Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Theatrical Release Date: 2007 09 21 (USA)

UPC: 012569829725

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Adult Language]

Summary: Brad Pitt stars as legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James in Chopper director Andrew Dominik's cinematic rendering of the events that would eventually bring about the death of the man rumored be the "fastest gun in the West." An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw. When Robert and his brother Charlie sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status. Casey Affleck stars as Robert Ford and Sam Shepard co-stars as Frank James -- Jesse's devoted sibling and partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Western

Awards: In Competition – Venice International Film Festival Film Presented – Toronto International Film Festival Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – National Board of Review Best Picture – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – null Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Score – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Score – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Screen Actors Guild Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Golden Satellite Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Detroit Film Critics Society Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Picture – Utah Film Critics Best Actor – Utah Film Critics Best Cinematography – Florida Film Critics Best Picture – Las Vegas Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – National Society of Film Critics Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers Best Picture – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – London Film Festival Best Supporting Actor – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actor – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actor – Screen Actors Guild Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Detroit Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actor – Golden Satellite Award Best Supporting Actor – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Supporting Actor – National Board of Review

Features: Making of documentary: The Assassination of Jesse James: Death of an Outlaw

Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 02/05/2008

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 2.40:1

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 160 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Perry Seibert

Director Andrew Dominik adopts a style throughout his new psychological western The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford that he believes will give the film the weight and seriousness of an epic. The movie runs a stately 160 minutes not because there is too much action or too many sequences, but because conversations are edited so that protracted silences occur between every line of dialogue. For the first 30 minutes, as the members of the gang are introduced while they plan and execute a train robbery, Dominik is at his best. The deliberate tone and slow pace make this a unique and rewarding sequence, but the next 90 minutes of the film eats away that interest. Casey Affleck embodies the creepy stalker elements of Robert Ford with great skill, but his boyish face keeps him from ever being truly threatening -- perfect casting considering what the director does with the character. Ford's obsession with Jesse James (played as alternately psychotic or brooding by Brad Pitt) manages to be complete, without being in any way sexual. He's a boy trying to figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. His performance, in fact each performance throughout, is solid, but they are undermined by the film's pace. The editing style, which is obviously purposeful, hampers the film's protracted middle because while the film suggests many reasons why Ford kills Jesse, it never seems to take a stand on the issue. Jealousy, fear, duty, and a desire for celebrity are all presented as possibilities, but often these different motivations seem to conflict directly with each other. Over dinner with the Ford family, James humiliates the 20-year-old Robert, and one would think that his actions from then on stem from a desire for revenge, but even after the embarrassment, Ford is seen sniffing James' bedding. A film can be open-ended and open to interpretation, yet still present an explanation as to why everyone was interested in the material to begin with. The movie plays like the director wanted to make the film in order to figure out his own feeling about Robert, but never came to any resolution. The final 20 minutes, after Ford shoots Jesse and must live with the consequences, bring the proceedings back to life. As Robert revels in his notoriety, the viewer can draw so many parallels with what went on before that one can start to see that the material might have supported the stately rhythm. As it is, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a failure, but the combination of ideas, however unformed, and the style make it a genuine attempt at something new -- which makes the film more interesting than most failures. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Brad Pitt  Producer 
Nick Cave  Composer (Music Score) 
Ridley Scott  Producer 
Tony Scott  Executive Producer 
David Valdes  Producer 
Brad Grey  Executive Producer 
Jules Daly  Producer 
Lisa Ellzey  Executive Producer 
Andrew Dominik  Director 
Andrew Dominik  Screenwriter 
Dede Gardner  Producer 
Cheryl Bainum  Executive Producer 
Warren Ellis  Composer (Music Score) 
Benjamin Waisbren  Executive Producer 
Brad Pitt  Actor 
Casey Affleck  Actor 
Sam Shepard  Actor 
Mary-Louise Parker  Actor 
Paul Schneider  Actor 
Jeremy Renner  Actor 
Zooey Deschanel  Actor 
Sam Rockwell  Actor 
Garret Dillahunt  Actor 
Brooklyn Proulx  Actor 
Dustin Bollinger  Actor 
Joel McNichol  Actor 
James DeFelice  Actor 
J.C. Roberts  Actor 
Darrell Orydzuk  Actor 
Jonathan Erich Drachenberg  Actor 
Torben S. Hansen  Actor 
Alison Elliott  Actor 
Lauren Calvert  Actor 
Kailin See  Actor 
Tom Aldredge  Actor 
Jesse Frechette  Actor 
Pat Healy  Actor 
Michael Parks  Actor 
Ted Levine  Actor 
Joel Duncan  Actor 
James Carville  Actor 
Stephanie Wahlstrom  Actor 
Adam Arlukiewicz  Actor 
Ian Ferrier  Actor 
Michael Rogers  Actor 
Calvin Bliid  Actor 
Sarah Lind  Actor 
Nick Cave  Actor 
Matthew Walker  Actor 
Michael Copeman  Actor 
Laryssa Yanchak  Actor 
Hugh Ross  Actor 

Country: USA