BRAD PITT TAKES ON THE MYTH AND THE MAN JESSE JAMES

Brad Pitt steps into the britches of the notorious Jesse James in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Pitt plays the leader of the James Gang who was a western Robin Hood in the 1870s, robbing banks and railroads striking back against the Union that ruined his life as a wounded Confederate soldier. He talks about separating the myth from the man.

“I knew the folklore image of him as kind of this Robin Hood kind of character that was later uncovered that he could be quite dastardly. But it wasn’t until I had gotten to the book and Andrew Dominik had found this book, it was written in the early 80s by Ron Hansen in a used bookstore in Australia. Then I got really taken with the disassembly of the myth and especially the Robert Ford character.”

The film takes place towards the end of Jesse’s career where he becomes increasingly concerned that his gang is conspiring against him. The cast includes Casey Affleck who plays Robert Ford who idolizes James like a celebrity.

“But it certainly is an element dealing with celebrity. You have a guy who’s trapped behind his celebrity. You have a young kid who is obsessed with celebrity, who’s been humiliated and sees celebrity as a way out, a way to make himself have worth and meaning which you can say is true of the culture today.”

Next Brad reunites with his Fight Club director David Fincher for the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards.