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The assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
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MikeMaroon's Review
Sucked into the Old West by the men who rode roughshod over it.
into Independent Films, character-lover, a movie buff, Loves a good western, Movie guru, Lover of quirky, unique films
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APR
8
2008
Robert Ford is played by Casey Affleck as a sort of Mark David Chapman type. Here is a man who, as a boy, collected all sorts of material about the "great" Jesse James. He indulged himself, along with anyone who would listen, in hero-worship that, as he grew up, became less amusing and more creepy. This idolatry gradually becomes resentment at James' fame, then fear and loathing, leading up to the inevitable climax. No spoiler here. You already knew what you were getting when you read the film title. Affleck acquits himself nicely (he got an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor), giving a performance that made me both pity and revile him. And performance is the gas that drive this engine.
As our film opens, the year is 1881 (the year my kids think I was born, but that's another story), Jesse James' notoriety had long since been established and he and his brother Frank (excellently portrayed by Sam Shepard) have recruited the Ford brothers, Charley (another great outing by Sam Rockwell) and Robert to pull off one last train robbery. Robert approaches Frank about being a "sidekick" after the robbery and Frank, seeing him for the weasel he is, brushes him off as if he were swatting away a pesky mosquito. So starts the spiral up, then ultimately down of the relationship between Ford and James. The train is robbed and the gang broken up. At this point, one might think they were in for a standard western yarn, with lots of gun battles, horse riding, and whiskey drinkin'. One would be mistaken.
As directed by Andrew Dominick, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" becomes an epic, meandering western more along the lines of "McCabe and Mrs Miller", less along the lines of "Tombstone". The cinematography by Richard Deakins (shot mostly in Western Canada and nominated for an Oscar), presents a beautifully sprawling old west, bleak as the characters who inhabit it. Dominck takes his time, fleshes out his characters so that we become involved, so that we know what drives them. Jesse James is both a doting father and a murderous monster and we can see the danger in his eyes no matter if he's being social or a socio-path. The scenes, especially the confrontations, build slowly, sucking us in until the tension is palpable.
Sure there are a couple of gunfights and some action, but this movie is more concerned with relationships among complex people than bank robberies. More with motive and less with circumstance. Jessie James loves his wife and kids, but maybe loves his lifestyle more and seems to both embrace and despise his fame. He's paranoid and mistrusting, yet allows an unstable young man everyone can see has an unhealthy obsession with him into his inner circle. He seems to sense something not right about Ford, but either dismisses those feelings or embraces them, its hard to tell. The unstable young man is yet another story.
Robert Ford manages to weasel his way into James' league of cronies because he adores the man, yet winds up being the "coward" who assassinates him. His motives appear to run the gamut from noble to fear to greed. Afterward, he presents himself as a hero, but is perceived as a coward, owing partly to disdain for his stage show reenacting the killing.
The pacing allows events to unfold naturally and the characters are, as most humans, complex and not easily understood. The only distraction from an otherwise satisfying film was the narrator. He felt intrusive, not really helpful. After coming along for the 260 minute ride, I felt I had a better understanding of the the psychology of the men involved, the times, and the event. GRADE: A-
The assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is recommended by MikeMaroon
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