By Hannah Gill
It’s been rough-riding in the Wild West. It seems Clint Eastwood’s slew of roles as America’s favorite cowboy has created a bit of a drought for Westerns at the box office. However, the recent remake of the 1957 film, “3:10 to Yuma,” then starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, offers a modern and enjoyable spin on this western classic.
As all westerns must, “3:10 to Yuma” features a sharp shooting outlaw by the name of Ben Wade (Russell Crowe). This debonair thief, though swift with his pistol and careful in his tactics, finds himself in a bit of a pickle when he tries to knockoff an armed stage coach, but winds up in hand cuffs.
Dan Evan (Christian Bale), a struggling rancher and Civil War veteran, quickly signs onto the team of escorts, responsible for taking Wade to the Yuma Prison-bound 3:10 train. As Wade’s loyal gang of bandits try to spring him loose, Evan keeps a desperate eye on the convict, hoping to receive a much needed $200, and possibly gain some honor for delivering Wade to that Yuma train.
Director James Mangold (“Walk the Line” and “Girl, Interrupted”) brings an unexpected complexity to this classic good-guy, bad-guy showdown. Where westerns are concerned, this film meets most expectations, as the plot is well cushioned with gun fights, horse chases and even a climactic, quick-draw face-off. Though this basic tale is not original, “3:10 to Yuma” goes beyond the call of duty by giving superb attention to detail.
The intricacy of the characters and their relationships was a pleasant surprise for this western. A psychological likeness between the notorious Ben Wade and Dan’s resentful son, William (Logan Lerman), provides an interesting twist to the adventure. Wade’s character too, proves to be surprisingly unpredictable as the journey ensues. Wade, who’s got a fair hand at drawing and an enthralling way with words, seems at first to be a merciful criminal- that is until he takes a fork to a man’s jugular, all the while keeping a queer smirk on his face. Ben Foster, who plays the role Charlie Prince, Wade’s most loyal gunman, also gives a commanding and quirky air to his character, demanding the attention of any scene he struts into.
The dusty, sun-soaked vistas and music reminiscent of the Old West provide a suitable backdrop for this film, as the cinematography is comparable to the most well-known of western films.
If anything is disputable in this film, it’s the dangling suspense of the ending, which may suffice some movie-goers’ tastes, but leave other yearning for more.
It’s hard to say if this gun-slinging western can hold its own against the ever-popular films of teenage angst and dysfunctional modern families.
