THE ASSASSINATION OF
JESSE JAMES BY THE
COWARD ROBERT FORD
Year: 2007
USA: Warner Bros Pictures
UK: Warner Bros Pictures UK International
Cast: Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard, Robert Duvall, Sam Rockwell, Mary-Louise Parker, Paul Schneider, Jeremy Renner, Zooey Deschanel, Ted Levine, Joel Duncan, Brooklynn Proulx, Dustin Bollinger, Garret Dillahunt, Alison Elliott, Lauren Calvert, Kailin See, Tom Aldredge, Jesse Frechette, Pat Healy, Michael Parks, Michael Copeman, Laryssa Yanchak, Hugh Ross, Sarah Lind, Joel McNichol, James Defelice, J C Roberts, Darrell Orydzuk, Jonathan Erich Drachenberg,Torben S Hansen, James Carville, Nick Cave, Matthew Walker
Director: Andrew Dominik
Country: USA
USA & UK: 159 mins
USA Rated: R for some strong violence and brief sexual references
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong violence and sex references
USA Release Date: 21 September 2007
UK Release Date: 30 November 2007
Synopsis
Jesse James (Brad Pitt), the infamous outlaw of the 1870s, was the object of awe and fascination. A wronged and wounded Confederate soldier, his tragic cause drove him to strike back at the Union who he held accountable for ruining his life. A criminal in the eyes of the people he terrorized and murdered, he was seen as a charismatic hero, the last frontiersman championing a cause for freedom who held the law in contempt and grew into a legend.
Based on the novel by Ron Hansen the year is 1881 and Jesse James is 34 years old. While evading lawmen and bounty hunters he is preparing plans for his next big robbery but one of his inner circle, 19 year-old Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), will shoot his idol in the back and end the life of this legend. What happened between these two in the days and hours leading up to the fatal gunshot fired by someone he trusted the most?
No one will ever know the whole truth.