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If it wasn't for Pete Seeger and (later) Bruce Springsteen, I would have never been interested or know a damn thing about Jesse James, his life or his death, and I definitely would never have purchased this DVD. It took me a few different viewings to watch the whole movie, but I was happy overall with it.
If you want to know the plot, find the song "Jesse James." I'm sure that there are more versions than the two I've mentioned, but the song gives the viewer a basic idea of what went on (I believe this book is based on a novel of the same name that I haven't read). What I did learn were the why's, the other characters and the post assanition trials and tribulations that the Ford boys went through, and how Robert hit his downfall.
The acting all around is supurb, which is to be expected with a cast featuring Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Mary Stuart Masterson and others. The cinematography was also wonderful, really capturing the time period on film.
The bummer about this DVD is the lack of extras. With the history and the song behind it (a great scene shows Nick Cave singing "Jesse James" at a bar that Robert Ford happens to be at. Cave, who cowrote the soundtrack, is fucking bad ass), they could have given a lot of historical information that die hards of the story or time (or anyone into "Deadwood") would enjoy. The film itself is good, but the lack of substance takes away from the product.
Written by: RF