The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Directed by Andrew Dominik
Produced by Ridley Scott
Jules Daly
Brad Pitt
Dede Gardner
David Valdes
Written by Novel:
Ron Hansen
Screenplay:
Andrew Dominik
Narrated by Hugh Ross
Starring Brad Pitt
Casey Affleck
Mary-Louise Parker
Sam Shepard
Sam Rockwell
Music by Nick Cave
Warren Ellis
Cinematography Roger Deakins
Editing by Dylan Tichenor
Michael Kahn
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date(s) Flag of the United States September 21, 2007
Flag of the United Kingdom November 30, 2007
Running time 160 minutes
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Budget $30 million[1]
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 Western drama film adapted from Ron Hansen's 1983 novel of the same name. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. Filming took place in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Initially intended for a 2006 release, the film was postponed and re-edited for a September 21, 2007 release. While the film contains representations of historical figures, it notably dramatizes the relationship between James and Ford.

Contents

Plot

The film tells the story of Robert Ford, a seemingly insecure man seen as a coward by those around him. He has grown up idolizing the outlaw Jesse James. He finds James in Missouri and joins his gang, taking part in a train robbery. Gradually, he forms a complex love/hate relationship with James, still admiring him to the point of obsession, but also becoming resentful and somewhat fearful due to James' bullying nature. Even after the gang members have gone their separate ways after the last train robbery, Jesse James takes to calling in on his old gang, killing some of them and terrorizing the relatives of others. The film suggests this is because Jesse is convinced they are out to betray him. Ford ends up shooting Wood Hite after he comes to the house looking for Dick Liddil. Wood and Dick had a falling out because Dick defiled Wood's father's wife in Kentucky. In the resulting gunbattle, Ford shoots Wood in the head just as he is about to do the same to Dick.

Eventually, Ford and his brother Charles are hired to arrest James by Governor Crittenden. This is not as easy a task as it seems: Charles is too scared of Jesse to raise his gun against him and Jesse proves on more than one occasion that he is never out of reach of his guns. Even when he appears to be asleep, he can awaken at a moment upon hearing the sound of a gun drawn or footsteps. Given these circumstances, Robert decides killing him would be safer. On the day of the shooting, both Ford boys wrestle with task they have been given, especially Charlie. Robert notices a paper on the couch with the headline "The Arrest and Confession of Dick Liddil" and hides it under a cushion from Jesse. Jesse finds the paper and reads about how he was caught three weeks before and asks Robert if he was in the area. After some silent contemplation, seemingly knowing his time has come and accepting it, Jesse takes his gun belt off. He notices a dusty picture on the wall then watches in the reflection of the picture as Ford draws his gun and shoots him from behind.

After the assassination, Ford becomes a celebrity and ends up in a theatre show, re-enacting the assassination night after night with his brother playing James. However, Charlie becomes tormented by what he's done, questioning why he did what he did. Overwhelmed with despair, Charlie eventually kills himself. The public mood begins to turn against Robert. Instead of Jesse James being remembered as a criminal and a murderer, he is idealized as a Robin Hood-like hero. Ford is openly shunned in public and is branded a cowardly traitor. In the final scene of the film, Ford is sought out and murdered by a man named Edward O'Kelley.

Cast

Production

In March 2004, Warner Bros. and Plan B Entertainment acquired feature film rights to Hansen's 1983 novel The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Andrew Dominik was hired to direct and write the film adaptation, with actor Brad Pitt being eyed to portray Jesse James.[2] The role of Ford eventually was between Casey Affleck and Shia LaBeouf; Affleck was cast because it was felt that LaBeouf was too young. Bill Clinton's presidential campaign strategist James Carville was selected to play the Governor of Missouri. [1] By January 2005, Pitt was cast in the role,[3] and filming began on August 29, 2005 in Calgary.[4] Filming also took place in other parts of Alberta, including McKinnon Flats, Heritage Park, the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, the Kananaskis area, several private ranches[5] and the historical Fort Edmonton Park.[5] The historical town of Creede, Colorado was recreated at a cost of $1 million near Goat Creek in Alberta.[6] Filming also took place in Winnipeg in the city's historic Exchange District; the Burton Cummings Theatre (formerly known as The Walker Theatre) and the Pantages Playhouse Theatre,[7] and concluded in December 2005.[6] The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was initially edited by director Dominik to be "a dark, contemplative examination of fame and infamy,"citation needed similar to the style of director Terrence Malick. The studio opposed Dominik's approach, preferring less contemplation and more action, in line with the directing style of Clint Eastwood. One version of the film had a running time of over three hours. Pitt and Ridley Scott, producers of the film, and editors Dylan Tichenor (who left the production early to cut There Will Be Blood, and was replaced with editor Curtiss Clayton, who ultimately finished the production) and Michael Kahn (who was brought in for several weeks as the studio's "go to" editor), collaborated to assemble and test different versions, which did not receive strong scores from test audiences. Despite the negative response, the audiences considered the performances by Pitt and Affleck to be some of their careers' best.[8] Brad Pitt had it written into his contract that the studio could not change the name of the film.citation needed

Release

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was originally slated for a September 15, 2006 release.[9] The release date was postponed to February 2007 at first,[10] but ultimately set for a September 21, 2007 release,[11] almost two years after filming was completed.[8]

The film opened in limited release on September 21, 2007, in 5 theaters and grossed $147,812 in its opening weekend, an average of $29,256 per theater.[12] The film has a total gross of less than $4 million.

Warner Home Video released the film on DVD on February 5, 2008[13] in the US, and on March 31 in the UK.

Reception

Critical reaction

As of December 7, 2007 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 75% fresh rating from 142 reviews and 58% from 31 the Cream of the Crop .[14] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 68 out of 100, based on 31 reviews.[15]

Brian Tallerico of UGO gave the film an "A" and said that it is "the best western since Unforgiven." Tallerico also said, "Stunning visuals, award-worthy performances, and a script that takes incredibly rewarding risks, Jesse James is a masterpiece and one of the best films of the year."[16] Kurt Loder of MTV said, "If I were inclined to wheel out clichés like 'Oscar-worthy', I'd certainly wheel them out in support of this movie, on several counts."[17] Richard Roeper on the television show Ebert & Roeper said, "If you love classic and stylish mood Westerns such as McCabe and Mrs. Miller and The Long Riders, this is your film."[18] The Star-Ledger film critic Stephen Whitty gave the film 4 stars and called it an "epic film that's part literary treatise, part mournful ballad, and completely a portrait of our world, as seen in a distant mirror." Whitty also said that the film is "far superior" and "truer to its own world" than 3:10 to Yuma.[19] Josh Rosenblatt of The Austin Chronicle gave the film 31⁄2 stars and said the film "grabs on to many of the classic tropes of the Western—the meandering passage of time, the imposing landscapes, the abiding loneliness, the casual violence—and sets about mapping their furthest edges."[20]

Film critic Emanuel Levy gave the film an "A" and wrote, "Alongside Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men, which is a Western in disguise, or rather a modern Western, Assassination of Jesse James is the second masterpiece of the season." Levy also wrote, "Like Bonnie & Clyde, Dominik's seminal Western is a brilliant, poetic saga of America's legendary criminal as well as meditative deconstruction of our culture's most persistent issues: link of crime and fame, myths of heroism and obsession with celebrity."[21] Lewis Beale of Film Journal International said "Impeccably shot, cast and directed, this is a truly impressive film from sophomore writer-director Andrew Dominik...but suffers from an unfortunate case of elephantiasis." Beale said Casey Affleck is "outstanding in a breakout performance" and said Brad Pitt is "scary and charismatic." Beale wrote, "The director seems so in love with his languorous pacing, he’s incapable of cutting the five or ten seconds in any number of scenes that could have given the film a more manageable running time. In the scheme of things, however, this amounts to little more than a quibble." Beale said that ultimately, the film is "a fascinating, literary-based work that succeeds as both art and genre film."[22]

British critic Mark Kermode named the film as his best of 2007 in his end-of-year review on Simon Mayo's BBC radio programme.

Many critics who disliked the film felt that it was too long. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter said that the relationship between Pitt and Affleck "gets smothered in pointlessly long takes, repetitive scenes, grim Western landscapes and mumbled, heavily accented dialogue."[23] Los Angeles Daily News critic Bob Strauss gave the film 2½ stars out of 4 and said, "To put it most bluntly, the thing is just too long and too slow." Strauss also said, "Every element of this Western is beautifully rendered. So why is it a chore to sit through?"[24] Pam Grady of Reel.com gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and said, "The movie is merely a long, empty exercise in style."[25] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com said that the film "represents a breakthrough in the moviegoing experience. It may be the first time we've been asked to watch a book on tape."[26]

Jesse James' descendants have effusively praised the film, specifically singling out Affleck and Pitt for their performances.[27]

Top ten lists

The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[28]

Awards and nominations

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was identified by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures as one of the top ten films of 2007. The board also awarded actor Casey Affleck as Best Supporting actor in the film.[31] The San Francisco Film Critics Circle named The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford as the Best Picture of 2007. The circle also awarded actor Casey Affleck as best supporting actor for the film. Casey Affleck was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for the 65th Golden Globe Awards.[32]

The film received two Academy Award nominations for the 80th Academy Awards. Casey Affleck was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Roger Deakins was nominated for Best Cinematography.[33]

References

  1. ^ "Two Sams join Brad Pitt’s movie cast", Calgary Sun (2005-08-31). Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  2. ^ Michael Fleming (2004-03-17). "WB aims for Pitt with 'James'", Variety. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  3. ^ Michael Fleming (2005-01-24). "Brad motors to WB oater", Variety. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  4. ^ Louis B. Hobson (2005-08-24). "Brad Pitt's new wife", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  5. ^ a b Kevin Williamson (2007-05-06). "Pitt's wild west showdown", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  6. ^ a b Louis B. Hobson (2005-12-02). "Brad for business", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-06-26. 
  7. ^ Louis B. Hobson (2005-09-07). "Brad’s an outlaw", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  8. ^ a b John Horn (2007-05-02). "Brad Pitt's 'Jesse James' comes under fire", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2007-05-17. 
  9. ^ Stax (2006-05-30). "Superman's New Date", IGN. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  10. ^ Kevin Williamson (2006-11-05). "Worth the wait", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  11. ^ Kevin Williamson (2007-05-06). "Pitt’s wild west showdown", Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2007-05-09. 
  12. ^ "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) - Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved on 2007-09-28.
  13. ^ McCutcheon, David (2007-11-29). "Jesse James Assassinated on DVD". IGN.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-21.
  14. ^ "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-02-03.
  15. ^ "Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
  16. ^ Brian Tallerico. "Assassination of Jesse James Review". UGO. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  17. ^ Kurt Loder (2007-09-20). "'Jesse James': Best Western, By Kurt Loder". MTV. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  18. ^ Richard Roeper. "Review on Ebert & Roeper". Ebert & Roeper. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  19. ^ Stephen Whitty (2007-09-21). "A 'Jesse' for our times". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  20. ^ Josh Rosenblatt (2007-09-21). "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  21. ^ Emanuel Levy. "Film Review - Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". EmanuelLevy.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  22. ^ Lewis Beale. "THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD". Film Journal International. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  23. ^ Kirk Honeycutt (2007-08-31). "Bottom Line: Pretension and vacuity sabotage a potentially terrific tale of celebrityhood". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  24. ^ Bob Strauss (2007-09-21). "Movies Outlaw comes to life - but oh, so slowly". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  25. ^ Pam Grady. "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)". Reel.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  26. ^ "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  27. ^ "Brad Pitt Canonized By James Family - SpoutBlog". Spout.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-24.
  28. ^ "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  29. ^ "CALE'S 10 BEST FILMS OF 2007". Ruthless Reviews. Retrieved on 2008-02-29.
  30. ^ "Review: The best (and worst) films of 2007". CNN. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  31. ^ "Board names ‘No Country’ best film of ’07", MSNBC (2007-12-05). Retrieved on 2007-12-05. 
  32. ^ "HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION 2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2007". goldenglobes.org (2007-12-13). Retrieved on 2007-12-17.
  33. ^ "Nominees - 80th Annual Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.

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