Destined to be Another Classic Western

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2007)

After the great Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash biopic, Walk the Line, director James Mangold tries his hand at a western, 3:10 to Yuma. Expectations are highwith this being a remake of a classic western and with the hopes of this movie resurrecting the genre.
I purposely avoided watching the original Van Heflin/Glenn Ford 3:10 to Yuma. I also haven't read Elmore Leonard's short story that it is based on. I want the remake to prove to me alone its merits as a movie, as well as a western, without having to compare it to other things.
Besides focusing on the two main stars of 3:10 to Yuma--Russell Crowe as criminal Ben Wade and Christian Bale as rancher Dan Evans--, 3:10 to Yuma has a great ensemble cast. Some people claim that Ben Foster steals the show and out bad-guys Crowe as Charlie Prince, Wade's second man in command in his gang of outlaws. Peter Fonda gives a convincing performance as a bounty hunter who is not afraid to smart off against Prince or Wade against better judgmentWade, handcuffed, throws Fonda off a cliff for insulting his mama. There is also the nice character of Doc (Alan Tudyk) who tells off the man responsible for burning down Dan's barn. Look for Luke Wilson in an excellent cameo performance as an evil, racist railroad flunkywho kidnaps Wade when he manages to escape from Dan and the other men. Wilson takes Wade's gun with a crucifix on the handleaccording to Wade, the gun is cursed, and Wilson is shot down by Foster, who in turn takes Wade's crucifix pistol. Guess what happens to him.
I see the main story in 3:10 to Yuma as down-on-his-luck Dan Evans trying to prove himself to his family. The other story is Wade's robbery of the bank coach and his capture, which leads to Dan's quest of delivering Wade to the train bound for the Yuma prisonthe only way for Dan to provide for his family at this point. All these stories and the characters make for a good western.
Dan may seem like a wimpnever mind how disrespectful his older son William (Logan Lerman ) is to him--for letting Wade steal his horses, but this character will do anything to protect his family. By the end of the movie, we know Dan is not a foolthe truth comes out about how he lost his leg to friendly fire in the Civil War and why he continues to live on the dying ranch in Arizonabecause the climate is best for his youngest son suffering from tuberculosis. Dan tells Wade that he was no hero in the war and saw no actionand says, try telling that to your sons. Before Wade constantly annoys Dan with accusations that he doesn't take care of his family properly. At one point, Dan pushes Wade to the ground, gets right into his face and says, I'll cut you down right here. Dan is willing to stand up to Wadeperhaps killing him even if it would mean losing his gravely needed $200 to keep his home. With Dan's confession to Wade, who always wants to know how he lost his leg, Wade lets Dan escort him to the traintelling Dan that he has already escaped the Yuma prison several times. This is the turning point in the movie--white hats and black hats together.
Although all the other stories and characters are interesting, a valid criticism is that the movie doesn't focus more on the complex relationship between Wade and Dantheir scenes are the most interesting parts of the movie. Wade is a ruthless killer/criminal, but he acknowledges that he is rotten. Dan is an honest, hard-working man who believes on keeping his promises. In the hotel room hours before the train is to arrive, Wade offers Dan money to let him go, but he refuseseven though Wade makes a convincing argument that this is the money that the crooked bankers have cheated Dan out of. Who is the worst criminalthese men or Wade?
The ending sequence is suspenseful. William sneaks out of the hotel room to help his fatherwill he get killed? Who will finally kill the psychopathic Prince? As Prince compliments Dan on being a tough old rancher, he shoots him in the backall the while Wade tells him no. Prince, holding the crucifix pistol, is shot down by his hero, Wade. William has a chance at revengeto shoot down Wade, but he lets him go on the prison train, proving that Dan did the right thing as he told Wade that William would never turn out a criminal because he taught him how to be decent. The lesson is learned.
The main theme of 3:10 to Yuma is redemption. We have the redemption of Danwho, though in doing the right thing, has made the ultimate sacrificeliterally dying for the salvation of his family. Crowe and Bale each give incredible performances. I think Bale's acting is the most impressiveplaying the quiet desperation of his handicapped-in-many-ways character. Certainly Wade is the flashier cowboy, but Dan is the heart and soul of this story. We have the redemption of Wade who in spite of his willingness to shoot down even his own men is a sympathetic character. You think he is doing the right thing when he kills the man who burned Evans' barnalthough Dan says that he was an a s s hole that he didn't necessarily deserve to die. Wade is funny and quirkysomething of a thwarted artist who is always sketching. We also know of his abandonment as a child. Wade's redemption is letting Dan be the hero. He willingly goes to Yuma prison, but we suspect he may escape as he whistles for his horse who runs after the traina great ending for a western.