http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Assassination_of_Jesse_James_by_the_Coward_Robert_Ford
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcist:_The_Beginning
As the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford collected dust in the Warner Bros. archives for a year, completed but delayed, I wonder if the studio, who lately has seemed unable to grasp that people would want to see a genre film with artistic integrity, thought of bringing in someone like Renny Harlin or the Wachowski Brothers, as they did for The Exorcist prequel and The Invasion, to rewrite and re-shoot large portions of the film. You know, make it consumer friendly – throw in more action (no one wants to see people talk for too long), some comic relief (don’t want anyone to feel too glum, now), and some display of breasts (teenage boys are their biggest demographic).
Luckily, this didn’t happen. Jesse James was released in theaters as intended (Warner Bros. probably knew it was worth a few Oscar nominations). I’d like to say it’s a triumph of the artist over corporate Hollywood, a classic film that recalls the near-mythical films of the 70’s, but in its own noble way, Jesses James is as much a mess as the retooled versions of The Exorcist prequel and The Invasion.
Out of words. I’ll leave you hanging until tomorrow.
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