3:10 To Yuma

As I suspected, Ebert was right. This is a great western. Better than TOMBSTONE and possibly better than UNFORGIVEN.

3:10 TO YUMA does so much right that it is difficult to talk about because of the sheer quantity of things that I could discuss; the acting, the writing, the directing - everything feels top notch. As you watch the movie, you realize that a lot of thought has gone into the production - not so much the settings or the action sequences, but the characters and the way that they're portrayed. It is a credit to the writing that each character is so precisely defined, each with their own quirks and principals - never really straying from them - showing the type of consideration not associated with the genre or a big studio film. Nothing that these characters do happens at the convenience of the plot. Sure, during the climax it is possible to contend that Crowe's motivations are foggy - I assure you that they are not.

A brief overview: Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is a downtrodden rancher with two boys and a wife who isn't bored as much as she is uncertain of her husband's patriarchal ability . He has a bum leg from his days fighting in the war and is in danger of losing his farm to the fast-expanding railroad and mounting debt. Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is a ferocious outlaw whose gang has just robbed the railroad for the thirtieth time, leaving only one survivor - MacElroy (Peter Fonda), a bounty hunter who has a history with Crowe.

When Crowe is captured, Bale agrees, for a price, to help transport him to a train depot so that he can be taken to his execution. Needless to say, things to do not go according to plan. Crowe's gang, led by Charly Prince (gonzo Ben Forster) is hot on the trail and killing everything in sight.

I'd like to pause just for a second to marvel at the scary insanity of Ben Forster. He was creepy in HOSATGE, opposite Bruce Willis, but in 3:10 he is in a different stratosphere. This is the way that cold-blooded should be played and be sure to observe him closely in two scenes; one is near the beginning where he assures Crowe that he will be close by, hoping that Crowe needs him as much as he needs Crowe. The second comes near the end - you'll know which - you can see the disbelief in his eyes, exactly when his heart breaks.

There is much that I have left out. Things like Crowe's quiet scene with a mysterious barmaid or his seductive questioning of Bale's wife (Gretchen Mol), or Bale's son, who figures heavily into the proceedings.

What is amazing about 3:10 is that every character is an immovable object - they have their principals, morals, goals, and they rarely stray from them. You could argue that Crowe changes, but I'd disagree. It was always in his character to do what he does. He is a cold-blooded, ruthless killer, but he is also incredibly intelligent. He has ridden with the worst of men, killed countless people, and yet, he philosophizes about religion and human frailty, draws sketches, and contemplates his actions. People expect a heartless outlaw to be heartless, but when the outlaw is this intelligent, you cannot know what to expect and as the movie unfolds, various people are taken back by Crowe's thoughtfulness.

Bale is different. There are expectations for a person like him too, but he never knew just how low they were and how far he is from exceeding them. He is steadfast in his principals and loyal to his family, but you sense that everything he is doing is for himself, as if purpose finally dawned on him. This is where the writing and acting rise above genre standards; Bale acts so much with his eyes. His character says little, but there is an exhaustion in his eyes, like he's been living a lie or hasn't really been living at all. The movie goes through great pains to establish that Bale's family and his farm are important, but you sense that Bale has always wanted to do something unequivocal and in Wade, he has found his catalyst.

Setups like this can make for great cinema. Two smart, strong, and evenly matched adversaries going at it. The difference here - and what separates 3:10 - is that neither character has a bloodlust for the other. Neither is eager to kill the other because they find each other so fascinating. They circle one another, test for weaknesses, and find an equal.

As it is with so many enemies, these two might have been friends in another life.

Then again, who knows?