The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,"" the latest entry in the recent revitalization of the Western genre, will likely come up against some high standards, considering the successes of the recent ""3:10 to Yuma"" and the upcoming ""No Country for Old Men."" It succeeds in meeting these demands in most respects, but even with the spectacular performances of Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck and Sam Rockwell, it's tough to shake the feeling that this meditation on the nature of American mythos might be a shade too contemplative.
The title of the film is the best summary that one can offer regarding the film's action - the film follows Jesse James (Pitt) and the last remnants of his gang (most notable Affleck and Rockwell as Robert and Charley Ford, respectively) during the time between James' last great train robbery and his assassination, and then quietly follows the aftermath that eventually consumed Robert Ford's last days.
But simple plotting is not the aim of the film, which gazes upon wheat fields and fast-motion clouds, filling the spaces between the action with sparse narration that grounds the film both historically and emotionally, asking the audience to sympathize with its criminal figures as it paints them in soft focus. Much like 1992's ""Unforgiven,"" the film is deconstructive - Ford is depicted as a likeable, guileless young man whose obsession with the legendary outlaw slowly falls to pieces as he comes to know him, eventually culminating with the betrayal and murder of James.
Jesse James is shown as a strange combination of competing drives - simultaneously a caring father and husband and a ruthless killer - a moody, temperamental mess of a man whose frequent plunges into mild paranoia and depression fuel the tension of the film and play upon the sympathies of the viewer. What is offered in this film is a tragedy of character, a glimpse free from awe that breaks down the myth and legend surrounding James and Robert Ford, to show the forces and emotions that drove them. Perhaps the most resonant image of this is of James trying to hide his face as he weeps after having mindlessly beaten a boy for information he didn't have, or maybe it's the fearless glance that Robert Ford tosses over his shoulder before he is shot and killed by a glory seeker.
The film raises more questions about the nature of legends and myths than it ever really answers, but it's difficult to imagine that it needs to. The film demands thought on the part of the audience and will make no compromise. Regardless of whether the audience is willing to comply, they can still enjoy a powerful performance from Pitt and an equally astounding one from Affleck. If any criticism of the film can be made, it is that the movie tends to drag and expresses itself in short vignettes that tend to alienate the viewer. The meditative shots of countryside combined with the most pregnant pause-laden conversations in recent memory makes one wonder if the 190-minute runtime is entirely justified. Enjoy the vistas when you're forced to - just make sure it's not all you remember about this poetic film.
