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
whats right. What those forces areevil land barons, gunfighters, Mother
Natureis less important than the struggle the hero undertakes to overcome
them. When others abandon himeven when he doubts himselfthe 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 sons tuberculosis, a land owner
to whom hes heavily in debt, and his own physical limitations (having lost
part of a leg in the Civil War). Dan cant even muster the energy to rebuke his
oldest sons 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 owners
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, Wades 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 prisona desperate move motivated by the money
hell receive for the job. The journey is rife with danger: Indians, other men
hungry for vengeance on Wade, Wades own pursuing gang, and worst of all, Wade
himself.
Crowes 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 doesnt 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, Im rotten to the core.
Its Wades dual nature that Dan must battle, as he fights to remember why hes
risking all to turn in someone whos actually done him no personal harm. Why
dont you take the money and go home to your pretty wife? Wade asks Dan. What
are you trying to prove?
Its a good question, especially seeing that some of Dans 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. Its full of larger-than-life
characters. Dangers lurk behind every rock and bush. There are plenty of
chases, fights, gun battles, explosionsenough 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. Its 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. Dont 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, its all pretty accurate for the specific subject matter. Id still like
to see more Westerns doing what Posse attempted, by showcasing Black
involvement on the frontier, but that doesnt stop this from being a fun,
exciting picture.
Im 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 ofwell, the cowboy himself.
Maybe modern audiences can no longer relate to something that seems like
ancient history. Maybe horses and six-shot pistols cant 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, its a shame, because when done right, a Western can be
just as exciting, just as relevant in its exploration of humanitys struggles
as anything taking place in modern times. 3:10 to Yuma stands as a good
example.
My Grade: A-
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