“3:10 to Yuma” 2007 TreeLine
Christian Bale, Russell Crowe, Ben Foster & Gretchen Mol
“Lost My Stub” review May 2012 (MZ: #J-10)
Many do not realize this is a re-make of a 1957 Film starring Glenn Ford & Van Heflen.
So let me start off with, I do not like Christian Bale, But I Love his Character; Dan Evans in this film. Here is a Man that would be lost in this day and age, family man, honest with the utmost in integrity. A simple Rancher, who is a Civil War Vet, who is just trying to make an honest living to support his wife & 2 boys that he loves and desires to keep their respect for him.
Having lived in Arizona and the fact most of my family still lives there, I can verify it is still quite a different place to live with a different attitude, partially due to the fact it was the last of the original 48 states to join the Union in 1912, no less.
There are so many multifaceted aspects of this film, for example;
A. Charlie Prince’s” devotion to Ben Wade to the point of unrequited semi homosexual love.
B. Dan Evans honest to a fault undeterred to ‘Do the right thing’ and his love and devotion to his family
C. The incredulous anger of “Shiny Shoes” Butterfield that Ben Wade has robbed the Southern Pacific 21 times and continues to elude justice.
D. The determination of McElroy, a man of somewhat questionable morale’s, to finally get Ben Wade, seemingly more out of spite than justice.
E. Ben Wade’s ultimate respect for Dan Evans that he kills his own side-kicks, because they killed such a man of integrity.
And lastly these unbelievably memorable quotes (that I can personally relate to) from Dan Evans;
“I’ve been standing on one leg for the last three years waiting for God to answer”
“No one could think any less of me”
“I am not stubborn, my boy had tuberculosis, that’s why I stay on a dying ranch”
Although I will admit I am a little biased, because I do love Westerns to begin with. Such as “Outlaw Josey Wales” “Good, Bad & The Ugly” “Hang Em High” “Joe Kidd” “Pale Rider” “Unforgiven” “Magnificent Seven” “100 Rifles” “Bandolero” “Guns Of Diablo” etc. This is still a great film.
Until our next installment… make some Popcorn for me: MrZero (R.L.Schwinden)
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