3:10 to Yuma Reviews

3:10 to Yuma (1957)

I’m a classic movie fan who learned to like movies watching Bill Kennedy on Detroit TV. Bill was a retired actor and one of the early commentators who could give you background and lore on the picture during the breaks. His material was often fascinating and always informative.   I’m sure many of the current commentators got their start listening to Bill or another like him.  This is the original 3:10 to Yuma with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin as the bad guy and good guy, respectively.

A cattleman (Van Heflin), witnesses a robbery where a stage driver was killed then...

As a film genre, the western has a history nearly as long as the cinema itself. The Great Train Robbery I (1903) is generally acknowledged as the first narrative feature film, and the western dominated the American pop culture landscape for much of the 20th century. The western became synonymous with the United States in the eyes of the world. Fifty years ago, when the original 3:10 to Yuma was released, if you were to ask a random foreigner what they knew about the USA, the response would likely have something to do with "cowboys" and "Bang! Bang!".

Which is not to say that it should bother anyone...

Russell Crowe is the bad guy, Christian Bale is the good guy. Christian's
mission: get Russell on the 3:10 to Yuma train so he can stand trial for all of his dastardly
deeds.

Okay, I will no longer start out my reviews of westerns by saying 'I don't
usually like westerns, but...' because apparently I do, Most all of the new 'modern' westerns are very good. Last years 'The Proposition' was excellent. 'Deadwood' is one of the best television dramas ever. And 'Unforgiven' is one of the best movies ever. Now, we have '3:10 to Yuma' which is an outstanding film. Christian and Russell are terrific....

I really can't find anything bad to say about this movie except that I would have preferred a little change in the ending, but I can't go into that without spoilers so I will let it be.  The writing and acting are wonderful.  It's surprisingly funny film but still you get to care for the characters.  I know westerns are expensive to produce and are considered a little cheesy in the overly pretentous hollywood scene, but I really love them and wish they would make a few more if they would make them like this one.   By that I mean we need more westerns where it looks like the actors actually...

I don't like old school westerns that much.  I'm not a big fan of John Wayne, and I don't think Clint Eastwood walks on water.  But I do love Wyatt Earp, so I'm not sure what that says about me.

I will also say that I went to see this movie because I owed my husband a guy film after a chick flick.  I wasn't that interested from what the plot blurbs gave me, but I went anyways.  And I am so glad I did.  Russell Crowe and Christian Bale were awesome together.  Russell Crowe's character was an engaging mix of bad boy and misunderstood man.  Christian Bale played his role as an anguished father...

3:10 to Yuma was an excellent movie.  All of the actors potrayals were natural and believable.  For the get-go I fell into the western old-fashioned style of living and don't realize that I was sitting in a theater until the credits rolled!   Christian Bale continues his amazing acting resume with this great potrayal of a struggling father who wants the best for his family and to live by principles - not money.  Russel Crowe also does an excellent job, never losing his charachters gruffness, even when the scene called for complex emotions that were only represented by actions and not words. ...