An analysis of one of the most beautiful, mysterious and compelling films ever made.

Rating: 10/10 (3 December 2007)

Some have complained that the title of the film renders the film pointless. It is not a matter of what, but why. Why would Ford take the life of his, and the entire nations, personal hero?
The first shots show Jesse wandering through the fields, the burning sky framing his mystery, the endless fields showcasing his isolation; it's clear why he's so iconic. Jesse James is Pitts career best performance. Pitt pulls off the many aspects of Jesse's complex personality, dark scenes of lying smiles, interrogative glares and even tender moments with his children, but he also reserves true emotion behind a blank and tired face. The thoughts going through Jesse's mind during his final days, and indeed, final moments are left entirely up to the viewer to decide; Pitt gives nothing away.
The immense psychological detail of the two main characters gives the impression that we have seen them all their lives, I can imagine a young Robert Ford gazing at a picture of Jesse James, just as I can imagine Jesse James committing his first murder. The characterisation is so deep that two fully formed lives are mapped out; we see hints of each character's history that will inevitably lead to their downfall. In one of the most beautiful shot and lit scenes I've ever seen a night train is plundered by Jesse James and his gang, Jesse stands up on a blockade as the train slows down in front of him, his silhouette formed in fog and glowing light through the darkness; it's images like this that were passed down and travelled across the world to form his legend.
To call Jesse James an enigma is false; because he cannot be solved. Not by his wife, not by his gang of thieves, not by himself. Towards and including the third act of the film he is lost in his mind, relentlessly trying to level himself, gazing out at the world he has conquered; it is impossible for him to ever return from his self caused paranoia and existential turmoil. In one scene Jesse ruthlessly beats a young boy for information. In the next shot we see him crying into his horse, he looks up and around, then carries on crying. He doesn't understand his own actions; he can't comprehend his own instinctual nature.
In the best shot of the film Jesse and Fords brother Charley approach an iced over lake, Charley hesitates with the horses, an empty faced Jesse walks on and wearily crouches down on the ice, a huge mountain behind him aligned perfectly with his huge coat covered body; the truth in a shot, the world sees him as an omnipotent force of nature, a mountain who cannot be moved, when in actuality he is just a man filled with regret, fear and aggression.
One man who hopelessly believes he understands Jesse is Robert Ford. Played to perfection by Casey Affleck, his childlike smile and lazy eyes add more innocence and misunderstanding to the pathetic loner, just as Pitts piercing blue eyes elevate the criminal to a demonic presence. Ford's sinister, nervous voice hides a character that should be pitied, he's a child following his dream, uncontrollable and reckless, and out of his depth.
It is obvious that Ford is in love with Jesse. He is obsessed with Jesse's character, so it is only natural that an obsessive admiration would turn into a longing and desire. For those who still doubt the homosexual undertones, consider the scene in which Ford creeps towards a bathing Jesse, always alert Jesse senses him and they converse. Eventually Ford begins to leave, but he lingers a moment longer and stares at Jesse from behind, his face softens and his hands wander up and caress the door frame. This scene works as a confirmation of Ford's deeper desire for Jesse, but also as a foreshadowing of the true reason behind Jesse's death.
Minutes before his death Jesse removes his guns from around his waist, in a life defined by violence, the removal of his guns is him at his most free; he is ready for death; his soul is at peace for the first time in his life. James wanted to die, he and Ford were connected in that final moment, and Jesse knew that Ford loved him enough to pull the trigger.
The title isn't as it is to brand Ford a coward, it is there to show the power of popular opinion. The celebrity image of Jesse is formed by half truths and lies. On a basic level, Ford did the world a favour by killing Jesse James, he was on the edge of insanity, and even a sane Jesse James is the most dangerous man in the world, if he had gone over the edge who knows what he may have done. But that is the nature of celebrity. Never hearing the full story, never seeing the full picture and only being told what you want to hear. The world saw Ford as a coward, a man who shot the greatest man out of a desire for fame and fortune (which is the story he self destructively sticks to) but we can see plainly that he was just an impressionable, naive young outcast who delved too deep into what he wanted. He expected Jesse to take him under his wing, polish him into the next great criminal of his generation, to become the next Jesse James. In a sick twist of fate Ford got what he wanted, he did become Jesse James, only he became the real, spiritually scarred and emotionally distraught man, not the public's gun-toting hero. Unfortunately, the tragic cycle continued. The mythology surrounding James killed him, as it did for Ford. Another Jesse obsessed fan only saw in him the Coward Robert Ford. Ford was a celebrity, but he was not celebrated, so he was assassinated.