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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

***/5

Westerns have always been burdened. Any western worth watching has to walk a fine line. It cannot be too dramatic or else the audience members who came to see gun-slinging action will feel deprived. On the other hand if there is nothing but action then story itself is put on the back burner, and the audience will feel as though the film lacks substance. The goal here is to know when to be dramatic and when to draw your weapon if you will. “Unforgiven” despite being heavily dramatized seemed to achieve that balance. And in fact the film “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” looks eerily similar to the aforementioned “Unforgiven” as it attempts to achieve that very balance. The film however stops short and relies heavily on the dramatic events that took place in the last year Jesse James’s walked this earth.
As the film opens up we are introduced to Jesse and his older brother Frank and their newly assembled crew of has-beens and lowlifes. They are recruited to perform a train robbery, possibly the last one for Jesse and his brother. Among these “men” are Charley Ford and his brother Robert Ford, portrayed by Sam Rockwell and Casey Affleck respectively. Charley is a sweet talking hillbilly who tries his best to avoid any sort of confrontation. His brother on the other hand is an overly confident loser with visions of grandeur who tries to make a name for himself as a member of Jesse’s gang. Frank James depicted in the film by Sam Shepard, automatically rejects Robert. It seems as though he can tell that Robert Ford should be avoided like the plague. Jesse on the other hand or Brad Pitt’s character seems attracted to Ford. The same way a celebrity would be attracted to their number one fan. Eventually Jesse and Robert Ford both come to the same conclusion: that a book should not be judged by its cover. Ford becomes disenchanted and realizes James is not the hero he thought he was. And James also comes to the conclusion that Ford is completely defective. It is Ford however who first takes action and only adds to the infamy of Jesse James by assuming the role of his “assassin”. Affleck is skillfully adapt at portraying a character that is a quite honestly a slime ball for the lack of a better term. Even his speech pattern is as repulsive to the ear as his appearance is to the eye. Pitt does an admirable job of portraying a legend that is at the end of his rope. He can trust no one and despite being a celebrity can hardly afford to let his true identity be known. The film is well thought out yet it lacks constancy. At times the story stalls and simply wallows, at other times thanks to the narration the story rolls right along. Overall the film does not disappoint. The acting is imposing and the dialogue has a truthful ring to it. The action nonetheless is much more mild mannered.