Review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) by Tadgh M — 13 Aug 2011

Jesse James: I look at my red hands and my mean face⦠and I wonder â(TM)bout that man thatâ(TM)s gone so wrong.

Is it possible to really like a film filled with unsympathetic characters?

What makes a good film? Is it in the eye of the beholder? Are there good films that some of us donâ(TM)t acknowledge because we are not educated or intellectually receptive enough to appreciate their qualities beyond what Hollywood and the mainstream have beaten into us? Is it our prejudice and affinity for the characters that dictate how fondly we remember what we have seen subsequently?

The outcome exposing title; The Assassination of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik) is a visually stunning film. The detail is exquisite. This is a stylized version of the west and brings to bear the same self-conscious sense of style as Tom Fordâ(TM)s â~A Single Manâ(TM) as opposed to the squalid dirt of Deadwood. Each frame with its swaying ears of summer corn or flecks of winter snow is a minor work of art. Each outfit worn by each outlaw exudes stylish flair which while appropriate for the period would not look out of place at a premier or gala event if worn by the same actor. One scene that stands out is of Jessie (Brad Pitt) standing on a frozen lake watching the fish swim beneath a sheet of ice wearing a massive fur coat. So perfectly stylized is the scene that we could be watching Tyler Durden in 1999 as easily as Jessie James in 1882. Like Tyler, Jessie is a psychopath, exudes a maniacal laugh and loves a good fur coat.

The characters are cold. Jessie, Bob, Charley, Wood and Dick are all outlaws with little respect for themselves or each other. They fear and adore Jessie, and exist to humor his psychopathic behavior. They live in constant fear that he will turn on them and add them to his list of dead.

There is some narration in the piece, which normally grates with me as it is generally used as a lazy story telling device. Here it works well, simply because the narrator provides humanity. It almost plays like a documentary at points with its observational unhurried approach. This is a long film, even in comparison to todayâ(TM)s marathon running times. It paces itself. This is not necessarily a criticism as afterwards I struggled to see where I would cut.

The film and its pace are well supported by the score (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis). It is pitch perfect in how it winds its way in and out along the journey supporting what is on screen and never becoming overbearing. Unlike Ennio Morricone who in Westerns opted for massive heroic anthems, here they opt of claustrophobic, paranoid edge in tune with the main protagonists. The main instruments are married perfectly for the period, simple combinations of piano, violin and cello. You wonâ(TM)t be humming it down the street, but if you hear it again it will certainly transport you back to a time of outhouses, outlaws, open frontiers.

Brad Pitt will be working with director Andrew Dominik again on Coganâ(TM)s Trade due out in 2012. This is not surprising. I think Dominikâ(TM)s ability to paint an actor on canvas with such style; grace and weight will have the A list queuing at his door.

To answer my initial question, yes, it is possible to like a film with unsympathetic characters. It is however very difficult to love such a film. Now excuse me, Iâ(TM)m off to buy myself that fur coat Iâ(TM)ve wanted since Fight Club.