The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.
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- Cast：
- Casey Affleck , Brad Pitt , Sam Rockwell , Paul Schneider , Jeremy Renner , Garret Dillahunt , Sam Shepard
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Reviews
Undescribable Perfection
Fantastic!
A different way of telling a story
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Very slow and 'elegiac', which kind of fits the pace of the times, but it's also a meaningless visual tone poem in some ways, rather like a latter-period Terrence Malick film. Looks beautiful, as you'd expect from Maestro Deakins, and the actors do a really solid job, but where, oh where is the script? I couldn't find one and I had to sit through nearly 3 hours of this mess in search of it.
The Plot. Taking place in the American Northwest in the early 1880s, the film dramatizes the last seven months in the life of famed outlaw Jesse James, beginning with the Blue Cut train robbery of 1881 and culminating in his assassination at the hands of Robert Ford the following April. In the time between these two fateful events, the young and jealous Ford befriends the increasingly mistrustful outlaw, even as he plots his demise. This pretentious title will tell you what you are in for. It's a nearly three hour slow moving borefest that takes forever to go anywhere.Could have been a truly great western but instead it plods along and puts you to sleep at frame one.
If handled thoughtlessly, folklore can be more than just a harmless way to pass the time. It's often birthed out of lies, which can beget legends, which will beget more lies. Even the title of this astoundingly beautiful film is misleading, & that's the point. It's an incredible critique of heroes & villains, & of empty-fame. A potent mixture of quiet western scenery, impeccable performances (maybe Pitt's greatest ever), shockingly gorgeous dialogue, & an intense story of uncertainty and anger.
I have read a lot about this movie before I watch. Acting of both Bradd Pitt and Ben Affleck is good, but movie does not kept the interest of movie watchers. I have to kept an eye on the clock to see how much it is remaining. I have a craving for this movie but all my dreams of relishing this movie is dashed. I don't understand why it is rated so high. Only the climax is bit interesting otherwise movie is dull.
