3:10 to Yuma

Because of one of the actors in the movie, this remake of the 1957 western was in my queue long before being released for distribution. The original of 50 years ago starred Glenn Ford, Van Heflin and Richard Jaeckel later of The Dirty Dozen, was directed by Delmer Daves who in his career had many writing credits, he worked on the original Love Affair, An Affair to Remember, and Spencer's Mountain.

This is a story about a man at a point of character crisis, living in Arizona because his youngest son has tuberculosis, his older son of fourteen is carrying a large chip on his shoulder and a wife, Alice, that is questioning his decisions. A veteran of the army of occupation during the Civil War, Dan Evans lost a leg to friendly fire. Now the railroad wants to build tracks through is land. Local businessmen are doing their best to bankrupt him to take over his farmland, by cutting off his water source. They have cut off his land and hired gunmen to burn his farm and threaten their persons. The oldest son and wife are questioning Dan's courage.

Enter Ben Wade, leader of the area's badest outlaws. The gang's prowess at robbing stagecoaches has drawn in Pinkerton's hired guns. By happenstance, and with the assistance of Dan Evans, the Pinkertons, led by Byron McElroy capture Ben Wade. The gang, which is merciless in their pursuit of recovering their leader slowly and with Wade's help, thin the posse responsible to getting the prisoner to the train station in Yuma. By the end only Evans, his oldest son and Wade are left of the posse. Most of the gang are lying in wait to kill anything in the way of their goal. By this time the pitiful Evans, with his actions guided by deep set morality, has made a strong impression on Wade, he of no morality but possessing an eye for beauty in nature. Bouyed by a strong desire to be a heroic saviour of his family, and some timely help from his son, Evans does get wade onto the train, at that point the gang catches Evans with gunfire. Wade who has come to admire his captor, get off the train, kills the remnants of his gang and gets back on the train to go to prison.

The actors:

• Russell Crowe as Ben Wade, does and excellent job as the focal point of everyone's actions. A man without morality who comes to admire a man who by his inner guidance wants to make a positive impression on his troubled son. Crowe plays the part with a cool detachment of a man bored with the violence that he is so skilled at.


• Christian Bale as Dan Evans, farmer, father and husband, another excellent choice for man made deperate by life. His actions driven by a need to provide exemplar spirit and physical security.


• Logan Lerman as the oldest son William. Typical teen, rebellious and smart mouthed, he comes to see the strength in his brave father. We first saw Logan as one of Mel Gibson's children in the 2000 movie The Patriot.


• Gretchen Mol as Alice Evans, Dan's wife. She has come to question her hasband's judgement and does not understand why he must take this dangerous path. Mol gives the feel of a kind hearted woman worn a little thin but not all the way, by her families bad breaks and hard life. She catches Ben Wade's eye and sees the huband's underlying devotion, he uses this to provoke the husband through the end.


• Peter Fonda and Byron McElroy, the cheif Pinkerton, a man of devotion to god and eradication of evil men.


• Ben Foster as Charlie Prince, the thin gunman clad in his Confederate uniform jacket. Foster is riviting as the dark prince of the movie, efficient on the kill with no remorse. This was a good part reportedly sought by every young actor in Hollywood once Crowe and Bale were inked. The young actor was seen earlier in movies such as the Punisher and X-Men: The Last Stand.

Score 38 of 50, a good movie, rent it it right away.

Character Development 9 out of 10. The main character evolves from a out of luck man that mistrusts his own courage to a man willing to die for his familiy to have a better chance. Wade starts as a man largely bored with his profession and little respect for life. The steadfast determination of Evans make the impression required to stop the life.

Acting 9 out of 10. Russell Crowe and Christain Bale are wonderful in this classic western, depicting man's struggle against desperation. Peter Fonda is excellent as the aged Pinkerton. It was good to see Gretchen Mol get a part in a premium movie.

Photography, cinematography 6 of 10. The country scenes are expansive and arid, the canyons carved from time, these are easy. The angles in the cities of Bisbain and Yuma are confused and change angles in a way that confuse.

Writing, script 7 out of 10. As a remake of the original screen play by Halsted Welles and revised by Michael Brandt, this is good work with deep characters.

Concept 7 out of 10. Man's struggle against the oppression of poverty and the brutality of man.