Review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) by Atlas O — 10 Jul 2010
An anti-western that does not exalt it's infamous subject as countless other tales have done but does so from a sympathetic, humanistic vantage. Reminiscent in tonality of McCabe and Mrs. Miller with the style of a Terrence Malick film.
It's a subtle, generous study of places and characters which allows for nuances to emerge, especially in the two leads. Jesse James is seen as a paranoid and reticent, obviously a byproduct of his celebrity-like prestige; Ford is tortured, childish, and obsessive.
Ford wants to join his posse because he idolizes Jesse but when he realizes that Jesse isn't like the legend portrayed in his penny novels, he holds him in increasingly murderous contempt. The film explores the way in which we view history and it's myths and how it becomes the way we gauge ourselves; art and illusion become inextricably intertwined with reality and have become increasingly so in this technological age.
The Assassination of Jesse James is a film that is both prophetic and about itself.
This review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) was written by Atlas O on 10 Jul 2010.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford has generally received positive reviews.
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