The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I was keen to write about this film partly because of the incredible cinematography by Roger Deakins.

Unfortunately, these images don't do it any justice whatsoever.


The Assassination... has suffered criticism for being too long, too slow, too lacking in suspense. Yes, it is slow and long. But it is incredibly beautiful.

It is a film about hero worship, in all its ugly, misguided, scrabbling pathetic-ness, but it remains visually captivating. The capture of nineteenth century Missouri is bleak yet breathtaking.




One of my chief feeling of unease when watching the film is that I failed to care about anyone in it. Not Jesse James, nor Robert Ford.

And yet. And yet. The acting of Pitt and Affleck was superb.




Flawed, interesting and a must see for its aesthetic charms alone.