To grow up watching cowboys have
shootouts in saloons, have Clint Eastwood have his final stand with “The Bad”
and see the sheriff finally take down the outlaw riding away into the sunset.
Andrew Dominik takes the western genre to a whole new level. The Assassination
of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shows the skin deep, psychological
battle of within, fame and infamy of Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and Robert Ford
(Casey Affleck). Instead of making this classic tale of the last train robbery
by the James gang into a simple shoot’em up western, Andrew goes farther into
the mind frame of Jesse James and Robert Ford. Andrew centres the narrative of
the film and shows the audience the psychological impact on Jesse’s mind during
the era of facing the end of his outlaw career, the constant paranoia of being
turned in by other gang members and the embracing of his own death that he
himself foresees in the near future. We are shown this world through eyes of
Robert Ford who idolized James all his life and always wanted to join the James
gang but in the end to become as famous as his hero he betrays Jesse. Personally
I feel that Andrew touches every emotion in this film, with the; plot, cast,
narration and spectacular cinematography.
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| The aberrationed edges, that gives these shots a old photograph look |
At the very first scene I
straight away knew this was going to be no other western that I have ever seen.
At the very opening scene we are introduced to a time lapse sequences with a
Hugh Ross as the narrator, verbally describing of Jesse and his legend. These
time lapse scenes that Andrew uses throughout the film are the key core of what
helps create a melancholic feeling. We are shown a sense of time has gone by
which creates a climax of unease and tension as the film goes on. The footage
that Andrew uses looks like; grainy, unfocused aberration edges that help
create a nostalgic feeling of old photographs. These time lapse scenes feel
like a dream with the narrators firm yet peaceful voice narrating the story as
if reading towards the audience. The magnificent widescreen shots that capture
cold winter day help create an eerie feeling and isolated atmosphere of loneliness.
Roger Deakin visually helps grasp the atmosphere in every scene and I every
shot. Deakin plays with the colour contrast to enhance other colours to create
an even heavier atmosphere. Even the use of natural light gave the film such
beauty making film feel more genuine and less artificial.
Affleck does a remarkable job
playing an uncomfortable Ford who always teased and cajoled. He always in
visions himself with “great grit and intelligence” luring for fame and
immortality. Never more the fact that Ford tries to befriend everyone but his
awkwardness always fills the room and the James family always seem to notice
this. Jesse’s wife Zee (Mary Louse Parker) always seems to be unease with
Ford’s presences. Even when Ford spoke with Frank James (Sam Shepard) there
first encounter Frank felt awkward with Ford “, the more you talk, the more you
give me the willies”. His childhood hero Jesse becomes an obsessing constantly
tries to please him; pretending to smoke but can’t, regularly giving facts
about his looks and habits and even comparing similarities between them but
this only disturbs Jesse. Affleck and Brad show great connection with their
characters with Affleck first seen as the “obsessed fan” but slowly realising
that the hero in the magazines he collected as child was not really the same
man but the obsession becomes love. This is seen when Jesse humiliates Ford at
the dinner table and Ford shows a violet fit. In the end for fame and glory
Ford kills Jesse but his life takes a turn for the worst from then on being
labelled as a coward. The title labels Ford as a coward but in this film we see
him obsessed young man that grows to love his hero and the love and desire to
be him, it becomes so strong it becomes murderous.
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