For
a guy who’d only made one movie – and an Australian
movie at that – before 2007, Andrew Dominik has had a
meteoric rise in Hollywood. After helming Chopper with
Eric Bana in 2000, the director was given a dream project for
his sophomore film in The Assassination of Jesse James by
the Coward Robert Ford. This big-budget Western with a
stellar cast has Oscar written all over it; and Dominik doesn’t
blow his chance.
In a way, I guess Dominik could be considered a logical choice
for this film, coming as he did from Australia. After all, Jesse
James was America’s Ned Kelly; a romantic outlaw figure
whose exploits became legend and whose demise is seen by many
as an act of treachery. Even the use of the word "assassination"
- a term normally reserved for political figures - is revelatory.
This film however isn’t a realistic recreation of the
events surrounding James’ death at the hands of Ford on
3 April 1882. Rather, it’s a lyrical, impressionistic
look at obsession, fear, paranoia, friendship and trust. As
a result, history buffs may find parts of the film infuriating,
but for just about everyone else, The Assassination of Jesse
James is a joy to behold.
The story begins with the James gang’s last job –
a train robbery. Although Jesse (Brad Pitt) and Frank (Sam Shepard)
are still running the show, the gang of old is no more, decimated
by deaths, arrests and retirements. As a result, they’ve
recruited a band of raw recruits from the local area, including
the Ford brothers, Robert (Casey Affleck), known as Bob and
Charley (Sam Rockwell). Bob is obsessed with Jesse James, having
grown up reading exaggerated ‘nickel book’ versions
of his exploits. Frank immediately takes a dislike to him, but
Bob finds a kinder reception in Jesse. After the robbery (in
which Jesse shows flashes of a brutality somewhat at odds with
Bob’s notions of him), Jesse asks Bob to stay on a few
days while the rest of the gang disperses. Bob sees this as
a sign of a kind of friendship, and tries to ingratiate himself
with Jesse’s wife Zee (Mary-Louise Parker). But after
those few days, things begin to fall apart, as members of the
gang turn on each other, and Jesse fears there are plots against
him.
It’s tempting to think of this film as a revisionist
Western; but perhaps it’s more an ode to a lost time.
That comes through in a number of ways throughout the film.
Jesse is officially an outlaw, yet is able to live under an
assumed name in Kansas City with virtually complete anonymity.
The communications of the time are such that no one has any
real idea what he looks like. It’s also a time when ‘the
West’ of popular imagination is fading fast. Jesse and
Frank are characters whose time has passed. The old wounds of
the Civil War don’t stir the same passions as they used
to, the US is becoming increasingly urbanised and the idea of
a ‘frontier’ is one that’s quickly disappearing
beneath the wheels of railway carriages.
The film also touches on a topic that might seem a little incongruous
given the setting – the nature of celebrity. When Bob
tells Jesse he’s read all about him in his ‘nickel
books’, the outlaw’s deadpan reply is, “They’re
all lies you know”. Yes, Jesse is America’s first
modern celebrity; a figure mythologised by newspaper editors
looking to increase circulation and treated with kid gloves
by political institutions keen not to have the boat rocked too
much (sound familiar?).
But
at its core, The Assassination of Jesse James is about
raw emotions. Bob is clearly infatuated with Jesse – or
at least with his notion of Jesse – and the harsh reality
of the man becomes a little hard for him to take. Jesse for
his part is perhaps quietly starting to believe his own press.
His hubris comes to the point where he is openly wearing his
guns in public. Even at the end, you get the feeling he believes
he can’t be touched by anything.
Some column inches were devoted, particularly in America, to
the erotic undertones of the relationship between the two men.
That’s an aspect that’s certainly there, but one
I think that Dominik handles with great sensitivity; not to
mention incredible skill.
Brad Pitt won the Copa Volpi at last year's Venice Film Festival
for his portrayal of Jesse, and it proved to be an inspired
choice. In a way, Pitt is very like the character, a larger
than life figure who’s been made into something he’s
not by the lurid press. But he continues to choose interesting
roles like those in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
and Babel. Here, he’s completely enveloped in
the character and dominates every scene he’s in. Casey
Affleck as his wannabe alter ego is also worthy of praise, as
he makes a difficult part completely believable. Sam Rockwell
does dumb well as Charley, and Garrett Dillahunt and Paul Schneider
make the most of their opportunities as members of the gang.
Amidst this panoply of men, the female actors get limited screen
time, although Mary-Louise Parker and Zooey Deschanel at least
make an impression. Look out too for an Aussie connection in
a small cameo.
Special mention should be made of Roger Deakins’ cinematography.
Deakins is the Coen Brothers’ long-time collaborator,
and here does a terrific job with two very different styles
of photography. He creates magnificent vistas using the majestic
backdrop of the Canadian Rockies; but also does an excellent
job with the small details – a country road at night;
the gleam of sunlight on a nickel-plated revolver. Also, his
stunning work on the train robbery sequence that opens the film
has to be seen to be believed.
The film unfolds at a fairly deliberate pace (and at 160 minutes,
it is quite leisurely at times); but this seems only to intensify
the mood of the piece, not to mention its sense of impending
doom. This is however punctuated by moments of quite graphic
violence; several of which had me jumping out of my chair. The
blend won’t be to all tastes, but it works well if you’re
prepared to go with it.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
is one of my personal favourites of last year, and its release
on DVD should make it more accessible. This poetic, intelligent
and sometimes confronting film is what cinema is all about.
