The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford · reception & legacy
2007 · Andrew Dominik
How The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
Dumped by Warner Bros after years of post-production battles over the cut, it flopped hard in 2007 despite Brad Pitt winning Best Actor at Venice — and has since climbed to near-universal 'masterpiece' status, routinely called one of the great westerns of the century.
What's debated
The eternal fight is pacing: is it hypnotic, elegiac slow cinema or 160 minutes of gorgeous nothing — with a side quarrel about Roger Deakins losing the 2007 cinematography Oscar for THIS.
Its footprint
The night-time train robbery is one of the most screenshotted, referenced sequences in modern cinema, the Nick Cave & Warren Ellis score gets borrowed by trailers and documentaries everywhere, and the absurdly long title is a meme unto itself.
Where it stands
The definitive 'criminally underrated at the time' film — a Letterboxd darling and the crown jewel of the '2007 was the greatest movie year' argument.