The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, a thread...
In 1881, Jesse James was in the twilight of his career as one of the most famous men in America, mythologized in his own lifetime as a model of the heroic bandit. Stories of his adventures were told across newspapers, pulp novels, ballads.
Andrew Dominik’s 2007 film is as much about the incalculable weight of this mythology as it is the titular deed. It’s about the failure of fiction to console, to ever adequately prepare us for the harsh complexities & contradictions of the real world.
It’s a Western that’s also *about* Westerns, shot by the legendary Roger Deakins in a style reminiscent of Barry Lyndon or certain Malick films, at times emulating late 19th century photography w/ a languorous, over-exposed look, or a subtle blurring around the edges of the shot. 
“We weren't trying to be nostalgic, but we wanted those shots to be evocative. Andrew [Dominik] had a lot of photographic references for the look of the movie, mainly the work of still photographers, but also images from magazines, stills from Days of Heaven...”
-Roger Deakins
-Roger Deakins
“It’s a strange film, not a very well-behaved movie, it prompts a real extremity of reactions. People that fucking hate it, and people that love it. To me, that’s the sign that you’re doing something right.”
-Andrew Dominik
-Andrew Dominik
