There's a really good 90 minute-long movie within the 2 hours that
3:10 to Yuma takes to tell its story. This is a movie that was made with care, has some great performances, and manages to keep our interest for most of the time. It's during those moments where the movie and our interest lags that troubles me. Director James Mangold (
Walk the Line) attempts to revive the Western genre with this remake of a 1950s film, which itself was based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. The movie is often tense and captivating, but really could have used just one more trip to the editing room, so that it could have been great instead of just good.
Down on his luck rancher, Dan Evans (Christian Bale), is in desperate need of money. The railroad is threatening to make its way onto his land, and his mortgage holder is willing to do just about anything to get him off the property, including burning down Dan's barn. Dan has struggled to keep his family comfortable, despite the fact he lost one of his legs in the Civil War, but he can see in the faces of his wife and two sons that they don't respect him like they used to. An opportunity to make some money arises when a railroad tycoon offers him $200 if Dan will help transport a recently captured criminal to a train that is supposed to take the outlaw to prison. The man in question is Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), a smooth-talking, yet cunning and dangerous man, who seems constantly cool under pressure, and can charm his way into making just about anyone feeling comfortable around him. Dan joins a small band of men determined to make sure Ben arrives on that train, but as they face various dangers during the journey, the party quickly begins to dwindle. And with Ben's gang in desperate search of their boss as they attempt to rescue him, Dan will have to stay one step ahead of his pursuers if he wants to return home alive.
3:10 to Yuma is an old fashioned Western, through and through. It does not stray far from the path that many of the classic films that inspired it tread, and seems to be trying to invoke nostalgia in its audience for a time when these films ruled the cinema. I've never been much into the genre myself, but what grabbed my attention is the psychological and ultimately respectful relationship that develops between Dan and Ben. These two men start as enemies, with Dan only interested in the cash reward, and not wanting anything to do with this man he's transporting, as he knows how dangerous he is. Ben tries to get inside Dan's head, and the heads of the rest of the party transporting him, but Dan is usually smart enough not to let him inside. There are times when he does lower his defenses, and that's because in a strange way, we start to sense that Dan envies this outlaw. He envies the respect that his gang shows to him, something he sees very little of in his own home. Eventually, Ben too starts to respect Dan in his own way, particularly his family life and his willingness not to give up. This creates a strange antagonistic relationship that grows as the film goes on. The movie does a great job in bringing these two opposites together, and developing their relationship. It's one of the best aspects of the film, and the performances that accompany this only strengthen it.
In bringing both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe together, director Mangold has created a nearly unbeatable teaming. Both actors are some of the more interesting performers working today. Bale seems to reinvent himself in each and every role, and this time around, he's completely convincing as a seemingly broken down man with very little left to hope for, but rediscovers the strength within himself during the course of the journey. Crowe's performance is filled with cocky arrogance and a sharp tongue that is charming in its own way, but we can also sense the danger in his character. He is slightly more flashy and outgoing in his performance, which counteracts Bale's more subdued one quite nicely. Crowe never overacts, and knows how to reach the right level of arrogance so that his Ben Wade seems confident without being overly so. The supporting cast that surrounds these two lead performances are strong as well, with a main stand out being Logan Lerman as Dan's older son, William, who joins the band transporting Ben against his father's wishes. Other highlights include Peter Fonda as an old bounty hunter that's been after Ben for years, and Ben Foster as the second in command in Ben's gang, who spearheads the movement to rescue him. The movie really does not take a wrong step in its casting, and everyone is able to create believable characters that we can be attached to.
Were it not for the fact that my attention lagged from time to time, I would say that this was a nearly perfect example of its genre. A lot of this lag has to do with Mangold's decision to drag the story out, and include some sequences that really don't add anything to the overall story. A great example is an extended sequence where Ben escapes from the band transporting him after an attack, makes his way to a railroad camp, is tortured because one of the head people there recognizes him as the man who killed his brother, and then Dan and the rest of the group have to save him. It is a scene that really could have been edited out without any real damage to the film itself. All it does is add to the running time. The movie contains too many moments like this for its own good. Moments that either go on too long, or could have been cut completely. The movie is always able to pick itself back up again and regain our interest, but I still wished that Mangold had a bit more faith in his own story that he didn't need to add onto it just for the sake of making it longer.
3:10 to Yuma may not be enough to completely revitalize the long-dormant Western, but it is a very good effort nonetheless. There are some excellent performances in nearly every scene, the desert cinematography is first rate, and the final climax scene is appropriately tense and brings everything to a head quite nicely. I do think this movie could have been even more, but I'm not complaining too much. I admire this movie for the effort that was made, and for everything within it that does work. And most of the time, this movie works.
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There's a really good 90 minute-long movie within the 2 hours that 3:10 to Yuma takes to tell its story. This is a movie that was made with care, has some great performances, and manages to keep our interest for most of the time. It's during those moments where the movie and our interest lags that troubles me. Director James Mangold (Walk the Line) attempts to revive the Western genre with this remake of a 1950s film, which itself was based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. The movie is often tense and captivating, but really could have used just one more trip to the editing room, so that it could have been great instead of just good.
Down on his luck rancher, Dan Evans (Christian Bale), is in desperate need of money. The railroad is threatening to make its way onto his land, and his mortgage holder is willing to do just about anything to get him off the property, including burning down Dan's barn. Dan has struggled to keep his family comfortable, despite the fact he lost one of his legs in the Civil War, but he can see in the faces of his wife and two sons that they don't respect him like they used to. An opportunity to make some money arises when a railroad tycoon offers him $200 if Dan will help transport a recently captured criminal to a train that is supposed to take the outlaw to prison. The man in question is Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), a smooth-talking, yet cunning and dangerous man, who seems constantly cool under pressure, and can charm his way into making just about anyone feeling comfortable around him. Dan joins a small band of men determined to make sure Ben arrives on that train, but as they face various dangers during the journey, the party quickly begins to dwindle. And with Ben's gang in desperate search of their boss as they attempt to rescue him, Dan will have to stay one step ahead of his pursuers if he wants to return home alive.
3:10 to Yuma is an old fashioned Western, through and through. It does not stray far from the path that many of the classic films that inspired it tread, and seems to be trying to invoke nostalgia in its audience for a time when these films ruled the cinema. I've never been much into the genre myself, but what grabbed my attention is the psychological and ultimately respectful relationship that develops between Dan and Ben. These two men start as enemies, with Dan only interested in the cash reward, and not wanting anything to do with this man he's transporting, as he knows how dangerous he is. Ben tries to get inside Dan's head, and the heads of the rest of the party transporting him, but Dan is usually smart enough not to let him inside. There are times when he does lower his defenses, and that's because in a strange way, we start to sense that Dan envies this outlaw. He envies the respect that his gang shows to him, something he sees very little of in his own home. Eventually, Ben too starts to respect Dan in his own way, particularly his family life and his willingness not to give up. This creates a strange antagonistic relationship that grows as the film goes on. The movie does a great job in bringing these two opposites together, and developing their relationship. It's one of the best aspects of the film, and the performances that accompany this only strengthen it.
In bringing both Christian Bale and Russell Crowe together, director Mangold has created a nearly unbeatable teaming. Both actors are some of the more interesting performers working today. Bale seems to reinvent himself in each and every role, and this time around, he's completely convincing as a seemingly broken down man with very little left to hope for, but rediscovers the strength within himself during the course of the journey. Crowe's performance is filled with cocky arrogance and a sharp tongue that is charming in its own way, but we can also sense the danger in his character. He is slightly more flashy and outgoing in his performance, which counteracts Bale's more subdued one quite nicely. Crowe never overacts, and knows how to reach the right level of arrogance so that his Ben Wade seems confident without being overly so. The supporting cast that surrounds these two lead performances are strong as well, with a main stand out being Logan Lerman as Dan's older son, William, who joins the band transporting Ben against his father's wishes. Other highlights include Peter Fonda as an old bounty hunter that's been after Ben for years, and Ben Foster as the second in command in Ben's gang, who spearheads the movement to rescue him. The movie really does not take a wrong step in its casting, and everyone is able to create believable characters that we can be attached to.
Were it not for the fact that my attention lagged from time to time, I would say that this was a nearly perfect example of its genre. A lot of this lag has to do with Mangold's decision to drag the story out, and include some sequences that really don't add anything to the overall story. A great example is an extended sequence where Ben escapes from the band transporting him after an attack, makes his way to a railroad camp, is tortured because one of the head people there recognizes him as the man who killed his brother, and then Dan and the rest of the group have to save him. It is a scene that really could have been edited out without any real damage to the film itself. All it does is add to the running time. The movie contains too many moments like this for its own good. Moments that either go on too long, or could have been cut completely. The movie is always able to pick itself back up again and regain our interest, but I still wished that Mangold had a bit more faith in his own story that he didn't need to add onto it just for the sake of making it longer.
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