I kept thinking the character reminded me of Richard Widmark, but perhaps there was a touch of Henry in there too. Peter Fonda has a wonderful role as a grizzled old bounty hunter and even though I knew he was in the movie it took me forever to recognize him.
There are lots of dead bodies littering up the landscape, but the blood and guts movie style of Peckinpah is thankfully missing and we are left with a character study wrapped up in an action, chase flick. 3:10 to Yuma is an interesting merging between the old-fashioned westerns of long ago and the new psychological metaphors of modern movie-making. The interaction between these two fine actors and how their characters end up on the continuum between good and evil is the focus of the movie. As a man trying to provide for his family and gain the respect of his older son, he gives a captivating performance as an average man struggling to do what is right while faced with overwhelming obstacles. Slowly the layers and truths of Dan are revealed until he is laid bare, with all his regrets and failings threatening to define him. Christian Bale turns in another intricate portrayal as the rancher, Dan Evans.
There is a hint of gentleness and sensitivity and even though you suspect childhood damage might have produced a man capable of such evil, you never doubt the viciousness this character is capable of. There are indications from the start that Ben isn't your standard villain, and Russell does a great job at showing the shadings in this character while maintaining the threatening nature of Ben Wade. Russell is the perfect actor to play Ben Wade bringing a depth and humanity to a character who is established early on as a dangerous, ruthless outlaw. He gives a sensitive, nuanced performance and holds his own against some powerhouse acting from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Being a fan of the TV series Jack and Bobby, it was great seeing Logan again and enjoying his work. It is a story of youth with a riveting performance by a young Logan Lerman as a rancher's son who doubts his father's worth and struggles to come to terms with his expectations of what makes a man great and who he will idolize. When faced with extraordinary circumstances how far will a man go to do the right thing and what price separates good and evil. As most westerns ultimately are, this was a movie about the measure of a man. If you are willing to suspend belief and enjoy the ride, it is a very satisfying movie filled with action, suspense and terrific acting showcasing the intricacies of complicated men. I just didn't love it because of a few too many plot holes and inconsistencies. Being a fan of westerns from a young age, I really wanted to like this movie and I did.
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