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The term "elegiac" has been thrown around a lot over the years referring to westerns that have a melancholy tone and an underlying theme of the demise of the frontier. Amongst the first of this post-John Ford trend was Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller (in 1971), and it seems that nearly every major entry in the genre since has also taken this stance, ranging from Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to Clint Eastwood's own effort, Unforgiven. The Assassination of Jesse James... (just Assassination from here) continues the wistful style. If anything, however, it proves to be Assassination's downfall; Australian director Andrew Dominik has created such a reverent and respectful film that the pacing at times slows to a crawl. The intentions of everyone involved are perfectly noble and the resulting film's inspiration from Terrence Malick is clear to see, but unlike Malick's unique offerings, Assassination fails to captivate and instead just ambles along until the inevitable event announced in the title eventually occurs. After the actual assassination happens, there's another half an hour detailing Robert Ford's life after his infamous act, and this final section is truly interesting, giving the impression that the film would have been better served if more time had been devoted to this and less on the languorous build-up.
The participants in the production have been keen to play down the film's western elements, as the usual action quota found in most films of the genre is not fulfilled. Nevertheless westerns are mainly defined by setting, and in this respect Assassination can certainly be categorised as one. Indeed, Dominik, with help from his Director of Photography (and Coen brothers regular) Roger Deakins, establishes the setting extremely well, with plenty of majestic widescreen panoramas and a muted colour scheme. At times a special kind of camera lens is used which blurs the edges of the frame in a way that resembles a vintage photograph, adding to the evocation of the past. Initially we are treated to a staple of the western genre, a train robbery, which is an excellent way to begin and suggests that the subsequent weighty running time may be something special. Unfortunately, after this excellently orchestrated sequence, the suspense and tension slowly dissipates, and the focus shifts to long, mumbly conversations punctuated by a rare gunshot or two. By the time the most famous bullet of all is fired, it's a relief.
That is not so say that the film completely fails to sustain interest. The acting is exemplary and the music, co-written by Nick Cave (who scored Aussie western The Proposition), is highly suitable for the film's dour ambience. Brad Pitt proves to be an excellent casting choice, as his real life stardom reflects the celebrity of Jesse James, and rarely, if ever, has Pitt been as restrained. Robert Ford's creepy obsession with his boyhood idol is effectively portrayed by Casey Affleck, who brings an appropriately jittery demeanour and wavering voice to the part. Of these two figures it will probably be Affleck's name that is most read out at awards ceremonies. Roger Deakins will undoubtedly receive plaudits too for the stunning photography, but the editors presumably will not. Admittedly, they had a tough job to work through the amount of footage shot - there was a longer four-hour cut, apparently - but Dominik just hasn't been ruthless enough with the pruning, though conversely it seems that some more interesting scenes in the post-assassination section have been denied us. What remains is an at times extremely promising film that fails to reach its full potential.
The summary
A revisionist, melancholic western that over-indulges in the length department but partially compensates with excellent acting and cinematography.
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