways. Everybody else from their original gang is now dead or in prison, and that is why they are saddled with such third-rate men as the brothers Ford.

It is easy to see Casey Affleck's Robert Ford as a wannabee. That is clear to both Jesse, who wonders if this kid wants to be like him or actually be him, and Frank, who pointedly tells Robert that he lacks the ingredients. But Robert has a catalogue of similarities that he sees between himself and Jesse, as one blue-eyed son of a preacher standing 5 feet 8 inches tall is just like another. So this is a strong current through the film that Ford is basically the Mark David Chapman of the late 19th century, stalking his idol and killing him. However, the long middle part of this lengthy film, serves to develop a different thesis. After the fact Ford's explanation for his dirty deed was that he killed Jesse James because Jesse was going to kill him, and that is the inevitable conclusion of the events laid out for us. After all, Robert has killed Wood Hite (Jeremy Renner), Jesse's cousin, and as much as he promises to kill Jesse to get off for that crime, the murder also serves as motive for Jesse to kill Bob. Besides, for even the barest whiff of potential betrayal, we see Jesse gun down somebody (shooting them in the back in an ironic foreshadowing of his own death).

However, if Ford's motives for pulling the trigger are clearly motivated by what we see in this film, the same cannot be said for Jesse's actions in his final moments. Jesse might be taking off his guns so that nobody sees him walking around the house fully armed or because he wants to put the Fords at ease, but when he takes the fateful steps to fix the picture on the wall he seems to be asking for Ford to shoot him. Is Dominik suggesting James had a death wish? Or is this just an eerie foreshadowing of the future, where the Fords act out the assignation on the stage, with Charlie (Sam Rockwell) playing Jesse? This film, narrated by Hugh Ross, begins knowing the ending because the audience hardly needs the title to know what happened on April 3, 1882, and there is a profound sense of inevitability if not outright destiny to the events we see being played out here. If not for Javier Bardem, Affleck would be looking forward to winning the Oscar for his performance, which is only technically a supporting role because he is the main character here. The other Oscar nomination is for the cinematography of Robert Deakins, who is also nominated for similar fine work on "No Country for Old Men" (with "In the Valley of Elah" sandwiched in between those two films on his resume for last year).

This is quite unlike anything one would normally expect from a western genre picture and a Brad Pitt vehicle. For those more in tune with more slow-paced, psychological dramas. This is closer to European sensibility than Hollywood. Cinematography is both ground-breaking in its style, and breathtaking in its beauty. If you have time on your hands and are in a meditative mood... let the mood envelope you and appreciate this, in many ways, daring production.

This is a modern masterpiece.

Not your regular shootem up western, in fact it's not a western, it's a character driven story with great performances from its actors. Photography that will make you book a ticket to Canada's western provinces. Keep an eye's open for more things from this director. Put this in your collection Blu-ray transfer is very good a little weak on the xtras, but keep in mind it's the movie not the xtras. Ron Jr from Toronto.

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The movie starts out VERY slow and is boring off the start, but gets better as it goes on. Okay movie, nothing special.