A towering slow burn on the pitfalls of hero worship. A narrative on the myth of fame and how men come to worship illusions spun by media. The tale of Jesse James played by Brad Pitt with such skill and substance that he alternates between sympathy and menace with stunning swiftness. One of Pitt's greatest performances. Casey Affleck as the nervous butt kissing Robert Ford also gives his best performance in this. The slow pace of the movie makes its sudden violence jarring and that's how it probably was back in the days when America was still young. A thoughtful provoking movie. Check it out.