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

Réalisateur:

Andrew Dominik

Writers (WGA):

Andrew Dominik (screenplay)
Ron Hansen (novel)

Release Date:

10 octobre 2007 (France)

Genre:

Biographie | Crime | Drame | Western

Plot:

Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

Plot Keywords:

American Civil War | Shot In The Back | Rainstorm | Heckler | Melancholy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 19 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

The Expectation of Applause

Ensemble

Brad Pitt	...	Jesse James
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Zee James
Brooklynn Proulx	...	Mary James
Dustin Bollinger	...	Tim James
Casey Affleck	...	Robert Ford
Sam Rockwell	...	Charley Ford
Jeremy Renner	...	Wood Hite
Sam Shepard	...	Frank James
Garret Dillahunt	...	Ed Miller
Paul Schneider	...	Dick Liddil
Joel McNichol	...	Express Messenger
James Defelice	...	Baggagemaster (as James DeFelice)
J.C. Roberts	...	Engineer
Darrell Orydzuk	...	Ukranian Train Passenger
Jonathan Erich Drachenberg	...	Young Train Passenger

Autre(s) titre(s) :

The Assassination of Jesse James (USA) (short title)
Assassinat de Jesse James par le lâche Robert Ford, L' (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence and brief sexual references.

Durée:

160 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Son:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Classification:

Germany:12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Ireland:15A | Brazil:14 | Taiwan:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Japan:PG-12 | Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A | USA:R | UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Anecdotes:

The original cut of "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" was nearly four hours long. It was edited down to two hours and forty minutes, its current runtime, at the studio's request. However, it did play at least once at its original 4-hour length, most notably at the Venice Film Festival, where Brad Pitt picked up the Best Actor Award. After the viewing, critics at the festival labeled the film as "majestic."

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene departing Martha's farm for Kentucky, Dick Liddil is shown shouldering a pair of saddle bags. The bags are of a M1885 Pattern of the US Army, not produced until five years after the scene in the movie occurred.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
Narrator: He was growing into middle age, and was living then in a bungalow on Woodland Avenue. He installed himself in a rocking chair and smoked a cigar down in the evenings as his wife wiped her pink hands on an apron and reported happily on their two children...

Connexions De Film:

Referenced in Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw (2008) (V)

Soundtrack:

Amazing Grace

The Expectation of Applause

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is a handsomely mounted, film-school like study of the last days of the infamous James' Gang by director Andrew Dominik. Growing up in awe of Jesse James (Brad Pitt), Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) finally gets to live out his dream of living side by side with his idol when his brother, Charles (Sam Rockwell) joins the gang. Young Robert quickly learns that the exploits of the murderous train-robbers are far from the exciting flights of fancy he grew up reading about in newspapers and dime-store novels. A series of cowardly acts in the wake of double-crossings and humiliations ultimately lead to the titular event.

The style of the film is often visually arresting and downright disturbing, especially in the acts of violence, which leave the most gruesome parts slightly off camera, but are frequently shot and framed in such a way as to maximize shock value and leave an uncomfortable feeling of tension in the theater seats. Dominik sometimes relies too heavily on voice-over narration torn straight from the book upon which the film is based leaving us to assume that aside from dreadfully beautiful photography of passing clouds and desolate Midwestern landscapes, he wasn't always sure how he visually wanted to tell the story. This leads to a sometimes snails' pace as the plot unfolds, though the haunting Oscar-worthy cinematography from Roger Deakins and mesmerizing music score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis eventually get under your skin even as the hands of the clock seem to move slower as if stuck in a pretty photograph of a nightmare.

The acting in the film is superb from all involved. However, the performances often blur the line between caricatured scenery-chewing and emotional nuance (especially from Pitt and Rockwell). While there is some entertainment to be found in the lighter scenes of camaraderie amongst the gang members, the audience never really feels anything for the characters aside from sharing their sense of paranoia and fear knowing that around any corner someone will be betrayed and shot. The film also suffers from some scene stealing cameos from James Carville as the governor hell-bent on catching Jesse and the otherwise lovely Zooey Deschanel, who appears out of nowhere for a few moments about ten minutes after the film should have rightfully ended.

When the credits finally rolled, I wasn't sure what to make of the film. There's some unforgettable imagery (my personal favorite being the almost surreal depiction of the cloth-masked robbers waiting in the dark woods as the train comes roaring down the tracks), and many commendable artistic elements to be found in the film. If the idea was to leave the audience feeling the era showcased was a tension-riddled and violently lonely existence, then the film succeeded wonderfully. Those seeking a more pure entertainment will most assuredly be left stressed and stretched to their limits.