I bring all this up in order to herald the possible
return of the Western, a genre that is perhaps the
biggest victim of these previously mentioned trends.
The last real, gritty Western I remember seeing was
1992’s “Unforgiven” (or, to sillier effect, 1993’s
“Tombstone”), but this month sees the release of two
back to back: “The Assassination of Jesse James by the
Coward Robert Ford” and “3:10 to Yuma.” It seems as
though Hollywood (and, potentially, audiences) have
taken a new interest in gunslingers and tumbleweeds
and grizzled outlaws, but have they really? If what
I’ve heard is correct, “The Assassination of Jesse
James…” is thought-provoking and beautiful but about
as much a true Western as “Back to the Future III." As
for “3:10 to Yuma,” well, the film desperately wants
to be a Western, and has moments that seem to fulfill
this promise, but it ultimately collapses under it’s
own pretension and Oscar lust.
“3:10 to Yuma” tells the story of Dan Evans (Christian
Bale), a disabled Civil War vet who has found himself
on hard times: A drought has brought famine to his
ranch, and a local railroad baron is looking to steal
his property from under him. Just as Dan is at an all
time low, both financially and self-esteem-wise, enter
Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), the infamous carriage
hijacker and outlaw. Wade is in town with his ruthless
gang, celebrating a recent robbery, and winds up in
the wrong place at the wrong time, leading to his
eventual capture. Wade is sentenced to hanging, which
requires him to be escorted to a nearby town so that
he can catch the 3:10 train to Yuma Penitentiary. Dan
and a ragtag group of men (featuring Peter Fonda,
Dallas Roberts, and the always enjoyable Alan Tudyk)
end up getting charged with the escort—a dangerous
task as Wade’s bloodthirsty gang will do anything to
get him back—and the rest of the film details their
dangerous journey to reach the train on time. Along
the way, Dan and Wade gradually learn more about one
another and discover that they are not as different
from one another as they might have initially thought.
It all sounds very serious and it is played that way.
The biggest problem here is that everyone involved in
the film takes the plot (based on a short story by the
pulp-tastic Elmore Leonard) too seriously, trying to
bestow every character, every moment, every piece of
dialogue with depth and importance. This is an
unnecessary burden that is ultimately unfounded. When
I go to see a serious drama about racism or death I
expect to see these things, but when I go to see a
Western I want to see shoot-outs, bank robberies,
thrilling chases on horseback. “3:10 to Yuma” has all
these things but they feel neutered, as though they
were included purely because they had to be. Because
of this, the thrills are woefully sparse, balanced
instead with endless scenes of men sitting around
campfires saying MEANINGFUL things.
This feeling is exacerbated by Bale and Crowe, two
leading men who seem to take their work way too
seriously. Christian Bale plays Dan with an intense
gaze and a perpetual frown. While I’ve admired his
intensity in films like “Batman Begins” and “American
Psycho,” he is so dour here that you want to shout at
the screen “Lighten up!” As for Crowe, he fairs
slightly better, but is hampered by the fact that Ben
Wade is not fearsome, crafty, or cunning—essential
traits when you’re supposedly the most infamous
gunslinger in the West. In fact, the only person in
the film who seems to understand what a Western is all
about is Ben Foster, in a breakthrough performance, as
Wade’s heinous right-hand man. Foster plays his role
with relish, sneering and chewing scenery while
keeping his character believable and never overstaying
his welcome. Every time Foster is on camera the film
lightens up a bit, promising to be the
balls-to-the-wall Western we’re hoping for. This,
unfortunately, makes the moments he’s off-screen (of
which there are many) all the more empty.
All in all, “3:10 to Yuma” is not a bad movie; it is
competently made and offers some solid supporting
performances that makes the film shine at times. I
appreciate it for the fact that it marks the return of
the Western, but let’s hope that, in the future, they
wont all take themselves so seriously.
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