3:10 To Yuma
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a big fan of the Western genre in film. In fact I can honestly say I’ve skipped movies (Unforgiven, Tombstone) just because they are Westerns. I have seen my fair share of this sort of Hollywood though and in my experience most of them are roughly the same. They always have the same characters, use scenery to carry its plot and have a big shootout to end things. It’s the classic Western style and 3:10 to Yuma doesn’t vary much from it.
What did catch my eye right away about this film is its tremendous cast. 3:10 to Yuma features two of Hollywood’s best current actors in Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. These two heavyweights take on their roles head on and always give an outstanding performance. While Crowe and Bale did well in their roles, it was Ben Foster as Charlie Prince who stole the spotlight. Foster’s portrayal of the heartless killer was dead on (cheesy pun intended). He has coldness in his eyes that will intimidate anyone who stands in his way. His performance takes the character of Prince out of background right into center stage.
3:10 to Yuma tells the story of Dan Evans (Bale), a Civil War sharpshooter who lost his leg in the war. After returning home to his wife and two sons, Evans is a shell of the man he used to be and the toll is too much to bear when he falls in debt and is in danger of losing his ranch and home. Evans has lost the respect of his family and community and is in desperate need of money and redemption. “It takes a big man to see how small he is” a collector tells him, but an opportunity arises when notorious thief and ruthless killer Ben Wade (Crowe) is captured. Evans offers his services to help transport Wade to Yuma for a $200 reward. It won’t be an easy task as Wade’s gang is on their tail, determined to set him free and will stop at nothing to help its “boss.”
While there is much gun fighting goodness, 3:10 to Yuma’s real battle is a psychological one between Evans and Wade. And this is where this film differs from the standard Western genre. Each character is fighting personal conflict and the back and forth war amongst the two is truly outstanding. It actually brings the psychological thriller into the Western style of film which is not an easy accomplishment. The dialogue and moral battles in this movie are really incredible and make the movie enjoyable for those (like me) who aren’t fans of this type of cinema. And those who are Western lovers will not be disappointed. You’ll see plenty of the wide angle shots that show off beautiful scenery that the genre is infamous for, you’ll get your usual characters that are essential to the Western and the shootouts are of course huge. While women might not be too happy with all the ruggedness (there are exactly two women in the film and they’re on screen for a combined ten minutes), men will find something to enjoy in this critically acclaimed film. The DVD is definitely worth a rent.
–Andy Gates
