With a little more this could be a good movie

Rating: 6/10 (3 March 2012)

For those who saw the 1957 version of this same story by Delmer Daves the difference is clear. A dramatic plot described in much simpler scenes but full of intensity now changed into one more western movie with the usual clichés: shootings and killings galore, attacks, horse riding, suspense and even Indians. Not altogether bad anyway since the acting is good, the most thrilling scenes are well built and the suspense not exaggerated. But it has got the usual unlikelihoods in western movies in terms of facts such as for instance the almost miraculous deeds in those shootings that defy the laws of aiming with small hand firearms as anyone who has ever fired these guns too well knows. Besides that this movie has a rather inconclusive end on the contrary of the Delmer Daves' version in which the end is meaningful and clear although surprising. In both movies the story is the same though treated in different ways: an outlaw is captured and must be taken forcibly to another town (Yuma) in the train that leaves at 3.10 to be imprisoned, tried and eventually hanged there while the outlaw's gang is trying to rescue him at all costs. If I remember rightly in the first movie the outlaw is captured and led all he time by one man only, a sheriff or Marshal of another town, while in this movie he is escorted by a small group of men though in the end it's only one that tries to lead him to the train facing a lot of obstacles due to the fierce opposition of the gang. It's a movie you can see with a certain pleasure but not exactly what you might call a good movie.