YOM Blog Review: 3:10 to Yuma

I recently watched the original 3:10 to Yuma from 1957, which I have to admit was much better than I expected it to be. Going into it, I thought I was going to be watching an hour and a half of gunslinging, which is perfectly fine if you're in the mood for it.

Of course, there is a fair amount of shooting; this is a western after all. But what this movie has that makes it so unique is wonderfully detailed and well-crafted characters placed into situations where they rely not just on guns but pointed words and psychological intimidation.

Taking place in Arizona in the late 19th century, the story follows hard-working, stoic rancher Dan Evans played by Van Heflin, who agrees to help a posse capture gang leader Ben Wade, played by Glenn Ford. Evans and his two sons witness a robbery by Wade's gang, which results in the driver of the seized stagecoach being killed and Evans' cattle being stolen.

After the posse captures Wade, Evans - lured by the prospect of a reward that will help his family financially - agrees to escort the gang leader to jail on the 3:10 train to Yuma via Contention City. However, Wade's gang quickly becomes smart to the plan and vows to get its leader back. Once the posse brings Wade to Contention City, Evans stands guard with the villain in a hotel room.

This is where the movie really gets good because this is essentially where the acting sets in. Ford (who in many reviews and round-ups of this movie is depicted as being cast "against type") is excellent in these scenes, presenting Wade as both dastardly and charming at the same time. Wade is both clever and villainous, but as these scenes progress, Ford begins to peel away the layers to reveal a human being with dreams and the understanding of a moral code. At one point, he might try to persuade Evans to give up the train expedition, citing its futility, and join his gang; at another point, he might lament that he's never been able to settle down and find himself a wife.

The whole time in the hotel room seems like a stand-off of sorts, but without shooting. It's a stand-off of patience and wit. And Heflin (definitely an underrated and largely forgotten-about actor due to his everyman looks and subsequent everyman roles) balances Ford perfectly, with Evans only speaking once he's calculated his words precisely. Evans rarely loses his patience and keeps his mind fixated on the goal - getting Wade on that train - even after his friends and allies either get killed or back out due to the danger at hand.

What makes the relationship between Wade and Evans so interesting is the level of respect that is depicted between the two of them. Although the situation they are in undoubtedly forces them to be foes, these are both people with strong wills and minds who understand each other well. Wade understands that Evans is doing this for the good and respect of his family. Evans understands Wade must make a living and would normally not get involved if the reward and his family's respect for him were not in question.

This level of respect is what makes the ending seem so rich. Left alone to chaperone Wade to the train, Evans is faced by gang members shooting at him from all directions. Just as Evans is cornered, Wade opts to forgo his gang and be taken on the train with Evans. As he says, he wanted to save Evans' life as Evans had saved his life back at the hotel when the brother of the driver shot at the beginning tried to kill him. And, anyway, as Wade said, "That's all right, I've broken out of Yuma before." As they look on from the train, there is a sense of calm, one you would expect from Evans (who sees his wife waving to him on the side of the railroad tracks) but wouldn't expect from a guy who is going to jail.

Interest to Young Fans

The first and most obvious angle is that the movie was recently remade into a big-time blockbuster with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. As I mentioned in a previous post, pairing remakes with their originals is a good way of getting people into old movies.

Obviously, westerns are not for everybody especially nowadays, given that only a handful of legitimate westerns have been made over the past 20 years (Unforgiven, The Assassination of Jesse James...). However, this movie is different from most, taking a more psychological and character-focused push, more in the lines of High Noon or The Searchers. In fact, 3:10 to Yuma is often bucketed together with High Noon as both represent a man facing a difficult problem by himself. Once you get through this one, I'd suggest trying those as they are both classics and on the AFI's Top 100 Movies list.

How to Get into Old Movies...Part 8

Part 8: Find a Local Classic Film Festival


I am lucky enough to live close to West Orange, NJ, where the arts council has been hosting its own classic film festival for the past few years. Unfortunately, I just recently learned about this great program but have been lucky enough to take advantage of it this year.

The first film of the festival was The Wild Bunch, one I had previously seen and only moderately liked. It's hard for me to not like a movie with William Holden, possibly my favorite classic movie actor, in it. However, it's a movie slightly grating for the abundance of gore and mostly unlikable characters. After the film, Stephen Whitty, the film critic for The Star-Ledger, spoke about the film's significance, filling in gaps for the audience using anecdotes and how-it-was-made trivia.

I, as well as my girlfriend who doesn't particularly like westerns, was able to walk away with a newfound appreciation for the film.

Granted this isn't always feasible, depending on where you live (I say this because I feel most occur in big cities), but finding a local classic film festival is an excellent way to get into films. Usually, the film choices are multifaceted, varying from genre to genre, color to black-and-white and American classics to foreign. This is perfect because it opens the viewer up to a wide array of film types.

Usually, there is an expert - sometimes a local film professor, historian or critic - available before or after a film to discuss it and its relevance to cinema and society. As I mentioned in my post about film classes, it is nice for one's appreciation of a film to have somebody further explain the significance of certain parts about movies, showing you things you might not have understood even if you've already viewed the film.

One great thing about festivals is that the people there are fellow fans excited to both see the movies and talk to you about them, another forum for piquing somebody's interest in classic films.

A few ways to find a classic film festival:

• Turner Classic Movies has been hosting a classic film festival for the past few years, although you'd have to drop some cash to get there as it is usually located in Los Angeles and fairly expensive
• Check out local municipalities' arts councils
• See if any local colleges host any festivals
• Other film festivals - ones that don't necessarily focus on classic films - might feature a classic or two
• Check out the offerings at small-town, independent theaters, especially ones that play obscure movies, such as indies, foreign films and, yes, older movies