In a stunning remake of the 1957 flick, 3:10 to Yuma takes a stab at reviving the genre of the Western. With big-name actors, a classic plotline and a feel-good resolution, 3:10 exceeded my expectations, and I found myself hooked for more than just Christian Bale.
From the start, director James Mangold (Walk the Line) sets the scene superbly. Straying from the traditional long view camera shot for more modern close-ups, Mangold recreates the ambiance of the West. Lingering in the air is the tension between the innovation of the East and the organic wilderness of the West with the troubling and impending extension of the railroad further and further into new territory. While the namby-pamby businessmen are reaping the benefits of land ownership, the small farmers are the ones paying the price of technology.
Enter into this setting your typical Western storyline. Poor Arizona farmer Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is having money troubles and desperately seeking a way to save his property and protect his family from poverty. Running across the path of outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), Evans volunteers to escort the captured villain from the small town of Bisbee to Contention City. Here, Wade would be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma (hence, the highly original title) where he would be sentenced to hanging. But, of course, the quest is a bit more complex than that.
Crowe portrays his outlaw with a dark sensuality. He entrances all he comes in contact with, singling out each person and utilizing his desires to influence them -- from the barmaid to Evans' wife and son. Bale is the worn-out farmer, constantly wearing a trodden expression (but still gorgeous, in a mountain-man way), revealing his weariness with the hand life has dealt him -- a failing farm, a son who doesn't believe in him, the imminent railroad takeover and even his own realization that his plans have not lived up to his expectations. A 180 from his last role as captured pilot Dieter Dengler in the Herzog masterpiece Rescue Dawn, Bale continues to impress with an ability to portray various facets of human emotion and struggle.
3:10 To Yuma utilizes most crucial aspects of the Western-film genre, making it appealing to both elderly Western fans and the youth that have missed out on watching black-and-white classics. There is a creeping sense of male sexuality as Evans and Wade journey together, share a bridal suite and dodge and duck bullets. Throughout the film, there are several one-liners that lead one to the realization that there is comedy in Westerns. The supporting roles, such as Charlie -- Wade's right-hand man -- and a cameo by Luke Wilson, add an extra kick to an already pleasing film. Played by an excellent Ben Foster, Charlie is the real villain, ruthlessly attempting to rescue Wade from Yuma and leaving a trail of victims behind. His performance brings momentum to the plot and occasionally provides a delightful departure from Bale and Crowe throughout the film.
The ending was at once pleasantly comforting and familiar in its execution (literary and figuratively). Bale and Crowe bring to a modern audience a fresh take on a classic, if not dying, genre -- a realization I came to when I noticed that the vast majority of audience members were not a day younger than 50. 3:10 To Yuma is an instant hit and a must-see for contemporary audiences.
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