Nominated for two Oscars including Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is an arthouse Western that is as vivid and long as its title.

With a runtime of 160 minutes, it details an episode in the life of Jesse James, America's most notorious outlaw who carried out several successful train robberies in the late 19th century. Played brilliantly by Brad Pitt, Jesse James was a man who was both charismatic and crazy.

His sycophantic man, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), absolutely worshipped him. Robert followed him everywhere and even kept a shoebox full of newspaper clippings, pictures, postcards and comic books of Jesse James. Why Robert ended up killing the man he loved is the real subject of this film.

Although The Assassination of Jesse James belongs to the Western genre, its languorous cinematic style and Shakespearean-styled story of jealousy and ambition puts in a different league altogether. There are echoes of famous Western classics like McCabe and Mrs Miller and The Searchers, but director Andrew Dominik seems determined to shape something of his own.
The cinematography by Roger Deakins is truly impressive, which is why we recommend students of cinematography, photography and art to catch this film.