Film is an art. Orson Welles has said, “a film is never really good unless the camera is the eye in the head of a poet” (thinkexist.com). The movements and placement of the camera influence not only the look of the film, but also it’s story-telling power.
Much of the emotion in film is also conveyed through the use of the camera, and much of the camera’s impact comes in the use of color. In my opinion, one of the best films in terms of cinematography is The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Despite its annoyingly long title, this truly is an amazing movie. Roger Deakins is at the top of his game in camerawork in this film, and that’s saying a lot. One of the most interesting images to ever be caught on film is the waving of grain. Gladiator had it and so does Assassination. This combined with the green of grass, the grayish-mystery of train steam, the red and oranges of fire, and the white purity of snow tells a story all by itself.
In order to properly understand the use of the camera and sets in a particular scene of Assassination, I’ll have to provide a summary of the movie. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford tells just that. The title is to some extent, a plot summary. However, the way that this 3-hour long film conveys this is truly incredible. The character development is so good that you understand each of the character’s thoughts, fears, and goals completely. Jesse James (played by Brad Pitt) is an outlaw, and the movie doesn’t try to pitch him as anything else. He understands his faults but has no desire to change. His daring escapades and ability to keep from being caught has made him a legend. Enter Robert Ford (played by Casey Affleck). Bob is a grown man, who still keeps a box of Jesse James nickel magazines stashed under his bed. He practically worships Jesse; when the opportunity comes to take part in one of the James brothers’ train robberies, he jumps on the chance. However, he wants more than to just take part. He wants to become a close friend of Jesse, to be his sidekick, to have his persona next to Jesse’s in the comic books. A telling line in the movie comes when Jesse addresses Bob: “Can't figure it out: do you want to be like me or do you want to be me?”
There are several other minor roles in the movie; but ultimately, it all boils down to Robert Ford and Jesse James. After several years and over 2 hours of film time, Bob realizes that he’ll never be like Jesse, he’ll never be able to live up to his huge character. He then believes that the only way to secure his place in legend is to kill Jesse James. Meanwhile, Jesse knows that it is only a matter of time before he gets caught. He begins to regret what he’s done but still has no desire to change. In one scene, he reflects on his corruptness, “Look at my red hands and my mean face... and I wonder 'bout that man that's gone so wrong.” In another scene, he talks to Bob’s brother Charley about suicide: “You ever consider suicide?” One could say that at this point in his life, Jesse James had a death wish. The culmination of these two desires results in one of the most dramatic scenes that I have ever seen.
Shortly before being killed, Jesse looks out his front window and watches his daughter play outside. The camera looks in from outside and the imperfect nature of the old-style glass windows makes Jesse’s head appear abnormally large. To me, this brought out one of the main points of the film: Jesse James had been exaggerated to the point that most of what was believed about him was myth. He was no longer human; and after a 5-minute assassination scene that is so emotionally intense it seems like seconds, this becomes even clearer. Rather than being hailed as the righteous judge of a wicked man as he had wished, Robert Ford is rejected by society. Many times history honors all the wrong people, and Jesse James is no exception. His legend grew because of his assassination, and the infamy that Bob Ford received eventually led to his own assassination. This is not to say that Robert Ford should have received glory. He was an imperfect man as well.
Unlike most westerns, Assassination features no sweeping camera shots of the surrounding landscapes. It’s focus remains on the characters; and if it ever shows anything else, it is the sky. In history book fashion, it relates not only the events, but also the hearts of the men involved. The cinematography perfectly augments the film and does not distract from it. That’s how it should be.
Print
E-mail
