Dominik’s film explores mythology of legend

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
October 10, 2007

With a tell-all title like The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, writer-director Andrew Dominik doesn’t exactly try to build much suspense in his sophomore effort behind the camera. Aware of the immense popularity of the legend, Dominik wisely invests his time elsewhere, creating a poetic, richly-textured epic that’s much more concerned with cultivating a haunting, Old West atmosphere (Roger Deakins’ breathtaking cinematography is drenched in Malikian beauty) and exploring themes of loyalty, myth, paranoia and hero-worshiping gone bad.

At 160 minutes, the film takes its time, trotting along agreeably during its first hour-and-a-half. However, once the story tightens its focus on Jesse James and the Ford brothers, the film’s true brilliance begins to show, creeping up on you in such a way that you don’t actually realize you’ve just seen a masterpiece until you’re already out of the theater and on your way home. In that last hour, Dominik masterfully pits the majesty of a legend up against the cold hard truth, and in so doing, churns out one of the year’s best films.

Based on Ron Hansen’s popular novel, the film focuses on how legends and celebrity can drastically change reality, taking on a life of their own. Although the dime-store novels make him out to be some sort of frontier Robin Hood, James (Brad Pitt) is portrayed as psychopathic. Like Tony Soprano, the man is not without his charms (he loves his family and has undeniable wisdom), but in the end he’s also a thief and killer. At first, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) buys into the legend, but then, feeling jilted by his hero, he rejected it and kills James. In doing this, Ford learns the power of the legend the hard way, as is evident by his current status in history.

The film opens seven months before the assassination of James, right before he and his brother Frank (Sam Shepard) are about to spearhead the Blue Cat Train Robbery, a heist that would prove to be the last in their 12-year run. With all their original cohorts dead or in jail, the James boys have a local, low-rent gang, which includes Charley Ford (a nuanced Sam Rockwell). Charley brings along his brother Robert, who can hardly contain himself in the presence of the James brothers. Overeager and unsettling, Affleck portrays Robert as a callow nobody so off-putting that he prompts Frank to say, “I don’t know what it is about you, but the more you talk, the more you give me the willies.”

After the riveting robbery, Frank goes west and, against all odds, Robert manages to weasel his way into James’ good graces. Eventually he gets a little too creepy and James sends him packing, asking, “You want to be like me, or you want to be me?”

The attention then shifts away from James toward the gang, populated by Charley, James’ cousin Woody Hite (Jeremy Renner) and ladies-man Dick Liddil (a scene-stealing Paul Schneider). Naysayers are claiming this section of the story is superfluous, but the sequences with these characters help build upon the story, planting the roots for deception, while simultaneously escalating James’ paranoia.

Eventually, James takes the two Ford brothers into his home in preparation to pull another job, but by then the betrayal has been set in motion. The assassination scene itself is a beauty, rife with symbolic imagery and capped with a brutally realistic takedown, and the aftermath scenes are where the film truly fulfills its ambitions.

Acting is top-notch across the board, in particular with the leads. Affleck has plenty of buzz right now because of starring roles in this film and his brother’s Gone Baby Gone, and based on his performance here, he certainly deserves it. He throws himself into the role and he’s mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Pitt brings the house down. Showing amazing restraint, he’s equally believable in his quiet scenes and in those that call for sudden outbursts of rage. A reaffirmation of his ability, this role should garner the man an Oscar nomination, especially considering the snub he received last year for Babel.

As important as the cast is, Dominik’s work really seals the deal. His script has genuine humor, dignity and gravitas, and his direction is assured. After making his debut seven years ago with the impressive Chopper (Eric Bana’s breakthrough), the New Zealander has really made his mark.

Tech aspects add to the overall appeal as well. Nick Cave turns in his second great western score in as many years (his score for The Proposition was similarly excellent), and there’s a great narrative voice that runs throughout, giving the film a proper historical tone. Meanwhile, Deakins hits it out of the park. His cinematography, sweeping and often times blurry, evokes the vibe of a painting and will likely garner him an Oscar.

Filmed two years ago, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford has been in the editing process, allegedly due to Warner Bros.’ reluctance to release a $30 million art picture. If that’s true, it’s easy to see why: Although a marquee name like Pitt is on board, it’s hard to imagine this will be much more than a modest hit, simply because westerns don’t usually do well (even the crowd-pleasing 3:10 to Yuma has struggled to do so-so numbers).

More than that though, the film is unlikely to succeed with a wide audience mainly because it’s a detail-obsessed, ethereal experience that’s long as all hell. Still, while one could see two lesser movies in the same time frame, it wouldn’t be twice the cinematic experience. With great acting, beautiful cinematography and Dominik’s willingness to let the story breathe and roll out unforced, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is definitely worthy of the time it demands.

viscof1@lasalle.edu