The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

An Homage to Western History in a Moody Daguerreotype Style
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD is one of the finer films about the history of the Old West 'heroes' such as Jesse James. It is difficult to describe the degree of high quality of the way in which this film has been created: the script (adapted by Andrew Dominick from Ron Hansen's novel) is as poetic as it is gritty and flows like a Shakespearean tragedy both in narration and in dialog; the exceptionally fine cinematography by Roger Deakins captures the flavor of the times, shot in subtle lighting whether in darkly intimate interiors or on the vast plains at times heightened by snowlight, but always in the feeling of the quality of daguerreotypes; the musical score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is strangely apropos without seeming to borrow from any previous source; and the cast of fine actors play the film as a true ensemble work. Director Andrew Dominik has accomplished a masterpiece.

The story begins subtly in the last year of the James gang...

A Haunting Character Exploration Of Idolization And Self Diginity. This Is A Masterpiece.
As a fan of the western genre I look forward to pretty much every western I hear is in the works since they come so few and far between nowadays. I am also a huge fan of Sergio Leone and Terrence Malick; two directors who use extremely long takes with exquisite deep focus photography. I had never heard of Andrew Dominik until I researched this film, and when I checked his history and saw that he had only done one other film called Chopper I felt skeptical as to what he would do with The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford. Then I saw the trailer which sent chills up my spine and even made my eyes water, and this film became my top priority for the fall.

The film follows Robert Ford and two of his brothers as they join the James brothers for one final robbery. Robert Ford played brilliantly by Casey Affleck sees Jesse James as his idol. He followed his stories throughout his childhood and he wants nothing more than to be accepted by this man. Affleck...

The Best Film of 2007
This film is a breathtaking account of the life and times of Jesse James. I am in complete awe that this movie wasn't more widely released because it was the best film of the year. Brad Pitt, Sam Rockwell and Casey Affleck give astounding performances, but Affleck's portrayal of the tormented and obsessive ally to James is beautiful and absolutely unforgettable. It is a shame that movies like this can come out and be mostly ignored...it should at least be nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Cinematography.
This is a must see and once you do yourself the favor of indulging in this epic, you will then know why.

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