Breathtaking and consistently quality modern western

Rating: 10/10 (12 September 2007)

The Western, a genre often associated with dusty studio sets in the 1950s, had more often than not been considered retired in today's film industry, the last noteworthy effort being Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven back in 1992. With that in mind, it is nothing less than exhilarating to see a modern take on the genre seem so fresh and bursting with life and vitality, making 3:10 to Yuma not only the strongest western in decades, but also one of the most consistently quality films in recent memory.
Director James Mangold of Walk the Line fame should be given tremendous credit for extracting a great premise from a mostly unknown film (the original was hardly recognized as a timeless classic, making its remake status a bit suspect...) and translating it into a superb adaptation, nearly unanimously considered superior to the original. Mangold's firm directorial touch, working off the film's near flawless script is a sight to behold indeed. Crafting a nearly airtight blend between introspective musing, slowly festering psychological tension, and good old hardworn Western action tradition, all with enough of a modern spin and injection of energy, the film is made accessible to a contemporary audience, without forgetting its traditional western roots. With pitch perfect cinematography and editing exquisitely drinking in the dusty trails, rickety saloons and lone prairies among other western visual trademarks, complimented by the traditional yet never clichéd score, the audience feels fully immersed in the Old West setting. We feel the bullets tearing past (in some of the most exhilarating shootout sequences in years), feel the sand blowing into our faces and shake from the clamour of approaching horses.
The already stellar film is fuelled by its dynamic cast, each giving performances which would normally qualify as "show stealing", were it not from the unanimously strong work from all the others. Russell Crowe once again demonstrates his astonishing prowess as an actor, making Ben Wade one of the most compelling villains in years - suave, silver tongued, with a clear sense of honour, yet still unapologetically self serving and malevolent. His antagonist is perfectly complimented by the ever reliable Christian Bale, on top form with yet another brutally affecting performance as beaten down yet proud rancher Dan Evans. Working with a character who could all too easily fall into the mould of the stereotypical "doing right for the sake of doing right" hero figure, Bale instead embraces the emotional foibles of Evans, providing a downtrodden charisma complete with a malevolent glint in the eye, making him a consistently intriguing protagonist. The depth the two stars instill their characters with is flooring, and countless accolades should justifiably be bestowed on both.
Adding to the immense prowess of the two leads, Ben Foster is a cinematic powder keg as Wade's fiercely loyal and sadistically homicidal right hand man, both genuinely terrifying and incessantly watchable - one would be hard pressed to find a more menacing villainous sidekick. It's also wonderful to see Peter Fonda in the genre made famous by his father, giving his most impressive performance in years as a grizzled, aging bounty hunter, and the always wonderful Alan Tudyk gives a strong and fittingly comedic contribution as an unconventional doctor. Relative newcomer Logan Lerman is impressively powerful as Bale's impressionable yet fiercely rebellious son, easily outshining the usual lack of emotion produced by most young stars. In fact, the only weak link in the cast is Gretchen Mol as Bale's wife, who, while not terrible by any means, comes across as disappointingly flat in a cast full of such immensely capable performers.
All things considered, 3:10 to Yuma is not only one of the strongest westerns in the past few decades, but arguably among the most beautifully crafted additions to the genre. With a steady and capable directorial hand throughout, and fuelled by mesmerizing performances from an immensely powerful cast, in particular the dynamic Crowe and Bale,the film excels in showcasing all the traits which made its trademark classics successes, while still accessible and appealing for a contemporary audience. One begins to wish that the title train would never arrive, that the film might continue on immersing its audience in its consistently classy splendour long after the credits roll.
-10/10