Brad Pitt in a western? The idea of Brad Pitt (“Ocean’s Thirteen”) as the infamous American outlaw Jesse James in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” may seem like a stretch — even for Hollywood. However, the film features incredible performances by both Pitt and co-star Casey Affleck (“The Last Kiss”). As made obvious from the title, “The Assassination of Jesse James” dissects the story of the betrayal of gunslinger Jesse James by his criminal cohort Robert Ford (Affleck). Hollywood has always had affection for the life and crimes of Jesse James. Many see him as the American Robin Hood, and Hollywood has played with this in film, such as “American Outlaws.” The latest in James’ saga, however, focuses on the events leading up to his murder and takes a more personal look into the paranoia and derangement he experienced at fearing his capture (or assassination) by Missouri authorities. The film is a long 2 hours, 40 minutes, but every second is necessary to make James’ assassination as climactic as it is. The majority of the film is spent establishing the menacing personality of Jesse James and his relationship with his gang members. Pitt is at his best as he continuously lulls viewers into empathy for the internally tortured outlaw before ripping them from those feelings with a threatening knife to an enemy’s throat. Affleck gives an outstanding performance as Jesse James’ enigmatic foil, Bob Ford. Ford is a 19-year-old gangster who has seen Jesse James as a hero since childhood. Affleck is incredibly effective in making the audience relate to Ford’s situation, striving for his role model’s approval while trying to prove himself as a hardened criminal at the same time. Ford’s obsession with James is creepy at times, and Affleck’s facial expressions alone make you wonder whether he wants to hug or kill James for not giving Ford the desired approval. Both James and Ford take their turns as protagonist, but it is Ford who is viewed as the coward who shot America’s greatest anti-hero in the back of the head. The cinematography is a major asset to the film. Unusual angles of the breathtaking scenery of 19th-century Missouri offset the brutally graphic image of the bullet in the back of Jesse James’ head. Director Andrew Dominik (“Chopper”) adds tension to the Ford-James relationship with out-of-focus transition shots. However, it seems a chunk of these shots could have been cut to carve out of the 2 hours, 40 minutes without losing the significance of their purpose. While not exactly a true western (due in part to both the lack of classic gunslinger duels and its very Midwestern setting of Missouri), “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” could easily be lumped into the category along with classics like “Tombstone” or “The Unforgiven.” Pitt puts on one of his best performances since “Seven,” and Casey Affleck will make everyone forget about big brother Ben.