The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Comfortable Madness]

Personally I thought this to be one of the better movies I've seen so far this year. It easily had to be one of the best acted movies I have ever seen. It's true it is really slow moving but the characters have so much depth and are so well portrayed that I found myself absolutely engrossed. I knew the movie was long but when I picked up the case after watching the movie and read that it was 2 hours and 40 minutes long I said to myself "Wow, it was that long." The people I talked to either loved it or absolutely hated it and the haters have a wide margin on those who loved it. I think most people expected it to be more along the lines of 3:10 to Yuma.  I just find it odd that there was so many who disliked this movie when I genuinely enjoyed it. What do you guys think?

[Aen Elderberry]

The Smithsonian magazine had an article about Jesse James and mentions this movie.  It claims that James was a bandit, would be a terrorist in our day,  that was a part of groups that killed women and children.  He was popular among those that kept their slaves despite the Emancipation Proclamation and that he fought against northern "tyranny."  Not an entirely kind treatment of the folk hero.

Who know were the truth lies?

[Comfortable Madness]

That is quite interesting the movie puts quite a positive spin on Jesse James. Making him out to be a hero of some sort. Going so far to show how much everyone despised Robert Ford for killing him.... I really wish I had a time machine...It would be really handy to figure a situation such as this. Ah well it wouldn't be the first time Hollywood presented a historical villain as the good guy.

[Mad Dr Jeffe]

Your right, great movie all around. But I didn't think it put that positive a spin on Jesse. He was downright scary in a lot of ways. His temper was really terrifying and it was easy to put yourself in Robert Fords place. Its funny because at first I really hated his character in the movie, but there was real character development. Jesse came off as a bully and a thug and the tension at the end was very palpable.

The denouement  also answered a lot of historical questions and showed how much more powerful a legend can be than the truth.

[flex]

I just watched the movie for the first time last night and I have mixed feelings. Part of me loved it for the depth of the characters, the historical accuracy and the moving photography.... but then again the rest of me hated the lack of action and excitement. I must say though that the good out shines the bad and this is a not only a movie, but a great american tragedy that should be seen. Its a story that has been misconstrued since the time of Jesse's death. Its a story that has been manipulated by movies such as American Outlaws, and its only when an accurate movie such as this comes along that the truth can finally be seen.  A-( if you care)