The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

By: Jack Hunt 1.05.2009

The Movie Itself:
Anticipated realism. Beautiful cinematography and direction. Some people say the storyline is misguided and at times dull, but I say with good reason. They are building something here. We all know the story, the American lure. Even though it's history and could be no other way, I didn't see it coming. I never expected the actual assassination to be so forth carried out.

‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ is not so much the story of James’s life, as it is his death. In 1881, during the last months of the James’s life, everything began to unravel. 16 years after the Civil War gave birth to the James gang’s cause, paranoia is steadily increasing as the price on his head grows. James can no longer trust anyone, even his closet friends and admirers are suspect. Robberies are becoming more of a burden than a thrill. Once considered a necessary evil, the hold-ups are evolving into more brutal schemes. Even experienced hardcore gunmen like Jesse James, sometimes finds the work to be more regretful than as to be an absolute success.

James (Pitt) has been longing to retreat back to the so-called normal life. His physical pain is shadowed by his failing mental state. The tension between Jesse and the James gang is mounting. All the joy of his reckless lifestyle is slowly being sucked out him; his once easygoing nature has grown into a depressed, morbid and suspicious rage. With none of his convictions unfounded, James remains cautious around his fear. Who can he trust? Is trust even a relative term? Is this gun still for hire or has all his virtues been sold? In the end, I can’t quite figure it out. Maybe James just didn’t care anymore, as his invincible ideology came to be his ultimate undoing.

Unknown to James, Robert Ford (Affleck) might pose the biggest threat to his long and storied existence. When Ford finally realizes his idol isn’t all he imagined him to be, his envy overcomes his disillusions. Jealousy begets hate and hate can be a stronger emotion than love. This is often the case with fanatical obsessions. People tend to make believe desire, in all aspects of life. When their dream comes to be, it can be a heartbreaking letdown. Almost like the obsessor is bitter for having wasted the illusion. They say the two strongest motivations for people to commit murder are; for love or money. And when love becomes hate, it can be a disastrous realization of the truth.

“I can’t figure it out. You wanna be like me… or you want to be me.” It was interesting to find that Pitt wasn't the focus of this film, instead we find young Affleck deviling deep into the depths of desire and madness. The tension building, with each disappointment or insult. I was actually surprised that Affleck did not win Oscar gold for his supporting performance. Instead it went to the methodic killer in ‘No Country for Old Men’ and not the reluctant one in Jesse James. Pitt gives one his finest performances of late, in one of his most challenging films. He didn't really need to say much. His presence captured all. Pitt may very well be remembered for this film, even with an ever-growing impressive category of work. The supporting cast also did a great job, with an outstanding showing by Sam Rockwell as the sometimes not so evident meeker Ford brother.

Director and screenwriter, Andrew Dominik, delivered an all-around quality film even coming with from a short resume. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is outstanding. But I can’t disagree with it coming in second to Robert Elswit tremendous effort for ‘There Will Be Blood’. Maybe this film’s release suffered from the plague of bad timing. I remember when it first came out, I searched my local rental store only to find relatively few available to rent. Not the standard display case that most new releases receive. After my initial screening, I found that even more odd, as I considered it a truly beautiful and admirable picture.
Rating: 8/10

The Presentation:
'The Assassination of Jesse James' comes to Blu-ray on a 1080p~VC-1 transfer. My first experience with this film came by way of DVD and to say the least, I was not impressed. After finding the film especially enjoyable, I decided to upgrade to the BD. The transfer stays true to the director’s intent, but this doesn’t leave much for Blu-ray fans to rave about.

Exterior scenes are particularly stunning; some with fine clarity and detail, some without. Sometimes a murky haze lingers that dulls the transfer, but this is in most part due to the artistic nature of the Director and more importantly the intended look of the film. Narrated scenes appear to suffer the most on this Blu-ray, but the intent succeeds in its distorted display. Color’s are soft, but with deep blacks. Fleshtones are correct. Does edge enhancement really matter in this film? Given the artsy and deliberate nature of the film, I’m going to be bold and say it doesn’t.

We’re looking through the looking glass here people. Whether it’s the through the bottom of a coke bottle or an old-time picture viewer; it’s all the same. The entire picture gives me a nostalgic feel for the time period. It’s a unique and beautiful experience. The realistic portrayal of this film outweighs any negatives to a fine Blu-ray transfer.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track is impressive. Dialogue is clear throughout, ambience is well on display and gunshots just crack. The BD sounds great – period. It’s a hell of an experience on Blu-ray and one I can easily recommend.
Rating: 7/10

The Extras:
‘The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw’: Focusing on the real life of Jesse James and the background of the James Gang. The story is told through narration and interviews by the cast and crew. It is subject to some scenes, but does it in a way that doesn’t reveal the complete picture. I often complain in my reviews about some features giving away too much of the film, much like a trailer would. This one tells the story, but doesn’t take away anything from the picture. A well constructed and informative piece. Check it out. (SD, 32 minutes)

With only a single ‘HD Exclusive Documentary’ included, the special features on this BD are terribly disappointing. Warner could have done so much with this flick, but opted for a barebones release.
Rating: 1/10

Overall:
A psychological thriller, that never fails to conspire. I respect this movie. Nothing short of memorable experience; with top notch performances from all the major players, beautiful direction and a very complete storyline. ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ is an intelligent picture. Sure it has its low points; which may have hindered this film from being considered truly great, but it succeeds more often than fails. Skip the DVD and head right for the Blu-ray.
Rating: 7/10