What’s
with this sudden return to the Wild West? There certainly seems
to have been a resurgence of the Western genre in the cinema recently.
At one time a mainstream of filmed entertainment, the Western
dropped into the abyss for decades with just an occasional revival
like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. Recently came
the impressive HBO series Deadwood, which thanks to out-there
dialogue and a realistic gutsy approach attracted a new audience.
Hollywood may possibly have taken note of the popularity of Deadwood
because we see Jesse James resuscitated and this new version of
3:10 to Yuma. While The Assassination of Jesse James
was an elegiac study of the outlaw’s latter years, the revisited
3.10 to Yuma relies on the conventional fast moving plot
line of the older western tradition.
For those who can remember the film era of the lone
gunfighter and dispiriting towns like Tombstone, 3:10 to Yuma
will take you back. For those who can’t, it will using today’s
superior technical facilities recreate past western glories with
verve and maybe win some new fans. The cinema once thrived on
the allure of wide open plains with towering rock formations,
the great chases of stagecoaches in clouds of dust pursued by
whooping horseman firing wildly in the general direction of the
target. From the Saturday arvo serials to the serious films of
John Ford, William Wyler and of course Sergio Leone the western
held an vast audience in its grip. So how does this latest excursion
into the old west live up to the original movie?
With actors of the calibre of Christian Bale (Rescue
Dawn) and Russell Crowe (American Gangster) we’re
off to a good start on a tight script largely lifted from the
1957 film which featured Van Heflin as Evans and Glenn Ford as
Wade. Add excellent photography of dramatic landscape and the
old west towns. It plays well on the big screen today with the
advantage of contemporary special effects. Lenser Phedon Papamichael
makes intelligent use of close ups as well as the wide vistas.
Even the Marco Baltrami music has a hint of Ennio Morricone. Taking
a leaf out of Deadwood, scenes have heightened realism
while not getting quite as grotty as that TV series. It also tips
a nod to tradition as Wade wears black, the colour of choice for
villains in the old movies.
Dan Evans (Christian Bale) comes back from the Civil War with
a dodgy leg to buy a modest ranch in Arizona. He lives there with
his wife Alice (Gretchen Mol) and their two children. Things are
hard enough with drought and poor crops looks like Dan may have
to give up the property to a conniving money lender. Son William
(Logan Lerman) is disappointed in his father for not standing
up to the money lender’s heavies who harass the unfortunate
family.
Ben
Wade (Russell Crowe) notorious but charismatic outlaw with his
gang robs the Southern Pacific Railroad as a profession. Tough
as nails Pinkerton guard Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) is determined
to bring Wade to justice after being wounded by Wade in a stagecoach
robbery where the Railroad payroll is stolen. Then Wade is captured
and McElroy needs volunteers for a posse to help him escort Wade
across hostile country to the town of Contention. There to put
him aboard the 3:10 prison train to Yuma where he’ll no
doubt be hanged. Dan Evans sees a chance to earn enough cash to
save his ranch and restore his son’s faith, so he volunteers
to escort the prisoner to the train. The cool crafty Wade has
very different plans, and a battle of wits ensues as they struggle
against each other on route to the train while other members of
the posse fall by the wayside. Things really go pear shaped when
Wade’s side kick, a seriously nasty hombre Charlie Prince
(played with evil relish by Ben Foster) leads the Wade gang in
pursuit of the posse to try and rescue their boss.
Director James Mangold (Walk the Line)
sticks with conventional presentation doing homage to earlier
westerns, his enthusiastic competence drives the picture along
at a cracking pace. Christian Bale is convincing as an average
Joe, the reluctant but determined hero down on his luck just the
right foil to Russell Crowe’s smooth talking shrewd bandit.
Their scenes together are excellent. 3:10 to Yuma is
worthy of your attention an engaging often thrilling DVD (albeit
with no extras to speak of) and a successful return of the genre.
It may not be the last.
What’s
with this sudden return to the Wild West? There certainly seems
to have been a resurgence of the Western genre in the cinema recently.
At one time a mainstream of filmed entertainment, the Western
dropped into the abyss for decades with just an occasional revival
like Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven. Recently came
the impressive HBO series Deadwood, which thanks to out-there
dialogue and a realistic gutsy approach attracted a new audience.
Hollywood may possibly have taken note of the popularity of Deadwood
because we see Jesse James resuscitated and this new version of
3:10 to Yuma. While The Assassination of Jesse James
was an elegiac study of the outlaw’s latter years, the revisited
3.10 to Yuma relies on the conventional fast moving plot
line of the older western tradition. 
Ben
Wade (Russell Crowe) notorious but charismatic outlaw with his
gang robs the Southern Pacific Railroad as a profession. Tough
as nails Pinkerton guard Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) is determined
to bring Wade to justice after being wounded by Wade in a stagecoach
robbery where the Railroad payroll is stolen. Then Wade is captured
and McElroy needs volunteers for a posse to help him escort Wade
across hostile country to the town of Contention. There to put
him aboard the 3:10 prison train to Yuma where he’ll no
doubt be hanged. Dan Evans sees a chance to earn enough cash to
save his ranch and restore his son’s faith, so he volunteers
to escort the prisoner to the train. The cool crafty Wade has
very different plans, and a battle of wits ensues as they struggle
against each other on route to the train while other members of
the posse fall by the wayside. Things really go pear shaped when
Wade’s side kick, a seriously nasty hombre Charlie Prince
(played with evil relish by Ben Foster) leads the Wade gang in
pursuit of the posse to try and rescue their boss.