Frank & Jesse (1994)

Overrated

Best movie ever!

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It appears that "Frank & Jesse" was intended for a theatrical release, but I have uncovered no evidence that it actually played in theaters. Seeing the movie, I think I know why it went straight to video. It's not a BAD movie, but it is lacking in some key areas.First of all, I feel I should express my feeling about the movie's historical accuracy. I feel I should say that not being an expert about the James gang, whether the movie was accurate or not did not concern me that much. When a movie based on a true story is made, they often take creative license. I judge a movie on how well it tells its story, accurate or not.So how is "Frank & Jesse" executed? Well, there are some problems. First of all, there is the budget. While the movie never looks seriously cheap, the budget was obviously not lavish. Often the movie has a made-for-TV feel to it. Also, possibly due to a limited budget, the movie often feels rushed, not giving us enough scenes like proper introductions to characters (like the Younger gang), as well as there being TWO montages that compress the many deeds of the gang in a few seconds.On the other hand, there are some good things about the movie. The acting is surprisingly good by everyone - even Rob Lowe gives a good performance. There is a good musical score by Mark McKenzie. The movie is shot on some good atypical locations that you usually don't see in a western. And while the movie may have some faults, I can't say that I was bored at any point.This isn't a movie that will convert non-western fans into lovers of the genre. But those who love westerns will probably forgive the movie's shortcomings and find it decent entertainment.

But other than getting the names correct this movie totally ignore history. The Northfield portion was ridicules. They didn't plan to be in Northfield, it was a backup bank. The Pinkerton's weren't there. Heck the fact is Jesse and Frank probably weren't even there. It shows Cole riding off after shooting his brother. He was shot over 50 times and Northfield, and 90 times in his life. He then went to prison and was released in the early 1900's He died of old age. Shot 90 time and lived. What an amazing man. The real criminals of the ear was the railroads. The killed and stole from the average folks. That is why Jesse and Frank were heroes.

I'm a huge fan of the likes of The James, Doc Holliday, Wild Bill, Billy The Kid, and Wyatt Earp. This was a great movie, I really enjoyed it. But I still have questions for authenticity. At the very beginning of the movie, Jesse standing there swearing allegiance to the Union, Jesse & Frank road with Bloody Bill Anderson many years after the end of the Civil War, tried surrendering to Union forces and was shot at. Then we have Arch Clements with his speaking problem, which he did have very authentic...only problem of course is that he died before the Civil War ended. Then I don't recall Bob Younger being deaf, no mention that Zee was his cousin and named after his mother, Cole didn't have to shoot Bob they were both caught along with John Younger after the Minnesota robbery cause they were all three caught alive. And of course they have the wrong Ford killing him at the end. And despite what it depicts, they hardly robbed from the Rock Central Railroad, they only robbed them maybe twice. Most of there jobs were Express Trains.I don't know why they had to change facts, did having Arch Clements in it make it a better movie, was having Bob deaf a better character. Did his death instead of capture make for a better movie. And why not have the real Ford brother acknowledged, and maybe show his deal with the government. Jesse James life could have made a great movie without all the changes. Don't get me wrong I still loved the movie, just don't feel it was very accurate. I'm sure there are many more flaws, I just can't remember much of them now.

Regarded as a paraphrase rather than a real docudrama, this film does reveal some truths amid the fiction. Whatever one may think about the exploits of the James brothers and their various gangs, one cannot but have grave misgivings about the proto-fascist activities of Alan Pinkerton as the paid lackey of the railroad and banking interests in the post Civil War era. This "great detective" hired by the U.S. government to organise espionage against the Confederacy has been reliably reported as "manufacturing" most of the information submitted to President Lincoln.The characters ascribed to the James brothers here is likely close to the truth, but why the contradictions of known facts. Their step-father Samuels was hanged by Pinkerton agents, not shot. Bob Ford, not Charlie, is the known assassin of Jesse James. This could have been a fine historical film, but some truth does emerge as initially said. The railroads and banks of the post Civil War era were proto-fascism at work in a very vicious form, and Alan Pinkerton was their "Himmler".