flawed but generally compelling Western drama

Rating: 7/10 (15 September 2007)

Set in the years immediately following the Civil War, "3:10 to Yuma" is a rip-snortin', old-fashioned Western whose characterizations and performances compensate for an occasionally muddled plot line and a tendency towards implausibility.
Christian Bale stars as Dan Evans, a struggling rancher who, for a $200 fee, agrees to help escort a cold-blooded killer to the train that will take him to prison in Yuma, Arizona (at that time a territory, not a state). Russell Crowe is Ben Wade, the gang-leading outlaw whose very name strikes terror in the hearts of the local populace. Based on the short story by Elmore Leonard ( as well as the 1957 movie derived therefrom), "3:10 to Yuma" is a thoughtful Western drama that nicely balances its requisite shootouts and tough-guy posturing with just enough psychological insight to make the whole thing interesting and worthwhile.
The two stars bring a great deal of intelligence and conviction to the roles they've been assigned to play. Bale's reticent stoicism is placed in direct opposition to Crowe's world weary cynicism and outward charm - and the match-up is a good one. The men they are portraying may have an entirely different view of morality and of what it takes to be a man, but they are still able to establish a genuine, if somewhat shaky, rapport on the common ground of mutual respect and understanding. The climax of the story may feel a trifle contrived and artificial - we really don't believe that Wade would do what he does at the end - but it isn't enough to spoil the overall effectiveness of the film.
James Mangold ("Cop Land, "Walk the Line") has directed the movie with sufficient gusto and energy to counteract some of the verbosity of the screenplay. Fortunately, the dialogue generally avoids platitudes and clichés - although the action itself is frequently confusing and often geographically inconsistent (i.e. characters who don't have horses seem to arrive at destinations almost as quickly as those who do).
In addition to Bale and Crowe, Mangold has elicited excellent performances from Ben Foster as Wade's wiry but creepily bloodthirsty henchman, Charlie; Logan Lerman as Evans' too-big-for-his-britches older son, William; and screen legend Peter Fonda as the hard-bitten bounty hunter, Byron McElroy, who may finally have met his match in the wily Mr. Wade.
On a final sour note, the cinematography by Phedon Papamichael is surprisingly dull, muddy and lifeless, an especial disappointment considering the gorgeous Southwestern landscape with which he was given to work.
All in all, however, a very fine Western.