There the psychological flair of perverts

Kansas City, 1881. Jesse James (Brad Pitt) has thirty-four years. It is famous for his robberies of stagecoaches and trains, and his cruelty. The easy trigger, it is merely knocking when he is in a good mood. His men meet, unless they are afraid. Jesse James dominates by cold intellect. There the psychological flair of perverts. Quiet, shady, known it that two "weaknesses", his wife and their child. But perhaps had it enough to be Jesse James, exhausted by the need to maintain his rank. The "outlaws", as the courtiers at Versailles, follow the label. Depart, it is his deed of death. Socially or physically. And Jesse can no longer run to escape the policies of 10 States. And more to his character. Perhaps offers as a sacrificial victim "the Coward Robert Ford". It is the thesis and the originality of the Andrew Dominik film. Jesse James is our contemporary, a man touched by "fatigue to be self", this not giant into the depression identified by sociologist Alain Ehrenberg. The Director barely touches on the historical context: James is a former Confederate soldier, a defeated, a downgraded his family, small farmers, is ruined by the steamroller of the North a forsaken. For him, the essence is in the eyes moist and melancholy man elegant and massively.

Another originality of the film, is to show the "Heroes" through the eyes of her future murderer. Who worships. Robert Ford is a young man (nineteen years) shy and awkward, that humiliates everyone. He is fascinated by its antithesis, the most wanted man in the United States. It also reads his adventures in "comics", as Jesse James is a legend in his lifetime. Robert Ford approach his comic hero with his brother Charley, a "hard", a member of the James gang.

The definition of the hero

Robert Ford is passed to posterity, despite himself, he wanted first to issue itself. His mental release cost him dearly. In the West, are not shot not a man in the back, whether is a criminal. Ford will exist with this gesture, it will be prosperity, but it do to in present, plagued by guilt and his image of "traitor". New Zealand Director Andrew Dominik (forty) is fascinated by the criminals. His first film is devoted to "Chopper" (2000), Australian multiple murderer. The second to an ambiguous Western legend. The film is long. Andrew Dominik justifies this delay: "I wanted that the film is the experience, an exploration of America and its psyche." My main reference revolved around Barry Lindon. "He plane this same atmosphere, this same attention to detail and the language" (interview in "First", October issue). In fact, "the assassination".... "has an air of western, but it is a film about the construction of myths, the definition of the hero, the meaning of existence. It is a very beautiful film: landscapes, clothing, color. Brad Pitt, cowboy mi-dépressif, mi-paranoïaque, is surprising in this mental wandering. He received the award, the coupe Volpi for best actor at the Venice Festival. His killer, the "cowardly Robert Ford", interpreted by Casey Affleck ("american Pie", "Ocean's Eleven"), entering in this lunatic character for thickness, you never know if it is gifted or "remained", equally deserved.