The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

DVD COVER/SIDE

Length of film:  160 Minutes 

Rated: R   

Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama

Director: Andrew Dominik

Starring: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Jeremy Renner, Mary-Louis Parker, Brooklynn Proulx, Sam Rockwell

IMDB Rank: 7.5/10

Part 1 Time:  81 Minutes 

Part 2 Time:  69 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Jesse James (Brad Pitt) laughs as Robert (Bob) Ford (Casey Affleck) walks away from the kitchen table after confronting Jesse about beating his cousin Albert. Other Ford family members witness the confrontation.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “I come by… to ask if one of you two Fords… would care to ride with me in a journey or two. I guess we both agree it ought to be Charley. You’ve been acting sort of testy” Jesse James speaking to Bob.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Have you seen Wood Hite lately?” Jesse speaking to Charley Ford (Sam Rockford) the following morning.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Bob’s feelings towards Jesse have began to change from idolizing to fear. Will Bob collect the bounty on Jesse or will he continue to be faithful to the James gang.

Which part is better? Part one follows the final train heists of the James gang and Jesses continued relationship with the Ford family. Jesse now has a bounty on him causing disfunction and paranoia among members of the group. Part two shows Bob’s betrayal of Jesse and the legacy left after the assassination. Part two is given an edge as it shows the Bob’s slow betrayal of Jesse and the fame/hatred he later experiences by the American population.

Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Nominated- Casey Affleck), Best Cinematography (Nominated)