ASHLEY WELLING
Staff Writer
Based on and named after the critically acclaimed 1957 film, “3:10 to Yuma” boasts a terrific cast and a powerful story. Set in the old west, the movie offers the perfect mix of rugged machismo and emotional self-discovery.
Christian Bale (“The Prestige,” “Batman Returns”) takes on the role of Dan Evans, a retired union soldier-turned-rancher, desperately trying to preserve his family’s dignity, as well as his own. A chance encounter of a carriage robbery puts Dan face to face with a widely feared outlaw, Ben Wade, played by Russell Crowe (“Cinderella Man,” “A Good Year”).
Desperate for a way to get his family to where they once were, Dan accepts a position as a member of the team of men escorting Wade to the train station to board the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison. Along the way, the team encounters everything from isolated Indians to vengeful railroad workers and, at times, even their own demons. The two seem to share a certain understanding that grows throughout the duration of the film, making the movie interesting and unpredictable.
Bale does an excellent job bringing out his character’s deeply complex yet simple nature as he plays the disgruntled working-man persona that is Dan Evans. Though at first, Dan comes off as a depressed and desperate everyday man just trying to scrape by on whatever he can get, he shows his true colors as the movie progresses.
As he is criticized by the often unforgiving and violent Ben Wade, his passive nature turns into a deeper understanding of who he is and what legacy he wants to pass down to his sons.
Crowe seems to embody the ultimate rugged cowboy as Ben Wade, except with a few more violent twists then one would typically see in any old western. Robbing anything on wheels or tracks and killing without regard, it would seem as if he has no soul and no room for empathy.
Ben certainly keeps to this role as the “bad boy” throughout the majority of the film, and it isn’t until almost the end that the audience can begin to see his humanity.
Both Ben and Dan make it clear that they have something to learn from each other, and, although it isn’t always obvious, they both begin to change. There are a few points in the film where the viewer is witness to the complex nature they embody perfectly, and this only deepens throughout the film.
Peter Fonda (“Ghost Rider,” “Wild Hogs”) makes an appearance in the film as Byron McElroy, a rough-around-the-edges Pinkerton Guard bent on putting Wade away for life.
However, the sometimes distinct lines between good and evil are blurred when Wade tells the team of McElroy’s past, once again showing that these main characters are going to force the audience to decide for themselves what differentiates a hero from a villain.
Written and directed by James Mangold (“Walk the Line,” “Identity”) it is no surprise that this film turned out to be such a storytelling success.
This entertaining and thought-provoking movie was originally adapted from a short story by renowned writer Elmore Leonard and combined with Mangold’s attention to detail and appreciation for bringing out the personalities in his characters.
“3:10 to Yuma” is an action packed, emotionally stimulating, original, and at times, comedic rendition of the typical rugged cowboy films of the past and much like the all important train in the film, is one that cannot be missed.
09-13-2007
