3 Days Until the Adventure Begins--Brad Pitt Makes a Fine Jesse

We watched the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) last night. View the trailer here. The cinematography is magnificent. The use of shallow depth of field using a Diana camera style of lens (blurred areas/edges for the non-camera folks) provided beautiful shots of the landscape. Brad Pitt masterfully embodied the character of Jesse. Casey Affleck is convincing as the naive young Robert Ford who idolized James only to be spurned by him and subsequently killing him.

My step-dad complained that it was the most boring movie ever. For someone looking for a lot of action or a traditional Western, this is not the film for you. It's a drama--about history and relationships. About consequences to actions. The narrative doesn't drive the story--we all know what is going to happen, but the film does offer insight into the complexities of the characters and their respective motivations.  It is on the long side--over 2.5 hrs, so don't forget to take the ADD meds before you watch it.

I recently finished reading the book and the film stays true to the story (historical fiction or fictionalized history?) by Ron Hansen . The book was nominated for a PEN/Faulkner Award. It read like a novel. (high praise from me, who tends to stay away from non-fiction historical accounts)

One reviewer said that the main theme of the film is fate. No one is beyond reproach or understanding. No one simply "gets what's coming to them." There are no simple villains or heroes. ...Life and the actions taken and the echoes of those actions. It transcends any petty ideas of justice or even legend. It takes a full snapshot of a beautiful and grim reality and lets us take it in--like a corpse on ice.