2007 Directed by Andrew Dominik
Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.
Plan B Entertainment Virtual Studios Scott Free Productions Alberta Film Entertainment Jesse Films Inc. Warner Bros. Pictures
This is my first viewing since the film’s original release back in 2007 and I feel incredibly foolish for not having re-watched it sooner.
Quite simply The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a work of staggering brilliance and arguably the finest Western of the last twenty years. It is a film that exists on the border of two worlds - on one side it mythologizes the transitionary period of American history via the fable-building narration and dreamy photography, and on the other it slowly and methodically demystifies the characters that populate it and the falsehood of celebrity. It is this contradiction that is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the film and mirrors the inner-conflict…
Dominik's best film.
Pitt's best performance.
Deakins' best work.
Affleck's perfect performance. That is not an exaggeration. Perfection is the only word for what he achieves here.
Made me forget, again, that I really don't like the western genre.
Legend was he could stop a train by staring it down.
The villain dies a villain's death, the coward, however, goes out alone. These golden wheat fields that never fail to make me somewhat religious reminds me of Malick's Days of Heaven, upped to a whole new level with the addition of Roger Deakins, being a ~ godsend ~ as always, stops at nothing to craft heart-stopping sequences like the opening train robbery. (Train emerging from darkness, light illuminating masked figures in the woods, Deakin's spell casted on every frame.) Brad Pitt is as menacing as Daniel Plainview, his presence is a continuous jump scare, adjusts his mask like a true fashion model, every close up of him is an ad for Prada or some other capitalist bullshit, I swear, even the wind dares not blow his direction. Just brilliant filmmaking, acting, storytelling.
I've had this DVD sitting on my shelf for the better part of a year now, and for some reason I just never got around to watching this film at all. I thought it would be good, but I didn't expect it to completely blow me away. Everyone is just fantastic in this. Casey Affleck was born to play Robert Ford. Brad Pitt reaches for his inner Tyler Durden in this skin crawling portrayal of the infamous outlaw. The narration is fantastic. The music is spot on. The cinematography is haunting. Just, every little detail about this film felt absolutely perfect to me, I quickly fell in love with it, and I believe it to be one of the greatest…
Robert Ford was fascinated and inspired by Jesse James, a man who can stop a train by staring it down. Legends and myths were told of him, adventures of him were published. Looking at him for the first time live Robert Ford either wanted to be Jesse James or replace him.
Set in 1881 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a story of two characters, one a bigger than life bad guy, an outlaw and the other fascinated by him.
When you look at Jesse James he was the person who you should be afraid of, never let him behind you. When you hear him walk in, you better be shaking. But as time went…
Film #7 of Florin's Recommendations
Part of My Top 10 Films of 2007
”…Rooms seemed hotter when he was in them. Rains fell straighter. Clocks slowed. Sounds were amplified…”
Okay, we know what’s going to happen, we know that a coward and weak character, named Robert Ford is going to kill the famous wild west outlaw Jesse James, we know who is who before even watching the film, Andrew Dominik’s audacious masterpiece has nothing to surprise, we know that there’s not going to be a twist, there’s not going to be a WTF moment, everything that we’re going to see is compressed in the title, that’s all.
So this film is not going to be about what’s going to happen…
God I wish I didn't love cowboi films as much as I do but who could blame me. Actually perfect
The film started out with the same sluggishness and weird structure of Killing Them Softly and that put me off. But I was so mistaken because this is a beautiful, brilliantly directed film with a powerful story, and is technically perfect on every aspect. Which is no surprise considering the talent amassed on and off screen.
Some of the most beautiful images ever put to celluloid. Well Deakins duh but I prefer his more naturalistic work here than the True Grit style. Tichenor's editing is once again fantastic and is certainly key to how much better this feels vs. Killing. Brad Pitt is obviously awesome but Sam Rockwell wow! Excellent in every film.
This film has such an amazing story…
Confesso não ter gostado desse filme da primeira vez que vi. A promessa de um filme sobre Jesse James me fez esperar algo completamente diferente e, embora tivesse apreciado os elementos técnicos e a performance de Casey Affleck, era apenas mais um western contemporâneo para o eu de 19 anos vendo pela primeira vez.
Hoje em dia, continuo apreciando os elementos técnicos – especialmente a fotografia de Roger Deakins – e a performance de Casey Affleck, mas a performance de Brad Pitt como o maior nome do Velho Oeste se revelou assombrosa. Ele consegue ir de carismático para aterrorizante em segundos. Você consegue ver na construção dele o porque de Jesse James ser adorado e temido na mesma medida. Ele…
A great character and performance driven slow burn of a film, though slightly hard to follow at times. Affleck at the top of his game. A lack of someone to root for was one of the only negatives.
Astonishing that we got this film, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood all in the same year. While this is probably my least favorite of the three, it's still a 5 star masterpiece. Betrayal, paranoia, the perfect cast, Deakins, that Cave and Ellis score, I could go on and on.
An amazing film during an amazing year. Take a bow, 2007.
10 out of 10
2007… What a year. This Andrew Dominik western epic is a masterpiece. What hurts this film quite a bit is just how long it is. I don’t think it is bloated, but rather I think it runs exactly right the length and Dominik sets the right pace for a western epic about inevitable ends. But it won’t be for everyone, and it will test some peoples’ patience.
If you somehow missed it — as I had for the longest time — then please find a way to see it. It is deliberately paced, it requires the right mindset, but it is a gorgeous western, and I think Pitt and Casey Affleck’s ‘relationship’ in the film is so fascinating that I’d be interested in reading long essays about it. If you find any, send them my way.
Only watched this because I became aware of the influence it had on ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ and wasn’t disappointed
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