The Big Picture

• James Mangold's remake of 3:10 to Yuma adds emotional complexity that deepens the original story.
• Christian Bale and Russell Crowe's chemistry adds moral nuance to their characters.
• The epic conclusion complicates the traditional Western shootout, and emphasizing honor over victory.

The Western genre is one of the oldest in cinematic history; 1903’s The Great Train Robbery kicked off a style of American storytelling that has grown and evolved over the course of a century. Many of these stories are inherently similar, so it's not unusual to see remakes of some of the most iconic classics within the genre. Films like The Magnificent Seven, True Grit, Ned Kelly, and Rio Lobo spawned new adaptations, so the idea of remaking Delmer Daves’ 1957 classic 3:10 to Yuma was not particularly egregious. While some remakes have failed to find a reason to replicate perfection, director James Mangold unlocked the central relationship within the story to make his 2007 film even stronger than the original. That is certainly not a statement that can be made lightly considering how influential Daves’ original film was, but Mangold injected the same emotional complexity, sensitive depiction of masculinity, and heartbreaking realism to 2007’s 3:10 to Yuma that he did in Ford vs. Ferrari, Logan, Walk the Line, and Girl, Interrupted. Although there are a great deal of respctable (yet not extraordinary) remakes out there, Mangold's version of 3:10 to Yuma is deeper, darker, and more emotionally complex than the original classic.

The original film centers on a tense bond between the struggling rancher and family man Dan Evans (Van Heflin), a combat veteran who is content on staying at his home and mentoring his young children. However, financial struggles have hit his family hard, and Evans gets word that the ruthless outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) must be taken to prison by train. Evans gradually decides to accept the job when none of the other men in the community are brave enough to do so, as they know that Wade’s gang will seek to set him free before the 3:10 departs. While Heflin and Ford's verbal sparring is entertaining, the remake gives both characters more depth and identifies the radically different morality that they both live by. While it’s just as tense and exciting, Mangold inserts the dynamic between Evans (Christian Bale) and Wade (Russell Crowe) in the 2007 film that feels like the two have reached some sort of understanding. Mangold's version of 3:10 to Yuma transforms an enjoyable standalone chase movie into a larger commentary on Western movie archetypes and what defines gunslingers and outlaws. In an era where so many remakes and reboots are coasting entirely on nostalgia, Mangold created a compelling new version that sought to deepen the source material.

Christian Bale and Russell Crowe Have Great Chemistry in '3:10 to Yuma'

The Western genre has always relied upon star power, particularly in its Golden Age between the new revival with John Ford’s 1939 sensation Stagecoach and the introduction of the “spaghetti” style in 1964’s A Fistful of Dollars. Not every Western that John Wayne, James Stewart, Yul Brennan, or even Glenn Ford himself was necessarily equal in terms of quality, but their simple charisma and line delivery never wavered; audiences could expect that Gary Cooper was just going to do something cool, even if it’s not a classic like High Noon. In the case of 3:10 to Yuma, Heflin, and Ford are both chewing the scenery in an enjoyable way; Heflin gets to lean backward in moral outrage, and Ford gets to spew vile insults and highlight his cruelty during their journey together. It’s more grounded so that they’re not caricatures, but both actors are more or less sticking close to familiar personas. Comparatively, Bale and Crowe insert a moral nuance that shows how Evans and Wade might not be as different as they think they are. Bale and Crowe are clearly very dedicated actors who sought to ground their characters in some sense of historical accuracy. Evans is merely a family man who wants to be left alone, and doesn't consider himself to be a hero by any stretch of the imagination. On the other hand, Wade is a man who has never conformed to the standards of the law, and doesn't seem to enjoy being cruel just for the sake of it. As with any great story, the terms "hero" and "villain" are entirely subjective ones.

If Heflin’s version of Evans is skeptical about taking in Wade for the sympathetic, but rather simplistic reason that he wants to protect his family from danger, then Bale inserts a deeper sense of regret and mourning. Bale perfectly shows the effects that Evans' service in the military have on him, as he is beyond desperate to ensure that he never has to witness the same amount of violence and bloodshed ever again; Bale is savvy enough of an actor to leave some aspects of Evans' post-traumatic stress disorder up to the audience's interpretation, as the conversations about mental health were relatively rare during this period in history. Evans’ daily routine is a grueling one, and he’s not given any more respect in his community due to his status as a decorated veteran with injuries from war; there’s a startling moment early on when he’s confronted about his debts by the terrifying ranch hand Tucker (Kevin Durand), who works for the local collector. Evans knows that taking the job is critical for his family’s future, but is also tired of violence, warfare, and hatred. He’s done his best to purge these memories, and Wade is just a reminder of the types of depravity he saw in the Civil War. Mangold’s version also gives more insight into his sons, with Logan Lerman giving a terrific youthful performance as William, the older of the two who dreams of traveling and heroism, only to be rebuffed by his father’s safety concerns.

Crowe is more of a cold, calculating villain than Ford was in the original; he has a directness in his tonality that is scarier than any over-the-top speech could be. His simple line to his men at the beginning that they will just tie up and ransom Wade if he becomes a threat is chilling, as he continues to show an active disregard for living things. What's fascinating about Crowe's performance is that Wade seems to acknowledge the role that he occupies during a few telling moments with Evans and his son; while not regretful of what he has done, Evans does understand that at some point in his life, he was going to have to face some serious repercussions for the various crimes that he committed. It helps that Crowe is aided by an incredible performance by Ben Foster as his second-in-command, Charlie Prince, another character that isn’t as critical in the original. Prince operates like a machine and the rest of the gang is unflinchingly loyal, so as a result, Wade’s conversations with Evans feel like he’s looking for truth when he’s been treated to nothing but admiration. Foster is certainly one of the most severely underappreciated actors working today, so it's great to see him given such a sizable role, especially when so many "villain sidekick" characters can be treated as little more than an afterthought.

James Mangold Creates an Epic Conclusion in His '3:10 to Yuma'

Mangold complicates the audience's understanding of what a final shootout in a Western should look like; while traditionally a Western ends with the viers rooting for the heroes to reign victorious by defeating the main villains, 3:10 to Yuma builds to a tragedy when the film threatens to split up its most exciting character dynamic. Neither man has any grand assumptions that they’ll change the other’s mind, but a healthy acknowledgment emerges; Wade can respect that Evans is acting out of honor and for the sake of his children, and Evans knows that whatever consequences Wade will face legally will hardly prevent him with a total of all his crimes. Interestingly, it's Wade who is attempting to be reasonable amidst the final shootout; he tries to take advantage and strangle Evans as his men arrive not to kill him, but to take him out of commission before the violence unfolds, as he knows Prince will have no sympathy. Evans’ children have escaped, but his allies grow thin, and Wade understands that he’s now acting out of personal honor. He’s committed in a way that earns Wade’s begrudging respect; he ends up agreeing to an arrest, as he’s already escaped from Yuma Prison before, and would now only be temporarily sidelined so that Evans’ sons can see their father as a hero.

Although it features the type of practical stunt work that puts most modern action movies to shame, 3:10 to Yuma keeps the dramatic stakes high in its exhilarating final set piece. While Wade saving Evans in the original is more of a cool moment that makes the conclusion more memorable, it’s a fully developed choice in the remake. Not only does Wade help Evans avoid gunfire, but he eventually turns on his own men and strikes them down one by one in cold blood. It’s a shocking moment where it’s clear Wade could have escaped at any point in the entire film, in what is a deeply moving statement on Mangold’s part. As he’s shown throughout the film, victory is temporary, but honor is what makes someone a legend. This is perhaps why both versions of the film work so well in relation to each other. If the original 3:10 to Yuma felt like a "tall tale" inspired by real events, then Mangold's version of the story feels closer to the way that things may have actually gone down.

Of course, anyone familiar with Mangold's work knows that he is a massive Western buff, even if 3:10 to Yuma is the only straightforward gunslinger movie that he has ever made. Mangold broke through with the classic Sylvester Stallone star vehicle Copland, which anchored the idea of "frontier justice" from the Western genre into a modern depiction of police brutality. Similarly, Mangold's X-Men spinoff film Logan managed to stand out in an era of superhero fatigue because it was styled like classic westerns like Unforgiven and Shane. Considering that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was one of Mangold's least positively reviewed thus far (and a fairly significant box office disaster that sunk Walt Disney Pictures' summer movie season), it would be great to see him return to his roots and helm another western. It's a genre that he clearly understands, as 3:10 to Yuma is a product of someone who has seen what Western films can do to appeal to a modern audience of both hardcore fans and newbies alike.

3:10 to Yuma is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix