a visual masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (29 March 2008)

If "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is to be believed, then surely hell hath no fury like an idol worshipper scorned. And if it isn't, well heck, a little yarn-spinning might not be entirely out of order in a movie that is, by its very nature, a lyrical, haunting and visually stunning elegy to the fabled Old West and the larger-than-life figures who inhabited it.
The "idol," in this case, is Jesse James, the notorious outlaw who, even before his death in 1882 at the age of 34, had become a legend in his own time, famous the world over for the many highly publicized robberies and killings he committed all across the American heartland. Indeed, an entire cottage industry of highly romanticized literature (a sensationalized mixture of fact and fiction) had already sprung up around him and the other members of his gang (including his nearly-as-famous brother, Frank). One of those who not only gobbled up the mythology but absorbed it into his soul was a young, self-described "nobody" by the name of Robert Ford, who, at the age of nineteen, finally got the chance to not only meet his childhood hero in person, but to join up with him in what would turn out to be the bandit's final great train robbery. However, disillusionment can come mighty quickly when an idol is revealed to have feet of clay, and when Jesse didn't accord Robert the respect he felt he was entitled to, the one-time sycophant became the gunman's most dangerous nemesis - and the man who would eventually take his life.
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is not a traditional shoot-'em-up action picture, but rather a long, deliberative and contemplative mood piece focused on the burdens of "celebrity" and on the need to be a "somebody" in the eyes of the public. In a beautifully understated performance, Brad Pitt portrays James as part ruthless killer and part raving paranoiac, a mentally unbalanced sadist who spends much of his time waging physical as well as psychological warfare on the men he feels have betrayed him (with good reason in some cases). Yet, Pitt allows moments of humanity and tenderness to seep through his otherwise buttoned-down, stoic demeanor. As Ford, Casey Affleck is the true revelation in this film, finding the root of this pipsqueak's incessant need for braggadocio in his low self-esteem and obsessive need for recognition from others. The irony is that Ford's version of "celebrity," when he finally achieves it, is quite different from that of Mr. James - even if their fates take eerily similar paths in the end. These two superb actors are matched in performance by Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner and Sam Sheperd, all of whom are excellent in their roles.
Using Ron Hansen's novel as his source, writer/director Andrew Dominik has crafted a work that, aesthetically speaking, is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece, a film in which virtually every shot can stand as its own work of art. Roger Deakins' brilliantly lit, softly filtered cinematography (reminiscent of the work in the similarly themed "The Grey Fox") lends an otherworldly quality to the film, perfect for bringing out the legendary nature of the material. And Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' beautiful and haunting score goes a long ways towards achieving that end as well.
From first frame to last, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Brown" draws the audience into its beautifully lit world of history and legend - and makes us a part of that world.