Eclipse Series 5: THE FIRST FILMS OF SAMUEL FULLER: FULLER, Samuel: I Shot Jesse James (1949)

FULLER, Samuel (United States)

I Shot Jesse James [1949]
Eclipse Series 5
DVD

After years of crime reporting and writing pulp novels and screenplays, Samuel Fuller made his directorial debut with the lonesome ballad of Robert Ford (played by Red River's John Ireland), who fatally betrayed his friend the notorious Jesse James. At once modest and intense, I Shot Jesse James is an engrossing pocket portrait of guilt and psychological torment, and an auspicious beginning for the maverick filmmaker.

81 minutes
Black & White

Monaural

1:33:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 2007

Director/Writer

Samuel Fuller was 37 when he wrote and directed I Shot Jesse James.

Other Fuller films in the Collection:

Eclipse Series 5: The Baron Of Arizona (1950)
Eclipse Series 5: The Steel Helmet (1951)
#224: Pickup On South Street (1953)
#954: Forty Guns (1957)
#19: Shock Corridor (1963)
#18: The Naked Kiss (1964)
#455: White Dog (1982)

The Film

Fuller’s first film is a whopper. He wrote the screenplay himself, and both the writing and directing show an assured confidence rare in film debuts.

Even the title is a diversion. One might think that the film will flesh out James (Reed Hadley) and that his death will be a denouement — instead it takes place in the first act, and we suddenly realize we’re in for a different take on history.

John Ireland’s Robert Ford is pitch-perfect, with flashes of guilt, regret, confidence and lovesick yearning for Cynthy Waters (Barbara Britton, adequate; Fuller wasn’t writing good women parts — yet!).

Why John Kelly (Preston Foster) is in love with Cynthy and vice versa is not well fleshed-out; but Foster is good as the white-hat protector of lost souls and as Ford’s antagonist.

**

Fuller’s camera is active — lots of close-ups, intense over-the-shoulder scenes and good timing with punctuation, like the occasional wipe or dissolve.

One complaint — it’s one of those wall-to-wall scores (Albert Glasser), as if Fuller was afraid his scenes always needed to be uplifted by music. However, this was typical of the period, and only makes the film feel a little over-stuffed.

Film Rating (0-100):

89

By Director
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