Reminds me of some of the better westerns except with more guts

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 2007)

There's a scene near the end where Christian Bale is clearing the air, so to speak, between himself and Russel Crowe's character, that suddenly made clear to me what the entire film was about. It also dawned on me that Bale is a bit like this generation's Gregory Peck, only better. He seems able to explore other ways of being on screen without losing sight of reality. That's quite a trick, and key in this film, as it's really all about his character, Dan Evans, a struggling ex-soldier with a family and a marginal farm to take care of.
Courage is the central preoccupation of this film, so it's more than welcome to see it in the film's production as well. There's a sensibility for weapons, dirt, wagons, injuries, even clothing of the period, on display here that's more than just admirable. It makes you wonder why old westerns didn't explore these elements more thoroughly, though I suppose it had to do with expense. But in having spared that expense these older flicks also failed to pull off the kind of true to life drama that this movie manages to delve into.
I also enjoyed the interaction between Crowe, Bale, and his teenage son, William. Though the focus is constantly moving, including generous episodes with a wonderfully nuanced badman played by Ben Foster and some quality time with Peter Fonda and Gretchen Mol, most of the story is in what happens between the ex-soldier, his son, and Crowe's gang leader, Ben Wade. Talk about art imitating life, Crowe is pretty much flawless as the intelligent but amoral Wade.
Don't expect a conventional ending. Think about it after you've exited the theater. Aren't we all a mix of good and bad?