---
title: "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
year: 2007
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford"
fi1m_id: "the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford"
imdb_id: "tt0443680"
tmdb_id: 4512
wikidata_id: "Q388950"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 71
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:31.185685+00:00"
region: "BG"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Directed by Andrew Dominik · 2h 40m · Drama, Western

## Identity

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford
- **IMDb ID:** tt0443680
- **TMDB ID:** 4512
- **Wikidata ID:** Q388950
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443680/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/4512, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q388950

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 71 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Casey Affleck makes meeting your hero look like a sound argument for staying at home

> Andrew Dominik’s western is absorbing and often uncomfortable, with Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt making hero worship hard to watch. The pace needs patience, and some scenes repeat the point, but the performances repay the attention.

## Synopsis

Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) wants the attention of Jesse James (Brad Pitt), the outlaw he regards as a hero. Their association brings Ford close to the man behind the reputation, whose suspicion and capacity for violence complicate his admirer’s longing for recognition. Andrew Dominik’s western follows a relationship in which fame and dependence shape the way each man sees the other. Sam Rockwell plays Charley Ford, with Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil and Sam Shepard as Frank James.

## Review

Andrew Dominik’s *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is a fine western about the misery of wanting a famous man to notice you. Adapting Ron Hansen’s novel, Dominik gives that wish time to become uncomfortable, and occasionally gives it more time than it needs. At 160 minutes, the film makes a substantial demand on an evening. We recommend it, though its close attention to these men includes stretches when they tell us little we have not already understood.

Casey Affleck’s Robert Ford is the reason to accept that demand. His admiration for Jesse James is so bound up with his wish to matter that even their ordinary exchanges seem dangerous: James can withhold the attention Ford needs. We felt painfully embarrassed for Ford, because Affleck makes his appetite for approval impossible to overlook. The performance allows us to recognise something familiar in that need without making Ford easy company, and it gives the film a discomfort that no amount of gunfire could supply.

Brad Pitt understands how much power James has simply by being the person Ford wants to watch. His Jesse can hold our interest without earning our affection, and Pitt makes the paranoia and ruthlessness difficult to excuse as the burdens of fame. The uneasy dependence between the two gives the dialogue its tension, even when the words themselves are unremarkable. Dominik is alert to the cruelty of unequal admiration, especially when Ford’s need for recognition becomes another reason to deny it.

Roger Deakins’s landscape photography invites us to enjoy looking at this world, which is an uncomfortable pleasure given James’s ruthlessness. The softness of the images can make the outlaw legend seductive even when Pitt is making the man difficult to like. Patricia Norris and Richard Hoover give the period settings enough detail to sustain the long looks Dominik takes at them. Norris also designs the costumes, and their restraint helps to keep the people credible within these carefully composed images.

The editing by Curtiss Clayton and Dylan Tichenor trusts long takes and permits exchanges to become awkward. That patience is often justified, but there are repetitions which tell us again that Ford is obsessed and James dangerous. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s mournful score gives the waiting a sadness that keeps Ford’s need for approval from seeming merely ridiculous. The narration is less reliable, too often explaining feelings the actors have already made clear.

There is a worthwhile risk in making a western depend so heavily on men watching and misreading each other. Dominik accepts that risk, and the lead performances supply enough tension to carry us through the slack passages, though the hushed dialogue occasionally makes us work harder than we should. The film’s fascination with fame is convincing because Ford’s need to be noticed remains so recognisably ordinary. Give it an evening when there is time to settle, and no expectation of a brisk succession of shoot-outs.

*Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Andrew Dominik’s slow, psychologically focused Western, with praise clustering around Roger Deakins’ cinematography and the performances of Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. The relationship between James and Ford supplies the chief source of tension: the reviews repeatedly identify obsessive admiration, male vulnerability and the desire for recognition as compelling subjects. Supporters find the patient pacing absorbing and value the film’s attention to how outlaw reputations are made.

The spread of opinion is wide, however, and length troubles even some admirers. The sharper disagreement concerns whether the film’s visual beauty and deliberate pace deepen its characters or leave them stranded. The New Yorker finds the narration excessive and the drama tiresome; The Hollywood Reporter argues that repetition smothers the central relationship. The New York Times takes a mixed position, admiring the photography and Affleck while finding insufficient historical or emotional depth.

## Straight answers

**Is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford worth watching?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is worth watching for anyone with the patience for a slow, uncomfortable western about hero worship, and we scored it 84. Casey Affleck and Brad Pitt make Ford's need for James's attention hard to watch, though at 160 minutes some scenes repeat a point already made. Give it an evening without expecting a brisk run of shoot-outs.

**How long is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and what is it rated?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* runs 2h 40m. It is a drama and western film.

**Where can I watch The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in Bulgaria?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is not on any streaming or rental service in Bulgaria at the moment. It is available in 10 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is a UK 15 and not a film for children. Jesse James is shown as paranoid and capable of sudden violence, and the discomfort comes less from gunfire than from watching a man humiliate himself for another's approval. Teenagers used to slow, adult drama will manage; anyone wanting an action western will be bored.

**How does The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford compare to The King of Comedy?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* and [*The King of Comedy*](https://film.one/film/the-king-of-comedy) both follow an admirer who mistakes closeness to fame for a life of his own, but Dominik's western is grave and slow where Scorsese's is a sour, painfully funny comedy. We recommend both; the Scorsese is the shorter and funnier evening, while the Dominik offers finer landscapes and a deeper unease.

**Is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford based on a true story or a book?**

*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is adapted from Ron Hansen's novel of the same name. The film keeps its attention on Robert Ford's craving to be noticed by the famous outlaw rather than on a run of historical events, and you do not need to have read the book to follow it.

**What should I watch after The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford?**

After *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford*, try [*The King of Comedy*](https://film.one/film/the-king-of-comedy) (1982, Fi1m 88): Another admirer mistakes proximity to fame for a life of his own. Then [*The Proposition*](https://film.one/film/the-proposition) (2005, Fi1m 79): A harsher Australian western, with family loyalty making every choice more painful; and [*Burning*](https://film.one/film/mississippi-burning) (2018, Fi1m 72): Watchful men, corrosive envy and long silences that gradually become difficult to bear.

### Reviews we read (16)

- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (A): A dark, iconoclastic Western that recalls moody revisionist classics and features strong performances from Pitt and Affleck in exploring the tense dynamic between outlaw and assassin. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-f-1798203064)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Dominik's slow-moving but gripping and tremendously observed revisionist western for its self-possession and grandeur. He highlights the psychological duel between Jesse James and Robert Ford, along with strong performances from Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/nov/30/3)
- **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): Dominik's ravishing, magisterial poetic epic moves its characters toward tragic destinies with Greek-drama implacability and stands as one of the best Westerns of the 1970s. McCarthy singles out the surpassing visual beauty, Roger Deakins' luminous cinematography, layered performances by Pitt and Affleck, and meticulous historical and psychological detail. [Read](https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford-1200556813/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (85/100, inferred): The film explores the charged, almost erotic tension between Jesse James and his obsessive admirer Robert Ford as it builds inexorably toward the inevitable murder. Ebert praises the epic Western scope, Roger Deakins' cinematography, and the lead performances that capture mythic stature and star-struck fixation. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford-2007)
- **Time Out**, David Jenkins (85/100, inferred): Dominik’s film traces the paths of James and Ford in a Gothic tête-à-tête that queries the title and delivers emotional foreboding, making it a red-raw classic despite a flabby coda. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford)
- **Little White Lies**, Lorien Haynes (4/4/4): The critic praises Dominik’s epic retelling for daring to invest in the hero and highlighting male vulnerability and co-dependence. It notes the film is too long and slow but values its character studies and style. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford/)
- **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): Dominik’s retelling is stirring, nuanced and elegiac, blending a mentor-acolyte love story with a melancholy neo-Western and Biblical betrayal tragedy; ravishingly shot with mesmeric performances from Affleck and Pitt. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford/4034289.article)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (55/100, inferred): The film adds another gauzy, overly aestheticized chapter to the overtaxed Jesse James myth, relying on celebrity and visual dazzle rather than historical or emotional depth. Dargis notes that it works on its own narrow poetic-realist terms, especially thanks to the cinematography and Casey Affleck's wily performance. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/movies/21assa.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter** (40/100, inferred): The obsessive relationship at the film's core is smothered by long takes, repetitive scenes, and mumbled dialogue. The Venice premiere highlights an imbalance, with too much focus on the buildup and not enough on the aftermath. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/assassination-jesse-james-by-coward-158850/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (30/100, inferred): Andrew Dominik has made a boring film about Jesse James, filling two and a half hours with slow, shaggy-dog meditation and heavy-handed deconstruction of the outlaw legend. Lane finds the interplay of the characters odd but ultimately tiresome, with too much narration and not enough dramatic traction. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/10/01/outlaws-2)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan: Dominik delivers a slow, meditative, revisionist Western poem evoking Malick and Peckinpah, focused on myth-making, celebrity, and inevitable death rather than action. Pitt and especially Affleck deliver outstanding performances in this extraordinary, visionary study of a legendary murderer's fate. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/assassination-jesse-james-coward-robert-ford-review/)
- **Evening Standard**: Dominik's long, meditative Western intelligently deconstructs the Jesse James myth with beautiful period-authentic visuals and strong performances from Pitt and Affleck. It thoughtfully explores celebrity and impending death but moves at a stately pace that prioritizes mood over momentum. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/tough-reality-behind-the-myth-7400348.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager: Dominik crafts a self-conscious, artful mood piece examining hero worship and myth-making in the West through stylized visuals and a focus on the fateful relationship between James and Ford. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford/)
- **The Independent**: This is a strange, haunting poetic Western about fame, myth, and the aftermath of outlaw life, with Jesse portrayed as a vicious sociopath. The film excels in its landscape photography, literary narration, and strong performances, especially Casey Affleck's revelatory turn as the obsessive Robert Ford. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford-15-761437.html)
- **The Skinny**, Parker Langley (★★): The critic finds the film infuriatingly redundant, overly long, and poorly narrated, with Brad Pitt miscast in the lead role. They single out Roger Deakins' cinematography and Casey Affleck's performance as the only redeeming features. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray: The film is a character-driven piece that strips away Western myths to portray Jesse James as paranoid and ruthless while focusing on Robert Ford's desire for recognition and his act of betrayal. It excels as an atmospheric, tension-filled actor's picture with strong performances from Pitt and Affleck and superb cinematography. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Andrew Dominik
- **Director:** Andrew Dominik
- **Screenplay:** Andrew Dominik
- **Novel:** Ron Hansen
- **Cinematography:** Roger Deakins
- **Editor:** Curtiss Clayton, Dylan Tichenor
- **Music:** Warren Ellis, Nick Cave
- **Production design:** Richard Hoover, Patricia Norris
- **Costume design:** Patricia Norris
- **Producer:** Ridley Scott, Jules Daly, Brad Pitt
- **Cast:** Brad Pitt as Jesse James; Casey Affleck as Robert Ford; Sam Rockwell as Charley Ford; Paul Schneider as Dick Liddil; Jeremy Renner as Wood Hite; Garret Dillahunt as Ed Miller; Sam Shepard as Frank James; Mary-Louise Parker as Zee James
- **Runtime:** 2h 40m
- **First release (Italy):** 2 September 2007
- **Genres:** Drama, Western
- **Budget:** $30 million
- **Box office:** $15 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrGmmitc62Q

## Where to watch in Bulgaria

Not streaming, renting or buying in Bulgaria at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AU, BR, CL, CO, EC, MX, PA, PE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2008: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor 2007: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (won)
- San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film 2007: San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film (won)
- Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture 2007: Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture (won)

## If you liked this

- *The King of Comedy* (1982), Fi1m 88: Another admirer mistakes proximity to fame for a life of his own. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-king-of-comedy.md)
- *The American Friend* (1977): For compromised men, uneasy dependence and the dread of agreeing to the wrong favour.
- *The Great Silence* (1968): A wintry western whose patience makes its cruelty harder to shrug off.
- *The Proposition* (2005), Fi1m 79: A harsher Australian western, with family loyalty making every choice more painful. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-proposition.md)
- *Burning* (2018), Fi1m 72: Watchful men, corrosive envy and long silences that gradually become difficult to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mississippi-burning.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford