Life > September 20, 2007

By Caroline Edgeton | Contributing writer

Let’s just go ahead and say, if you like Christian Bale (especially the idea of him as a cowboy) and Russell Crowe (him, too), then 3:10 to Yuma is the film for you.

The opening of the film initially made me think that it was going to be a bit of a downer. Though a little slow in the plot department, it eventually reaches an interesting turn of events toward the middle, followed by a suitable conclusion that not only makes you think but also makes you happy you stayed.

3:10 to Yuma is actually based on the original by the same name made in 1957. Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, it tells the story of Dan Evans (Christian Bale), a poor rancher with a wife and two sons to take care of. Due to missed bill payments and a fairly unhappy household, Evans is simply looking for a break. Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is an infamous outlaw with a questionably heartless attitude toward life and honesty.

The two characters become involved with one another in the aftermath of a gruesome stage coach robbery, led by Wade and his brutal gang, containing the payroll of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company.

Wade shoots the Pinkerton guard Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) in the stomach in hopes of him bleeding to death in a slow and dreadful manner.

Instead, McElroy survives and is taken into town by Evans who witnessed the entire fiasco. There, Evans is able to save McElroy with the help of the town’s closest doctor, a veterinarian by the name of Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk) and join a group of officials ready to capture the outlaw on the loose.

Due to Wade’s notorious past, Evans agrees for $200 to join the group of men planning to capture Wade in order to walk him to the town of Contention and place him on the 3:10 train to Yuma.

There Wade would be tried and hanged immediately for his outrageous list of felonies no man with a soul could come to grips with.

Wade, with his loyal gang and his own interests, puts up a strong fight in order to get him out of the mess he had been asking for all along, making the walk to Contention to seek justice a very intense and exhausting haul for those involved.

Wade’s main henchman Charlie Prince (Ben Foster) is quite possibly one of the most annoying characters I have ever seen in a film.

Not only is his actual character irritating, but his appearance on-screen is as irritating as his personality.

Because of his dedication to Wade, Prince leads the Wade gang against the “good guys.” Despite his loyalty, by the end of the film, you want to strangle him yourself (or have Russell Crowe gladiate him).

Of course this western movie would not be worth seeing without the requisite action-packed gun slinging, suspense, humor and heartbreak. 3:10 to Yuma brilliantly provides all of the above and more.

Directed by James Mangold (previous works include Walk the Line, Identity and Girl, Interrupted), he masterfully brings the feeling of watching a classic western film with a psychological twist. The movie intertwines the feeling of watching a favorite old western while also questioning human morales and the individual’s ability to comprehend them.

Overall, this film definitely made me feel like I was watching a typical Christian Bale flick. Russell Crowe delivers an always awesome performance in addition to the top-notch cast appropriately included in this traditional, yet modern western film.

If you enjoy horse galloping, shotguns and awesome acting, 3:10 to Yuma is a must-see.