Remake rescues the Western

Director brings classic tradition to new heights with shrewd themes

Chrisitan Bale and Russel Crowe provide a complex and interesting foil to one another with their first-class performances in James Mangold’s scenic and exciting 3:10 to Yuma.
Image supplied by: Supplied
Chrisitan Bale and Russel Crowe provide a complex and interesting foil to one another with their first-class performances in James Mangold’s scenic and exciting 3:10 to Yuma.

Like the afternoon clock ticking away towards its deadline or the train steaming ominously along its tracks, 3:10 to Yuma is unapologetically relentless. This is the only apt way to describe James Mangold’s remake of the 1957 classic western with the same name. From start to finish, it doesn’t once let up, berating the audience with its fiery intensity. A worthy addition to the American Western mythology, Mangold’s film is in no way a mere homage to what has gone before. Rather, 3:10 to Yuma stands confidently as a psychologically intense thrill-ride that returns an urgent relevancy to the Western tradition.

The story finds down-on-his-luck rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) volunteering to escort the captured outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) into town to put him on the train to Yuma Prison. Evans, forced off his barren land by the development of the railroad, finds himself useless in the eyes of his wife and son. Desperately seeking an honest means to keep his farm and family afloat, he turns to the dangerous charge of transporting the fearsome Wade. Along the way they’re hotly pursued by Wade’s gang led by his second in command, played by a scene-stealing Ben Foster with absolutely gleeful villainy.

Similar to Mangold’s last directorial effort, Walk The Line, the unequivocal centre of this piece is character; the exploration of identity and personal motivations further the plot. In classic Western form, the film seeks to forge the masculine identity on the leveling platform of the frontier. Characterization is traditionally structured and portrayed: Bale, the straight-arrow family man, is dressed in light colours; Crowe, the sinister rebel, in black. However, even with such a regimented set-up, the script delves deeper into the hearts of both men, painting the characters with ambiguous and interesting greys.

Breathing life into these characters are the two tour-de-force performances from the lead actors. Crowe continues to establish himself as one of the greatest actors in the business today, if not the greatest. From The Insider to Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind, Crowe is constantly redefining the scope of his ability. His portrayal as the merciless Ben Wade is singularly addictive and revolting. At times, Crowe’s Wade turns from charming rogue to vicious maniac and back again with as cool an edge as Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector. The character captivates the audience so completely that you ignore his horrific acts and find yourself cheering for him in the end. That said, Bale cannot be overlooked. Bale plays the broken-hearted, self-doubting nobody with a nuanced tragedy that is emotionally stifling. Standing in as the honest everyman, he’s constantly put at odds with Crowe’s more prosperous and sexier outlaw, forcing him to question the principles upon which his life is based.

The return to the classic style of the Western also marks a return to stunning landscape shots that complement Westerns. Mangold uses modern in-vogue cinematography to highlight the action but also manages to capture the breathtaking vistas and blue skies of New Mexico in his use of wide-angled shots. One forgets how imposing the presence of the landscape is in a Western: a land so beautiful yet so hostile that it places everyone, regardless of rank or status, on equal ground.

However, this frontier is not as idyllic as it appears. Evans’ honest work is crushed by outlaws such as Wade or by the faceless corporation of “The Railroad.” In this land of opportunity, success goes to the man who will take it, whatever the cost. Such pessimism is at the core of Mangold’s 3:10 to Yuma—the film questions whether an individual can survive in such a world without compromising him or herself.

Though some redemption is found in the end, the struggle between the righteous and the wicked throughout the film challenges the benevolent, pro-integrity, moral mythology of the mid-20th century Western. Mangold inserts a modern-day cynicism into the traditional Western and with the film’s finale, seeks to re-evaluate the notion of the Western hero.

A complex, engaging film in its own right, 3:10 to Yuma is an intelligent throwback to the Western genre that, if this film is any indication, could find success in a revival. From the atmospheric retro-Western score to the bitingly clever dialogue, the film is actually one of the most interesting and engrossing films released this year. As part of the Western mythology, it’s intelligently provocative. As mere entertainment, it’s an amusing, tense, shoot ‘em up thrill ride.

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content