3:10 to Yuma (1957)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Written by Halsted Welles, based on a story by Elmore Leonard
Directed by Delmer Daves
Starring Van Heflin, Glenn Ford, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Emhardt, Sheridan Comerate, Ford Rainey, Robert Ellenstein, Henry Jones, and Felicia Farr

Features:

• Trailers
  

Released by: Columbia-Tristar
Region: 1
Rating: NR, safe for 10+, mild screen violence
Anamorphic: Yes.

My Advice: Buy it if you love Westerns, but at least rent it.

This is truly an unusual Western in that it features only one real gunfight; the real action is instead between two men: the honorable Dan Evans (Helfin) and the prisoner, outlaw Ben Wade (Ford). After Ben’s capture, Dan, a poor, down-and-out farmer, has been paid to guard Ben until the train comes, the titular 3:10 to Yuma. Ben, meanwhile, seems quite unworried about this, and he proceeds to play mind-games with Dan and use his knowledge of human nature to show Dan just how alone the would-be family man really is.

The acting is truly incredible. As strange as it is to see Glenn Ford as the villain of a film, he does a marvelous job of being the cold, manipulative, but still human train robber. Meanwhile, Heflin does a phenomenal job of being the conflicted, tempted deputized citizen who just wants to use the reward money to feed his family--but Ben’s bribe would go even further towards helping his family. The secondary characters are all equally convincing, especially Emhardt as the cowardly, but ultimately redeemable, rich man. The only weak link is poor little Felicia Farr, whose character is rushed into love with Ben Wade and is just given nothing of substance to do. But this is a man’s movie and a movie about men’s ethics and ethical dilemmas.

Without being didactic or anything less than entertaining, this film still manages to address some weighty issues. Is Evans’ responsibility to his family more important than his responsibility to himself and his own personal honor? Is honor worth dying for? What is the right thing? Does a couple of train robberies make you evil? And so on. This is a great look into the psyches of two very dissimilar men who might have things in common after all, but not in the way you expect with your modernist film history.

The only real feature is the original trailer, which is nice, if not terribly unusual or creative. Films this old must demand a lot of jumping-through-hoops from producers with regard to special features; too many actors and crew members are, after all, no longer with us.

The audio and video quality are good, especially given how old this film is. There are a few shots that are slightly washed out and overly sunlit, but few, and in general, the film is attractively shot with careful framing and cinematography making the most of the sepia-tinted old film stock. The black-and-white film works well with Westerns, especially stark psychological dramas of this sort.

Overall, if you love Westerns, then you should adore this one. Even if you don’t usually care for movies in the Western vein, then give this one a shot--it really is more about the battle of wills between Evans and Wade and the triumph of honor over safety. There are even a few moments of humor, but certainly the emphasis is on action and drama. A must-buy for Western fans, and a must-rent for everyone else.