Watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford For Free

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

"There would be no eulogies for Bob, no photographs of his body would be sold in sundries stores, no people would crowd the streets in the rain to see his funeral cortège. No biographies would be written about him, no children named after him, no one would ever pay twenty-five cents to stand in the rooms he grew up in." This line not only concludes the narrative of one of the most underrated films of 2007, but wholly describes the weight of each line delivered in the best dialog-driven western ever made."The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is a film I have put off from seeing since first hearing about it shortly after its release in 2007. It wasn't until I saw "Killing Them Softly" this year, another film I thought was underrated, that I knew I had to seek out more work from director Andrew Dominik.I'm glad I did."The Assassination" stars Brad Pitt as real-life criminal Jesse James and Casey Affleck as the man who befriended and eventually killed him, Robert "Bob" Ford. The pairing of Pitt and Affleck was one I couldn't really imagine carrying a film centered on conversation. It wasn't until about 30 minutes into it I found how wrong I was; and by its conclusion, I was so impressed it even left me a bit shaken.The film disguises its true form — a biographical period piece — behind the beautiful sheen of perfectly framed shots and clever camera work. In a movie so focused on what a character is saying, it was surprising how well the center of attention was taken off the dialog and focused on the immaculate picture in front of you. In simpler terms, this movie is freaking gorgeous.Dominik frequently plays with camera focus and lighting, many times making all background blurry to extenuate a mood. Shots of James' face creeping in and out of focus he rocks back and forth in a chair are why I fell in love with the film's cinematography.From beginning to end, "The Assassination" is more "True Grit" than "Django: Unchained," which may seem standoffish for a modern western. Most of the film takes place in between the pangs of gunfire, trading in saloon shootouts and horse-back confrontations for fire-side chatter and tongue-out-of-cheek quarrels.But this doesn't mean violence is absent, only sparring. "The Assassination" uses violence as almost a release of the tension created as a precursor. Each time a pistol is drawn, it's to say a grim goodbye to a character the audience has grown accustomed to, which lends to the scene's impact.Both Pitt and Affleck's performances are stellar, with Affleck turning in a role that put him a step above his brother, Ben, in my mind. Ford comes across as a scattered man, with determination in his eyes, but deceit in his mind. This portrayal was enough to earn him an Academy Award nomination, which I thought was well deserved. James was also well put together by Pitt, putting to screen a hardened man foreseeing his end, yet not fearing it. Every supporting performance also was solid, with Sam Rockwell being the most noteworthy.The film's narration is also worth mentioning. Hugh Ross, who also narrated "The Age of Adeline," pushes the viewer's mind past what's on screen, while also giving the perfect amount of exposition and foreshadowing.While this all may sound great, there is one thing to consider: "The Assassination" is certainly not for everyone. Its 160-minute runtime is daunting, while its speak-not-shoot mentality will bore shallow movie-goers. But those who take the time to immerse themselves in one of the most infamous betrayals in crime history will walk away with the same feeling in their chest as I did.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a very excellent movie to some people, while to others it is viewed as boring and monotonous. The way you see this film is completely dependent on how you view film. Whether you view film as an art form that needs to be examined and analyzed, or you view film as a simple way to have fun.If you enjoy film as an art form, then you will most probably like this movie. The movie goes over topics like what is good and what is bad, what is accepted in society and what is not, how does fame affect our viewpoint on people, and etc. It's cinematography is beautiful, the acting is superb, and the script is well done. The score in this film is enough to give this film a six, at least in my opinion. The score is so enchanting and prolific to the figures represented in this film. Overall, if you enjoy dissecting and analyzing a meaningful art film, I would recommend this film to you.However, as excellent as the movie is, it still has it's drawbacks. For one, if you like films for the action, I wouldn't recommend this to you. The pacing is extremely slow, to the point where some parts can be incredibly boring. And I know there are people who expect this film to be exciting, considering it is a western, but the movie does not focus on the action. The movie focuses on understanding the minds of the characters in the story. So if you are interesting in seeing this movie, don't expect a traditional western. I want all of you to understand that this movie is not all about Jesse James. This movie is somewhat like a satire, a film that idolizes Jesse James to make you realize how much he really was idolized. It goes behind the mind of Robert Ford and some of the people closest to Jesse. The film doesn't want you to grow feelings of disgust towards Jesse James, but rather a feeling of understanding. In conclusion, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a spectacle, but only to the right people.

Brad Pitt shows off his acting talent by displaying Jesse James in another light. We often think of the old west quaintly, however, this brings the viewer back into the reality that gangs were part of it. Jesse James is portrayed as a psychopath, and Robert Ford as a stop-and-go kind of character. Meaning, at times he dares to say what others will not; conversely, he will also shut down into a series of lies, of refusal to embrace the side of him that remains a child (which would make him much more widely accepted by other characters), and shut down into himself. In a bizarre depiction of humans being human, we learn that Jesse James (a violent thief and murderer) is celebrated after his death, while Robert Ford is first idealized and then devalued by society- observing that some part of us always celebrates those who dare to flout "the man."

What can be said about this movie? The title (which I believe serves the movie in an excellent way) gives every plot point away from the beginning so what you're left with is to sit and enjoy the ride. This western is not all about shootouts and action, but the fatal relationship of mankind with betrayal, fame, myth and judgment. The cinematography is amazing, the rendering magnificent. The long time it runs allows the viewer to travel at the locations and observe the characters from every possible angle. The vulnerabilities of each are portrayed in such a way that the viewer cannot choose a "side", and the relationship between Robert Ford and Jesse James is extremely exciting to watch unfold. The best way to watch this movie is like observing a piece of art in a museum. It becomes asserted on the viewer, or as Stephanie Zacharek said "this film represents a breakthrough in the movie-going experience. It may be the first time we've been asked to watch a book on tape." Maybe visual poetry would be the only way to describe it. The soundtrack of the movie signed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is just as magnificent and frames the movie amazingly. Great performances by Sam Shepard, Mary-Louise Parker and Sam Rockwell, but the two protagonist's portrayals, Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, are mesmerizing and steal the show. A must watch.