3:10 to Yuma

"The western is dead." Many people have said it, and it has been 100% true. The last good western was Sam Raimi's "The Quick and the Dead." 12 years is much too long for a genre that gave us such great films as "Once Upon a Time in the West," "High Noon," and "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly." This year seems to be a return to this genre with "The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford," "There Will Be Blood" (not a western in the traditional sence of gunslingers, but still, set in the old west), "No Country for Old Men" (a modern day western) and "3:10 To Yuma."

How could I not want to see a movie starring two of the best actors right now sparring off against eachother? Especially since it is by the director of "Walk the Line" which I thought was very good. So, I paid my 5 bucks (in gift certificates) to the worst theater around, the Cinemark, and watched Crowe and Bale play off of eachother.

The movie's story is about a man, Ben Wade (Russel Crowe), a prolific murderer and robber. He gets himself caught and needs to be escorted to a train, the 3:10 to Yuma to be exact. Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a poor rancher who needs money, joins the group that is to escort him to the train. The race is on as Wade's gang [led by his number 2, Charlie Prince (Ben Foster)] tries to catch up to them and get their leader free.

This is a fairly straightforward story to set up what is really a movie about characters. Ben Wade and Dan Evans to be exact. Even more exactly: Christian Bale and Russel Crowe. Once more, both these actors create great, depth filled characters. Crowe's Wade is a gentleman, a genuinely persuading guy, but underneath it all there is something that you can't quite put your finger on that makes him untrustworthy. Then, there are the moments he snaps and you know why he is untrustworthy: he is calculating and brutal. His straightforwardness is his way of brutally taking you down emtionally and his strength and percision with a revolver is his way of brutally killing you. Then there is Dan Evans. Dan Evans is just going for what is best in his family, no matter what the cost is. It is the only reason he is doing this, and when he is faced with difficult decisions he will always make the best one for his family, but it cannot be against the law. The scenes where these two talk with eachother, hell, when they just look at eachother are electrifying two men who have different morals but the same basic ideal of that they know what they want and will go about it their way. It is just electrifying.

James Magnold knows exactly how to capture performances. His characters are always extremely well defined and he can build a level of excitement. My problem with his directing though is that whenever it goes into action he pulls what many inexperienced action directors do: kick it to shakey cam. Unlike Paul Greengrass or Spielberg, he doesn't know how to use it properly. In fact, I was hoping the last sequence would be very suspenful, much like the sequence when Tuco and Blondie re-meet near the end of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly." Sadly, it was just a big ol' action sequence. Not that wasn't a good action sequence, since the stakes are so high in this last scene it keeps our heart pumping, but that is all that pushes that scene along.

This movie is a awesome for watching two great actors spar off, but if you are looking for really original action, or suspensful action that westerns are known for, count it out. Still, definately check out this movie. It is a very good kick off to what is looking be an awesome award season.