I was drawn to this movie by the user rating of 7.5, which, after viewing it, I can't quite understand. The Western vistas are indeed spectacular, and many of the scenes are composed in an almost painterly way (which actually becomes somewhat of a distraction, as the camera lovingly lingers on them, as a painting in a gallery). However, the movie would be benefit by some brutal editing. It's not just the time; I have seen 90 minute flicks that seem longer than Lawrence of Arabia, which is so well-made it seems to fly by even at 3 hours and 46 minutes. It's a matter of pacing, which in this flick seems glacial, especially due to the director's having the camera dwell too long on a scene after its essential action has been completed, and having dialogue delivered in as drawn out a fashion as possible.
Also, the movie neglects two key aspects of the history involved. First, it glosses over Jesse James's deep involvement with pro-slavery forces (especially in "Bloody Kansas") and, later, his involvement with pro-Confederate guerilla forces. Even his robberies often had a political twist, aiming at Republican and pro-Union targets. Second, it completely omits the fact that Robert Ford was convicted for the murder of James, and quickly pardoned by Governor Crittendon.
The climax of the movie is of course Ford's assassination of James, but the post-assassination scenes are so drawn out as to seem to me to be almost anticlimactic. And, although the movie does not portray any Robin Hood-like activity by James, the use in the final scenes of the popular song celebrating him for such might mislead the viewer into believing it's true, which it wasn't. My final kvetch - a personal one - is that I have trouble seeing Brad Pitt as a heavy, having seen him play so many off-kilter, eccentric characters (Burn After Reading, Snatch, Bullet Train).
Also, the movie neglects two key aspects of the history involved. First, it glosses over Jesse James's deep involvement with pro-slavery forces (especially in "Bloody Kansas") and, later, his involvement with pro-Confederate guerilla forces. Even his robberies often had a political twist, aiming at Republican and pro-Union targets. Second, it completely omits the fact that Robert Ford was convicted for the murder of James, and quickly pardoned by Governor Crittendon.
The climax of the movie is of course Ford's assassination of James, but the post-assassination scenes are so drawn out as to seem to me to be almost anticlimactic. And, although the movie does not portray any Robin Hood-like activity by James, the use in the final scenes of the popular song celebrating him for such might mislead the viewer into believing it's true, which it wasn't. My final kvetch - a personal one - is that I have trouble seeing Brad Pitt as a heavy, having seen him play so many off-kilter, eccentric characters (Burn After Reading, Snatch, Bullet Train).