I don't know if it is the best, but one of my favorites is Sam Raimi's Spaghetti Western Tribute, " The Quick and the Dead, starring some great talent including: Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Tobin Bell, Keith David, Lance Henriksen and Gary Sinise
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > You're quite welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I'd enjoy seeing it > again. The best Western since "Unforgiven"? It might be, if only because > there have been so few released at the American theatre since then. "Open > Range" is very good, but it's much more slowly paced and nuanced. > > I'm trying to think of Westerns released here since "Unforgiven" in '92. > There was Tombstone (good moments but not the greatest overall), "Posse" > (ditto, though give Van Peebles credit for bringing Blacks to the Western), > Gang of Roses (horrible, horrible Western with Stacey Dash, Bobby Brown, Li'l > Kim--need I say more?), Wild Wild West (disjointed remake with Will Smith, > not worth the time). Then there are films taking place in modern times with > Western-like themes or settings like "Extreme Prejudice" (Nick Nolte film, > pretty good), "Lone Star" (from master John Sayles), and Robert Rodriguez's > movies with Antonio Banderas. > > Hmmm...looking at the list, it's possible Yuma might be the best Western > released in American theatre since "Unforgiven", but the competition is very > spare...Of course I'm omitting TV films/miniseries/series like "Lonesome > Dove", which had a second miniseries and a full series released after > "Unforgiven". > > -------------- Original message -------------- > From: "g123curious" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Thanks for the plot summary. The plot sounds like the reverse of > _High Noon_ (1952 with Gary Cooper in the lead)... getting the bad > guy to the train instead of the bad guy getting off the train. > > Is this film truly the best western since Eastwood's _Unforgiven_? > > George > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > >> Summary: Down-on-his-luck Rancher Dan Evans undertakes a dangerous >> > mission, joining a group of men taking outlaw Ben Wade to prison. > They must survive Indians, others out to get Wade, and Wade's own > gang in order to get him on the 3:10 train to Yuma. > >> My Quick Take: This is a fun, exciting movie in the tradition of >> > old Westerns. There are bad guys, good (or not-so-bad) guys, and lots > of action. Plenty of chases and gunfights, even a few explosions. > Russell Crowe as always is a captivating presence, dominating the > screen and the scene. Christian Bale--almost a chameleon of an actor-- > gets into his role as the desperate rancher. Good supporting cast, > great cinematography and camera work, pulse-pounding music. Did I > mention the gunfights? And the horse chases? Really enjoyed this > pic. > >> My Full Take: At its core, the Western is a morality tale, the >> > story of a basically good man struggling against sinister forces > while remaining true to what's right. What those forces are—evil land > barons, gunfighters, Mother Nature—is less important than the > struggle the hero undertakes to overcome them. When others abandon > him—even when he doubts himself—the hero stands alone, fighting to > the end. > >> Rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is such a man. Dan can barely >> > hold his family together, battling drought, his younger son's > tuberculosis, a land owner to whom he's heavily in debt, and his own > physical limitations (having lost part of a leg in the Civil War). > Dan can't even muster the energy to rebuke his oldest son's > increasingly critical and disrespectful remarks, because they echo > his own self-doubts. Dan feels his wife slowly slipping away from > him, which only feeds his own growing desperation. Things get worse > when the land owner's men burn down his barn and drive his cattle > away as a warning to pay up or get out. > >> As Dan and his boys later go to fetch the herd, they see in the >> > distance a heist in progress. The infamous Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) > and his gang are attacking a stagecoach. A real menace, Wade has > committed over twenty heists, costing hundreds of thousands of > dollars and the lives of dozens of men. In short order, Wade's gang > has killed everyone and stolen the money. The sequence is thrilling, > full of hyperkinetic energy as pursuers and the pursued engage in a > desperate chase, horses galloping like mad, grizzled, hard-looking > men cursing and yelling as they release a barrage of bullets. The > whole scene is shot with frenetic close ups and gorgeous long pans, > and driven by a musical score that heightens the action. Who needs a > car chase? > >> Later, when Wade is captured, Dan agrees to accompany the party >> > taking Wade to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma prison—a desperate move > motivated by the money he'll receive for the job. The journey is > rife with danger: Indians, other men hungry for vengeance on Wade, > Wade's own pursuing gang, and worst of all, Wade himself. > >> Crowe's Ben Wade is the kind of smooth villain who does pencil >> > drawings during a holdup, uses his wits as much as his gun, reads the > Bible, and treats women with charm and respect. He doesn't kill for > sport: Wade spares Dan after the holdup even though his men want to > kill him (a decision he later comes to regret). But this is not a bad > guy with a good heart. He remains a cold-blooded killer, or as he > says, "I'm rotten to the core". > >> It's Wade's dual nature that Dan must battle, as he fights to >> > remember why he's risking all to turn in someone who's actually done > him no personal harm. "Why don't you take the money and go home to > your pretty wife?" Wade asks Dan. "What are you trying to prove?" > >> It's a good question, especially seeing that some of Dan's partners >> > are almost as bad as Wade himself. But Dan is driven by his need for > money and security. And, increasingly, the need to save the soul of > his oldest son William, who starts to admire Wade as a kind of hero, > strong where his father is weak. Crazed by his need to do > something "good for once", Dan pushes on past the point of reason. > >> "3:10 to Yuma" gets the Western mythos right. It's full of larger- >> > than-life characters. Dangers lurk behind every rock and bush. There > are plenty of chases, fights, gun battles, explosions—enough for even > modern tastes. The actors are good across the board. Russell Crowe is > great as Wade, at times charming, at times chilling, always > commanding. Christian Bale inhabits the role of the thin, bedraggled > Dan Evans, a hero not by nature, but by need. The supporting cast is > likewise good, especially Peter Fonda in a memorable but too-brief > stint as an obsessive bounty hunter. The picture looks great too, > from the towns to the gorgeous scenery to the characters themselves. > Even the musical score fits. The movie works on all counts. It's s a > fun, exciting ride. > >> Now, this being a traditional pic, it must be said that women and >> > people of color get short shrift. The only Indians seen try to kill > Dan and his party (though to be fair, they are protecting their land > from intruders). There are plenty of Chinese, shown digging a > railroad tunnel. Don't recall a single Black in the picture (though > one guy gripes that they need to bring in some Negroes to show > the "Chinamen" how to work harder). Women are either longsuffering > wives or bar maids good for a dalliance. But in the historical > context of the times, it's all pretty accurate for the specific > subject matter. I'd still like to see more Westerns doing > what "Posse" attempted, by showcasing Black involvement on the > frontier, but that doesn't stop this from being a fun, exciting > picture. > >> I'm not sure why the Western has fallen out of favor in recent >> > years. Despite critically praised movies like "Unforgiven" and "Open > Range", it seems that this once favorite of genre pics is going the > way of—well, the cowboy himself. Maybe modern audiences can no > longer relate to something that seems like ancient history. Maybe > horses and six-shot pistols can't compete with high-speed car chases > and transforming robots, and small frontier towns seem boring > compared to the likes of New York City. > >> Whatever the reason, it's a shame, because when done right, a >> > Western can be just as exciting, just as relevant in its exploration > of humanity's struggles as anything taking place in modern > times. "3:10 to Yuma" stands as a good example. > >> My Grade: A- >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > >
