3:10 to Yuma (James Mangold, 2007)
Imdb
Date Watched: 5/20/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by me
Rewatch: Yes
I've never much considered myself a fan of Westerns. There are a handful of them that I really love, but overall I find the genre to not really suit my tastes. James Mangold's
3:10 to Yuma is a big exception to that and became an instant favorite when I first watched it eleven years ago.
It has all of the aspects of the genre that you expect to see - gun fights, drinking, beautiful women, horses, and gorgeous landscapes but all of those things are completely secondary to the relationships between the characters. And these relationships are what really draw me into the film.
The story centers around one particular relationship - the uneasy truce and growing respect between Russell Crowe's Ben Wade, an infamous outlaw who has been captured and is to be transported to Contention to board a train to Yuma prison, and Christian Bale's Dan Evans, a struggling rancher, husband, and father desperate to save his home and redeem himself in the eyes of his family, who has volunteered to escort Wade to the train for a price. I've never been a fan of Bale and would in fact list him among my least favorite actors, but in this role he is solid. His stoicism and restrained emotion work well to embody the self loathing and desperation of the downtrodden rancher who still holds on to his principles. Not surprisingly though, he is outshown by Russell Crowe who brings charisma, intensity, a cunning playfulness, and just a touch of sensitivity to a man that is also a ruthless killer and remorseless thief.
But the performance that impressed me most - not just this time, but the first time and every time - has been Ben Foster as Charlie Prince, Ben Wade's second in command with a cool swagger, a great sense of style, and fantastic lines. But more importantly, this cold blooded killer is also a man of dedication and unwavering loyalty. And as much as he deserved what came to him in the end, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity at the betrayal he suffered.
And that to me is what really makes it a great film. Things are not truly black and white. The characters are human, the lines between heroes and villains are blurred, and I am able to become just as emotionally invested in each.
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