The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford. Filming took place in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Initially intended for a 2006 release, the film was postponed and re-edited for a September 21, 2007 release.

The film tells the story of Robert Ford, a cowardly, insecure man who has grown up idolizing the outlaw Jesse James. He finds James in Missouri and joins his gang, taking part in a train robbery. Gradually, he forms a complex love/hate relationship with James, still admiring him to the point of obsession, but also becoming resentful due to James's bullying nature. Eventually, Ford and his brother Charles are hired by the government to arrest James. Instead, he decides to kill him. One day, as James looks at a picture, Ford shoots him from behind. After the assassination, Ford becomes a celebrity and ends up in a theatre show, re-enacting the assassination night after night with his brother playing James. However, he is tormented by guilt over his betrayal. In addition, the public mood turns against him, as James is idealized as a Robin Hood-like hero and Ford demonized as a cowardly traitor. Eventually, Ford is himself assassinated by a man named Edward O'Kelley.

• Official Movie Web Site