3:10 To Yuma

Hey all!

Last night Jason and myself caught the new Russel Crowe and Christian Bale western 3:10 to Yuma. I have to say that I really loved this film, defiantly in my top 5 for this year.

Having watched the original 1957 version with Lee Van Cleef and Glenn Ford, I was afraid that they would stray from the great psychological drama between Crowe and Bale's character, but they stayed really close to the original. Bale is a down on his luck rancher who lost a foot in the civil war three years earlier. Crowe is a charismatic and ruthless outlaw who has held up 21 consecutive stagecoaches. Crowe gets captured while spending some time in town and Bale agrees to join the posse to take Crowe to the town of Contention to put him on board the prison train, the 3:10 to Yuma. Bale does it for a promised $200 which he needs to get the farm out of debt. The entire time Crowe's gang trails them, among other difficulties, to prevent him from to the train.

The film is beautifully shot and Crowe, for me at least, returns to Oscar caliber form as this ruthless and likable villain all at once. Bale continues to impress with his range and depth as this tormented everyman. What I liked about the movie is that they changed what needed to be changed for a modern day western, amping up the action sequences and pace in the beginning and end. Yet they still retained the great psychological struggle that goes on between the two main characters, Crowe trying to turn Bale, and Bale trying to resist the easy temptation. In the end, I think each character finds their own salvation because of each other.

I really hope that 3:10 to Yuma does well, its finely acted and well made and I want to see more great westerns... hell films in general made like this. For sure, check it out.

Thanks for reading!

End of Line.
Gerrad!