Combining old and new: 3:10 to Yuma.

Rating: 9/10 (24 October 2007)

Cracking whips, intense chases, stagecoaches, revolvers, spectacular gunfights, with the good guy always winning: all part of the old westerns. It seems that in the modern era, audiences are more enthralled with the complex than with the simple and sweet. Rather than merely be entertained, we want to be exposed to the characters' emotions. We want to feel the heartache, anger, love, or hate of the individual rather than seeing only his good side portrayed. I must admit; I am one of these people. I don't go to the movie theater to see a fake representation of life; I want to see it as it is, with all its ups and downs and everything in between. Perhaps this is why I so enjoyed 3:10 to Yuma. The film's creators combine the flare and feel of the old with the drama and emotional complexity of the new, while in the process producing a remarkable film.
The film takes place in Bisbee, Arizona where the main character, Dan Evans (a one-legged Civil War veteran), lives with his wife and two sons. The film opens as Dan's barn is burned down by the landlord who is going to sell Dan's land to the railroad company. He tells Dan that he has two weeks to get off the property or the house will be next. On his way to speak with the landlord, Dan witnesses the robbery of a stagecoach by the infamous Ben Wade and his band of rebels. After Ben's arrest, Dan offers his assistance in delivering the criminal to the 3:10 prison train to Yuma (hence the movie's title). What follows is one scene of action after another, as the remains of Ben's gang hunt Dan and the others on the trek to deliver Ben.
Perhaps the greatest aspect of this movie is the acting and character development. The film's creators manage to place two excellent actors into uncharacteristic roles. Christian Bale, used to playing the part of the tough guy (in movies such as Batman Begins and Equilibrium), plays the part of Dan Evans, a cautious rancher whose reputation with the public and his own family has suffered as a result of his reluctance to use violence. Dan's youngest son has tuberculosis, and this combined with a failing harvest has his family in a tough spot financially. When the opportunity comes to make $200 by delivering an outlaw to prison, Dan takes it gladly. When speaking to his wife, Dan says, "If I don't go, we gotta pack up and leave. Now I'm tired, Alice. I'm tired of watching my boys go hungry. I'm tired of the way that they look at me. I'm tired of the way that you don't."
Opposite the character of Dan, is the outlaw Ben Wade played by Russell Crowe. Russell Crowe is likewise used to playing the role of a man of justice (think Gladiator). However, in this movie he plays the role of a conniving, womanizing, and Bible-quoting criminal. When asked by the doctor of the prison party whether it is true that he dynamited a wagon full of prospectors, Ben replies, "No, that's a lie... It was a train full."
In my opinion, the best movies are those that ask questions. Even better are those that answer them. 3:10 to Yuma is of the latter. It asks the question, what makes a man good, and answers with the character of Dan Evans. While Dan may not be perfect, he strives to do what is right. The film brings out the fact that good things do not necessarily happen to good people; and, in fact, in Dan's case the opposite is true. His family suffers and even resents him because of his choice to "turn the other cheek." Despite this suffering, he leads his family in prayer. When Dan volunteers for the job of taking Ben to the prison train, we, Ben, and perhaps even Dan himself assumes that he is doing it for the money. However, when his comrades abandon him and he is left alone to deliver Ben, he is offered his payment, yet he refuses to accept money for backing down on a job. After this, it is presumed that the desire to perform a heroic deed drives him on. Yet, after racing across town among a shower of bullets, this is likewise proved wrong. Finally, we come to the conclusion, that Dan is doing this deed simply because it is the right thing to do and this earns him my respect as well as that of his son and Ben Wade.
The intense violence, mature themes, and several swear words earn this movie an R rating. However, this is the most morally upright secular movie I have seen in a long while. In a time when the bad is often celebrated and the good looked down upon, 3:10 to Yuma offers a breath of fresh air. What happens to Dan? Does he deliver Ben to the train? Well, you'll have to watch the movie to find out. You may find me back at the theater watching it again too.