3:10 to Oscar for Christian Bale-Screenplay

Rating: 10/10 (11 September 2007)

Absolutely the best western since Clint Eastwood's "The Unforgiven" !!This is a magnificent screenplay rewrite of Elmore Leonard's original 1953 short story , first screened with Glen Ford starring in the 1957 version. This 2007 edition demands consideration for 'Best Screenplay'. Christian Bale is superb as the down and out Evans, securing his place as one of the most versatile actors of this generation, besides Russell Crowe, who as Ben Wade personifies a mixed message of virtuous evil in this modern day great American relativist morality play. You somehow sense that when Evans tells about how he lost his leg on the Union Side, he is speaking in a more global sense ,addressing the pathos of a generation of Vietnam and Iraq veterans. The plot nuances between Evans and Ben Wade and Charlie Prince conjures up an existentialist dilemma, that blurs the lines between good and bad ,while at the same time delineating both. A multi-level masterpiece!
'Pardner', you will miss a bunch if you don't catch this train before it pulls out of the station! -f.c.h.