The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
VC-1 BD-25
Average video bit rate: 15.70 Mbps
Running time: 2:39:40
Movie size: 22,41 GB
Disc size: 23,94 GB
DD AC3 5.1 640Kbps English / French / Spanish

Subtitles: English / French / Spanish

#Documentary - The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw (SD - 32 minutes)

I would like to say that I "hated" this movie or that it "was great." But neither is true. To get it, you must watch it twice. Because the movie works with underlayments of psychological interaction, you pick up much more the second time.

Don't be discouraged by the meandering beginning, which throws you into a cast of at-first-undistinguishable secondary characters. You know Brad Pitt is Jesse James and that Casey Affleck is Robert Ford, but the poor choice of throwing a bunch of other at-first anonymous men into the story early and randomly mars the beginning. (Plus, its nearly three-hour length demonstrates that the movie needed far better editing.)

The portrayal of Jesse James as conflicted and Robert Ford as hero-worshipper is surely a fictional amplification, but nonetheless interesting. Casey Affleck is sheer brilliance as a fey, admiring, sometimes brave, curious fan of Jesse James. There is a sort of homoerotic attachment. His skills as an actor are fully flexed in this extraordinary role.

Don't get too excited about Pitt, though. He's fine to look at and passes as an actor. Sam Shepherd and the others in the cast do a good-enough job--but not stunning. The cinematography truly deserves all its praise, as it's moving art on the screen. The exteriors of the train robbery alone were oddly beautiful and serene.

This hardly qualifies as a "western" though it has the old-time look to it. Very little horse-riding, shoot-'em-up stuff. In fact, it almost aspires to be a differently-flavored "Brokeback Mountain."

It's worth a look because it's such an unusual film.

When I began to watch this film I for the most part agreed with the negative reviews on this site. It wasn't exciting, the dialog was simple, and most of all: it moved very, very slow.

The first thirty minutes were not enjoyable because I didn't know the characters, scenes seemed random, or pointless. But ultimately this film builds like a crescendo into a stirring masterpiece.
160 minutes, but as I look back, none were wasted. The characters are flawlessly developed, and I really can say that I haven't felt such a connection or understanding for the characters in a film like this in a long time.

The level of understanding ultimately made this film extremely powerful. The acting and development were so good that the most powerful scenes hardly even needed dialog, and the music and cinematography were amazing. Just amazing.

This is not a film for everyone. If you are expecting an action packed Western, completely revise your expectation now, and look at this as an epic and emotional masterpiece. Many people may be bored to sleep, and others simply might not get it, but I promise there is a genius and a power behind this that will be worth it for those few that understand it.

Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck give Oscar-worthy performances in this excellent piece of storytelling. I don't care too much about the real Jesse James (cold-blooded murderer, and certainly no hero), but I must say that Brad Pitt's portrayal of a conflicted bandit made me a little sympathetic. Casey Affleck's portrayal of the initially enamored, then calculating betrayer, was spot on.

I wonder why the director didn't include the fact that Charley and Bob Ford were initially charged with first degree murder, sentenced to hang, and then pardoned by the Missouri Governor. At 2.5 hours, I guess the director decided that the full story could not be told. Although I could have done without the 'squaw' jokes.

TWO ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP.

I originally read the book 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' about three (3) years ago when I first heard that Brad Pitt had signed on to make this movie. Not that I am a creepy Brad Pitt stauker, but I have been very interested in Jesse James (born and raised in Missouri, everywhere you go, he has slept, lived or robbed) and always wondered how he could have possibily done all that he is blamed for in his short life. Not to mention, I have always been fasinated with his murder, which when hearing the song from where the book and movie get's its title as a child, I didn't understand why his own friend would have killed him.

When I read the book (which is very good and I do recommend it) I was confused by Jesse's demise and found the movie's version of what happened to be much more informative and very well acted by Pitt, Affleck and Rockwell. James' larger then life personallity was played perfectly by Pitt and Affleck and Rockwell and the supporting cast of "outlaws" from his newly formed gang, didn't disapoint. The mind play of a band of outlaws and their leader is not lost in this film and the various poor conditions that were endured during the time the movie was to have been set in (1881) felt like another actor in the film - they were set and cast so well. That is exactly how the book read, that the time and conditions played such a part in life (obviously) and how it was lived and endured. The movie did not lose that but also didn't draw it out as much as the book. Doing this would have made the movie twice as long as it was, and it was long enough. The continuation of Robert and Charlie Ford's life, and demise, after James' murder, was faboulous and smartly written and acted. The entire movie was five (5) stars and well worth the time and effort.