3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Directed by: James Mangold | 122 minutes | drama, western, crime | Actors: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Logan Lerman, Dallas Roberts, Ben Foster, Peter Fonda, Vinessa Shaw, Alan Tudyk, Luce Rains, Gretchen Mol, Lennie Loftin, Rio Alexander, Johnny Whitworth, Shawn Howell, Pat Ricotti, Ramon Frank, Deryle J. Lujan, James Augare, Brian Duffy, Jason Rodriguez, Kevin Durand, Chris Browning, Chad Brummett, Forrest Fyre, Luke Wilson, Benjamin Petry, Arron Shiver, Sean Hennigan, Girard Swan, Christopher Berry, David Oliver, Jason Henning, Darren Gibson, Billy Lockwood

‘I want to be like Marlon Brando’, Russell Crowe sang in his teens, when he still dreamed of a career in music under the name Russ le Roq. In fact, his future had been fixed for years. The New Zealander was born into a real acting family. His grandfather, father and mother are all well-known figures in the film and television world and Russell was often on the set as a little boy. Still, he would have to wait until he was 25 for his first major role, in ‘The Crossing’ (1990). His star Down Under rises to great heights thanks to his role in the blockbuster ‘Romper Stomper’ (1992), for which he was awarded best actor in Australia. It doesn’t take long before Europe and America also go for the ax for this acting talent. With roles in films such as ‘The Quick and the Dead’ (1995), ‘LA Confidential’ (1997) and ‘The Insider’ (1999), he deserves a lot of credit. And since his Oscar-winning performance in ‘Gladiator’ (2000), the often somewhat surly Crowe has become a staple in Hollywood. Filmmaker James Mangold must have been thrilled when it was not Tom Cruise but Crowe who signed on for the lead role in ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007). Especially when you consider that the New Zealander is known for the carefulness with which he chooses his roles.

In ‘3:10 to Yuma’, a remake of a classic 1957 western, Crowe faces off against another great acting talent, Christian Bale. He plays Dan Evans, a poor farmer who lost a leg in the American Civil War. Dan can barely support his family and, partly due to his disability, he has lost a good part of his self-respect. His two sons, the idealistic William (Logan Lerman) and the ailing Mark (Benjamin Petry), want to look up to him, but have little reason to. When Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), a ruthless mobster who and his gang make the area unsafe, is arrested, Dan opens up a chance for reparation. He volunteers to take the life-threatening bandit to Yuma State Prison. Not only does he earn money with which he can feed his family again and give a new impulse to his drought-stricken farm, but also because he can prove to the evil outside world, and especially to his sons, that he has lost none of his dignity. has lost. But the journey to Contention, from where the train to Yuma will leave at ten past three, is not a bed of roses. Wade isn’t the angriest, but Dan really needs the money. Despite the simmering mutual sympathy and vicious attacks from Wade’s trigger-happy gang—led by his tough-as-nails First Lieutenant Charlie Prince (Ben Foster)—Dan decides to push through.

‘3:10 to Yuma’ exudes the atmosphere of the classic western. You feel like the gunslingers of yesteryear—John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Lee van Cleef to name a few—can pop up like that. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that this story has already been made into a film and that people have largely remained faithful to the original. With ‘3:10 to Yuma’, director James Mangold brings the classic, raw wild west in a modern jacket. Unlike other ‘modern westerns’ such as ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005) and ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ (2007), this print is not only a lot more masculine but also a lot more dynamic. The two hours that this film lasts fly by at a rapid pace. The screenplay, which has been worked on by various writers for no less than four years, is very well put together. A balance has been found between a good dose of action – the bullets regularly fly around your ears – and character development. Because in the end, just like in the original from 1957, it is about the psychological war that Evans and Wade wage with each other. And since we’re dealing with two great protagonists here, the non-shooting scenes are almost as explosive as the action scenes. Wade is the master from start to finish, manipulative to the core and always looking for the weak spot of his opponents. Russell Crowe portrays this classic outlaw in such a way that you won’t be able to hate him, even though you know this man has a lot of murders on his conscience.

Perhaps even more interesting than Crowe’s character is the figure that Christian Bale portrays with the intensity so familiar to him. Dan Evans is the antihero; the good-natured pauper who has nothing to lose. Especially when at a certain moment it turns out that his eldest son has more awe for the villain Wade than for him. He thinks of himself that he is not worth a cut in the nose. The fact that he’s missing a leg and dealing with that loss certainly has something to do with that. The confrontation between these two men, who are constantly diametrically opposed but nevertheless develop a kind of respect – perhaps even friendship – for each other is a captivating experience, which reaches an intriguing and original climax towards the end (which unfortunately is preceded). gone through a slightly too lavish shoot-out). Bale is not your average anti-hero and Crowe is not the archetypal villain, which only makes the film more powerful. The prairie of ‘3:10 to Yuma’ is further populated with countless colorful characters, from the clichéd handsome but lonely barmaid to an Indian fighting alongside cowboy Wade. All actors put their best foot forward. Most notable of them all is Ben Foster, who steals the show as Charlie Prince, Wade’s sadistic but loyal companion. There are also nice roles from good old Peter Fonda and the very young Logan Lerman as Dan’s son William. The cinematography and music are not as masterly as in ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’, but the print exudes craftsmanship in every way.

After the acclaimed ‘Walk the Line’ (2005), James Mangold can once again add a very successful film to his list of achievements. ‘3:10 to Yuma’ is an excellent remake of the classic western of the same name from the fifties, but also adds an extra dimension to the story because of the subtly translated subcutaneous tension between the main characters. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are actors you can send on a message and they don’t disappoint. And so there is something for everyone to get out of this film. Some will gloat about the bullets flying around you left and right – because this film is definitely violent. Is a western normally not for you? Then you can certainly enjoy yourself with the intriguing psychological underlay of this very captivating film!