The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

 

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, aside from being a mouthful, is one of the stranger pictures of the year, spinning an “art house” twist on the tale of Jesse James, and his assassination by the "coward" Robert Ford.

 

Whilst there was little doubt that Brad Pitt would make the role of Jesse James his own, the film marks a breakthrough role for Casey Affleck, who received much acclaim, as well as an Academy Award nomination for his turn as Robert Ford. Andrew Dominik’s film by no means passes with flying colours, yet its greatest success is in allowing Affleck to come crashing through the glass ceiling. In pictures such as this, and as the recent Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has cemented himself as an actor to watch for years to come.

The film quickly establishes itself as a meditative, contemplative piece. Many a time Dominik will linger on glass-eyed shots of our protagonist, or focus on him standing in a lush environment. Such moments are entirely visually arresting, yet there are times early in the picture where it feels that things should move along faster than they do. There must be a sense of balance between artistic integrity and schooled storytelling in order for any film to succeed, and this is one of the arguments for where the picture falls short.

 

The film’s premise is little more complex than its wordy title; the young, wet around the ears, overzealous Robert Ford chances upon Jesse James and hangs around with him for a while, even assisting him and his ragtag team in completing a train robbery. It is clear that Ford means well, yet he is nervous to the point of irritating, in what is a testament both to Affleck's acting, and the patience of Jesse James.

There is something of a minor genius within the film's title - the fact that we know from the outset what happens causes us to constantly ponder quite what causes Ford's relationship with James to change tides so violently. Ford is, for all intents and purposes, a well-meaning lad, although clearly oversensitive and perhaps not cut out for this line of work. What throws him off balance, or what does James do to cause such a rift? The film doesn't focus on their interactions in any great detail for the film's majority, and in fact, Ford and James spend many of their scenes apart. This approach doesn't make for the most enthralling film, yet the wonder of how it is all going to end drags us to the finishing line. If anything, it is that mystery which keeps us watching through the long strings of sedate dialogue and slew of straggling scenes.

Perhaps the film's greatest problem is that when a film is as devoid of action as Jesse James is, you expect, or at least hope for great discourse, and gripping dialogue. The film all too frequently delves into tiresome diatribes or seemingly pointless dialogues, which is a terrible shame, because beneath the superfluous dialogue, there is a great story gasping to get out. Where the film succeeds best is in its painting of a cerebral portrait of Robert Ford. His character is considerably more interesting than the film's doomed protagonist, thanks to Casey Affleck, who confidently breathes life into his part.

Jesse James is a film that requires a lot of patience from its audience, although such claims should not be used to disguise the film's clear flaw, that it is too sedate, and simply, too dull and protracted for its own good. At nearly 160 minutes, the film demands a lot of investment from its viewers, and it is difficult to say that it is worth such time. To this effect, it is curious that perhaps the most minimalist film of the year is also the longest. The film enjoys lush landscapes and carefully constructed shots when it should feed us information, and a narrator lets us know the machinations of the situation when we should be allowed to unpack it for ourselves. To call the film a mess would be a mistake, yet it is deeply flawed; a well-crafted film mired by a plot that is stuck in the mud.

 

Some of the film's better moments occur in the closing scenes, once the titular act has been carried out, whereby a sort of poignance is injected into the narrative. Coward or not, Affleck paints Ford as at least a mildly sympathetic character, and the ending is mired in what is undoubtedly a tragedy; it is powerful, and the sum of the film's parts. It is a shame, however, that the rest of the picture could not maintain this sense of resonance.

When Jesse James should run, it walks, and when it should walk, it flees from the viewer at unrelenting, alienating pace. There is a wealth of talent aboard this picture, and as such it is all the more a shame that the film is so dissatisfying. Moments of expert filmmaking creep in throughout, yet are shut out by entirely misappropriated artistic direction. Pitt doesn’t quite ignite the screen, yet he is more than competent in his role, whilst Casey Affleck, himself no doubt still a “newbie” in Hollywood, fits perfectly into the Robert Ford role. Jesse James will not be remembered as a great film, but even in mild failure, it is an interesting experiment, and credit should be dealt for its daring attempt.

 

*** (out of five)