3:10 to Yuma
I have to admit that westerns have never been my favorite genre of film. I don’t know what it is about them, but it’s always been a challenge for me to really appreciate them. It could be that there just seems to be so many that don’t really seem to try that hard, I just lost interest. That isn’t to say that I don’t like any westerns, but the fact that I tend to be overly critical towards them makes it even more special when I find one like 3:10 to Yuma that I really enjoy.
Dan Evans (Bale) is a poor struggling Arizona rancher who stumbles across a stagecoach being robbed by notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe). In the process of celebrating his recent ill-gotten gains Wade is captured by the authorities. In need of money to save his ranch Evans agrees to help escort Wade to get him on the 3:10 train to Yuma prison. Unfortunately, Wade’s gang is right behind them and will to do anything to get their leader back.
With Russel Crowe and Christian Bale at the center of 3:10 to Yuma I defy anyone to dislike the performances in this film. Crowes’ Ben Wade is not only charismatic and charming he is also a straight up psychopath. Crowe captures him perfectly so that on one hand he is charming and lures you in but if you turn away he strikes without warning. Opposite him you have Christian Bale once again transforming himself into another great character. This time as a gaunt rancher, Bale plays him with a poker face that every now and then gives way to show his need for justice and redemption. Ben Foster has a tremendous turn as Ben Wade’s right hand man Charlie Prince whom he plays as both vicious and in constant need of Wade’s approval. Hell, even Luke Wilson is good in his two minutes on camera. He even gets a classic western line.
James Mangold has taken a genre that a lot of people consider outdated and irrelevant and shown that you can still tell a great story in the old west. 3:10 to Yuma’s great success is that it’s able to blend newer more frenetic filmmaking and action with a classic story. Mangold’s film has a lot of the classic western archetypes, but he doesn’t stop and hang his hat there. Whereas a movie like 300 didn’t go any further than that 3:10 to Yuma plays within them and gives a more fleshed sense of the world that they live in.
There are only a couple things that makes 3:10 to Yuma a really good film rather than a great one. First off, it’s a little talky. There are just about one ore two softly spoken confessional speeches between men too many. I don’t know what it is about modern westerns that they feel the need to over explain every character’s motivation, especially when we already know what’s going on. There is something to be said sometimes for a guy being bad simply because he’s a bad guy or someone doing what’s right for the simple fact that it’s the right thing to do.
The other thing that I’m not a fan of is the ending. I realize that this is a remake and everything, but the ending didn’t make sense with Glenn Ford and it doesn’t now. This newest incarnation is well written, but I just wish with all the character motivation the film’s final turn could have been a little more satisfying. However, by the time it does happen you will be so engrossed that you’ll probably be like me and not really care all that much.
For a guy who never really has understood the appeal of a cowboy movie, I have to say that I enjoyed the hell out of this one. Maybe growing up with just four channels and a seemingly unending supply of John Wayne movies airing on Saturday afternoons has me a bit jaded. That being said, a good movie is a good movie and it’s hard to deny 3:10 to Yuma.
The Grade
- Story: A
- Acting: A
- Visuals: B+
- Originality: B
- Enjoyability: A
- Overall: A-
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