Brad Pitt has shared a lot of love for his dark Western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, even though the movie was largely ignored upon its release. The Assassination of Jesse James is a Western based on a true story, starring Pitt as legendary Western outlaw Jesse James, detailing his life of paranoid fame and infamy, all leading to his death at the hands of his fellow outlaw and admirer, Robert Ford (Casey Affleck).
Released in 2007, The Assassination of Jesse James was met with strong reviews, earning 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, but garnered little interest from the public. It ended up grossing only $15 million in its entire box office run (via Box Office Mojo), a shockingly small amount given Pitt’s star power. The movie went on to earn two Oscar nominations, including one for Affleck, and has since been regarded as one of the best Westerns of the 21st century. However, while it took audiences a while to discover the movie, Pitt was always a fan.
Pitt Acknowledged The Studio’s Disappointment With The Movie
Brad Pitt’s career is filled with iconic movies, from Se7en to Fight Club to Inglourious Basterds. However, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly about his various roles over the years, The Assassination of Jesse James came up as a particularly bright spot that Pitt fondly remembers. He looked back on the movie’s brilliance amid the disappointing financial reception, even if he and the interviewer somewhat underestimated just how much it made. When the interviewer admitted they loved the movie, their assessment that it made around $3 million seemed a little generous to Pitt:
Maybe $2.99999. You know, I love that film too. I find it lyrical and poetic and under the surface. No one loved it.
Pitt went on to acknowledge that the studio certainly wasn’t thrilled with the box office returns on the movie, despite its critical acclaim. However, he acknowledges that their displeasure with the movie is somewhat understandable.
To their credit, they put $40 million into that movie, and they made nothing, so I understand their disdain.
Despite the poor box office, Pitt teamed up with writer-director Andrew Dominik shortly after for the crime movie Killing Them Softly, further showing his love for their unappreciated Western.
The Assassination Of Jesse James Is A Great 21st Century Western
Despite the poor box office performance, The Assassination of Jesse James stands out as one of the best Westerns in recent memory. Part of this comes from its clever way of dissecting the myth of the Western folk hero. While Western movies like Tombstone and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid have depicted real-life figures from the Wild West, they often romanticize these people, who were much more complex in reality. Jesse James is one of the best examples of this, as he has been depicted as a Robin Hood-like anti-hero in many movies, but was actually a cold-blooded murderer.
The movie also uses this unique approach to the Western mythos to draw comparisons to the modern world of celebrities and the fans who obsess over them.
The Assassination of Jesse James doesn’t shy away from this, showing his ruthlessness yet also allowing there to be some vulnerability. The movie also uses this unique approach to the Western mythos to draw comparisons to the modern world of celebrities and the fans who obsess over them. Robert Ford’s admiration for James turns to hatred as he gets to know the real man, and his ideal picture of his hero is shattered. It reflects the modern fan who believes they are owed something from the people they have admired from afar.
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These complex ideas are bolstered by the haunting tone of the movie, which is maintained by director Andrew Dominik and added to by the brilliant cinematography by Roger Deakins. The performances are also excellent, as Pitt makes for a mysterious and damaged outlaw, while Affleck is sensational as Ford, a character the audience sympathizes with one moment and is repulsed by the next.
Why Didn’t Brad Pitt’s Western Perform at The Box Office?
The Assassination of Jesse James has grown in popularity since its release, with more audiences discovering it. However, like many box office bombs that are great movies, it is still a mystery to some how the movie failed when it was released. The poor box office performance of The Assassination of Jesse James comes down to a number of factors surrounding the fact that it was not a typical Western.
It was slow and poetic, which likely made it difficult for the studio to market.
The Assassination of Jesse James came out around the same time as another excellent modern Western movie, the remake of 3:10 to Yuma. That movie delivered what people generally expect from Westerns, with shootouts and adventure making for a crowd-pleasing time. In contrast, The Assassination of Jesse James was a much more brooding Western movie with little action and a grim tone. It was slow and poetic, which likely made it difficult for the studio to market. Not helping the matter, the movie is close to three hours, which cuts down on screenings while also deterring some crowds.
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While Brad Pitt didn’t make excuses for the movie’s failure, it is a shame that The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was not more appreciated during its initial release. However, box office numbers are forgotten over time, while the brilliance of this movie has stayed with many people long after.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
