A Modern Western Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (12 February 2020)

What a gorgeous film. Andrew Dominik channels Terrence Malick in every scene, highlighting the wilderness of the Midwest and how its desolation seeps into each character's daily life. This film is built on a ladder of tense moments, culminating in Jesse James's death. Robert Ford's infamous stardom afterwards is a depressing denouement that fits his lifelong failure at gaining trust. Brad Pitt's Jesse James is the alpha dog, radiating a supernatural sense of awareness that is both menacing and respectable. But this film belongs to Casey Affleck, whose cracked voice and shifty face forces you to join in with the gang's harassment of the reluctant assassin. If you ever wanted a Ken Burns film that included sorrow-packed dialogue, then every hour of this film is worth watching. And a supporting cast that includes Sam Rockwell, Mary Louise Parker, Sam Shepard, and Jeremy Renner. Come on.