I Shot Jesse James

I Shot Jesse James isn't the story of some great gunfight where the infamous outlaw got his comeuppance, but the tale of Robert Ford, a member of the James gang who shot their leader in the back in order to get a pardon from the government and marry Cynthy, an actress he was in love with. Only, rather than bringing him fame and comfort, the deed brought Ford ignominy. In an Old West culture obsessed with the outlaw (a truly American trait), Ford was little more than a coward.