The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

directed by Andrew Dominik
screenplay by Andrew Dominik
novel by Ron Hansen
USA 2007

One of the more interesting things about this film from sophomore writer-director Andrew Dominik is the narration. Actually many exciting moments come through here, despite its documentary style and a cadence reminiscent of a Sunday morning on National Public Radio. Far too description-y to forget it's there, this anachronism of voice-over contrasts with what seems to be the aim of most writers--to provide information as discreetly as possible. Conventional methods and Robert McKee steer us away from a pronounced narrator, but in Assassination the effect is more holistic than ever. In the appropriate fashion of 19th Century newspaper drama, there is an off-handedness that somehow passes judgment while remaining as close as is possible to the version of history most widely regarded as fact. Sounds like a tough task, but upon reflection is probably what many of those same newspaper writers dealt with as the Wild West died out. An idealistic sinkhole. The kind of mythos surrounding Jesse James and his exploits made for fine storytelling, but when the rest of society caught up to the frontier, the party was over. Bankers, industry men, and politicians weren't looking for exciting outlaw serials, they looked to the papers to tell them whether or not the James gang would conceivably be robbing their shipment.

But the poets are the unsung victims, even though they die along with their work. The next generation of writers and historians pay hardly a mention as their forefathers die out. A more important extinction, that of Jesse and his outlaw lifestyle, makes the front page weekly. Assassination sticks around during this stagnation and allows a glimpse into the pathetic lives of a few remaining gangsters, still trying to live the dream. Bob Ford at least, played with such perfect strangeness by Casey Affleck, is the only one to acknowledge the idea that he is living out a childhood myth. Brad Pitt is such a nice choice to play the other title role because he instantly provides megastar status, despite appearing as hollow and lifeless as is expected of Jesse James, legend of a bygone era. Even brother Frank, played by Sam Shepard, knows when to quit. When things start getting too lonesome even for Shepard, then, well...

As far as disintegration goes, though, it's an extremely watchable one. Humans act with survival in mind, and not only is the James gang fighting to survive the end of an era, we're reminded of another cornerstone of civilization. As these guys squabble, weasel each other out, lose interest, and altogether fall apart, the real beauty of the West shines through. Dominik can't help but mock the paltry posse of fur-clad deputies struggling their way through the snow. He can't help but force an exasperated Charley Ford over a precarious frozen lake. All the wonderfully physical aspects of the West are still here, and it resonates much longer than the death dance of human mythology.