The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell; Directed by Andrew Dominik
Here is the story of Robert Ford, an aspiring Jesse James gang member and longtime devotee of the man himself. Having closely studied articles and dime novels several times, he believes himself to be one of the best living experts on the legendary outlaw. It is on these credentials that Bob approaches Jesse and pleas for a chance to prove his worth alongside his hero. Understandably, however, Jesse is a little creeped out by the way that Bob expresses his enthusiasm and fondness. Bob is barely 19 years old, inexperienced, awkward, and bashful in the presence of his idol.
Perhaps it is for these reasons that Jesse finally decides that Bob is safe enough to join his posse. Perhaps he likes the idea of being worshipped. As time progresses, Bob begins to find that his image of Jesse James does not mirror that of the real man’s personality. Over time, Jesse becomes increasingly volatile and unpredictable, prone to fits of rage and violence, taking time between cruelties to hang his head and cry. Wrestling with seemingly unmanageable demons, and forced to live with quarts of blood on his hands, Jesse’s instability leaves a vulnerable weakness in clear view of his most dangerous fan.
The first thing you notice about Assassination is its stark tone. Everything, from music to cinematography (which is excellent thanks to master Roger Deakins) to performance. It’s a very cold, steely world, populated with pale, somber people. Even if laughter is ringing throughout a room, a deadliness and severity punctures the air. It seems to be winter even in spring.
I loved that this movie presented us with an infamous outlaw who never tried to win popularity contests. Men loved because they feared, not because Jesse was a nice or amiable guy. Brad Pitt portrays Jesse with hollow, dark-rimmed eyes, and a tortured way of speech that disguised itself with indifference. Casey Affleck was the coward, ultimately caring more about cushioning his own ego than anything else. His “affair” with Jesse was approached with cocky timidity. He was a kid too big for his britches, who would have sooner shot you than admit to it. He is the tragic Judas Iscariot, who begs for merciful judgment, but never receives it from us.
After sorting out relationships and dynamics, the next big thing you notice is the pacing. Let me put PACING in capital letters to stress what a big problem this was. I recently found myself in a local emergency room, where I had to spend nearly five tedious and stressful hours before I could escort my unwell companion back home. That experience was much like watching this film. You have to wait for quite a while for something of note to happen, but when it does, BANG, you’re in the action, moving with pent up energy and alertness. When it’s over (just a few minutes later) you’re back to lounging lazily in an uncomfortable chair listening to bits of fractured dialogue from different people, glancing at your watch every five minutes. This being a historical drama, akin to a western film, it is understandable that the filmmakers would try to take their time dwelling on landscapes and facial expressions. Some of the best do this: Dances With Wolves, The New World and so forth. Here, the task was not done delicately. They thought, “let’s make it long and reflective”, but didn’t bother giving proper thought to the places and lengths of time. Seemed like they just threw random chunks of space into different spots. It didn’t work. I got more enjoyment eating a snickers bar from the emergency room vending machine than I did watching some of the superfluous scenes in this movie.
But I did think this movie was okay. I didn’t hate it, but it definitely had some unavoidable problems. Are they unpardonable? Maybe. The story was intriguing, but I think a script rewrite and an editor with more skill could have patched things up considerably. It’s a shame too, because Assassination had a lot going for it, and had a cast of actors who seemed to care and pulled their weight. But it ultimately wasn’t enough. It is a tricky case of having too much here, and not giving enough there, a slippery balancing act that saw a sincere attempt fall on it’s face.
Grading:
Story = B+
Originality = B-
DVD Features = N/A
Acting = B+
Enjoyability = C
Visuals = A
Overall = B
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