This is a western movie steeped in the traditions of New Mexico. The movie is adapted from a short story by Elmore Leonard. The opening scene is where Dan Evans, played by Christian Bale, is awakened in the night by noises in his ranch yard. When he gets to the window he sees his barn is on fire and the culprits riding away. He tries to save the things in the barn but is outrun by his oldest son William, played by Logan Lerman. Dan falls in his rush and you see that he has only one complete leg. He has failed in life as seen through the vision taken by his son, who is only fourteen.

The next day Dan and his two sons travel away from the ranch house to round up their cattle. Dan wants to settle with the moneylender. In searching for the cattle Dan and his sons observe a stagecoach robbery at its conclusion, where they see the systematic killings of the guards. The leader of the gang is Ben Wade, portrayed by Russell Crowe. His second-in-command is Charlie Prince, played by Ben Foster, a deadly protective murderer.

The Evans family goes down the hill and checks out the stagecoach. They discover only one survivor, a Pinkerton, Byron McElroy, played by Peter Fonda. He is put on a board and dragged toward town. Ben Wade is discovered in town and Dan steps up with the help of a money incentive to arrest Ben Wade. The Pinkerton survives and helps in the movement of Ben Wade to the larger town and the train to Yuma. Several of the posse members that are taking Ben to the train are killed on this trip.

Arriving in town, begins the tale of good versus evil. Now to the end of the movie, it is a continued conflict with mental struggles between good and bad. The ultimate question is, will Dan Evans do the right thing? The temptations are great as the viewer sees more of the life choices taken by both characters. It is just one/half mile walk to the station from the hotel to catch the 3:10 to Yuma. Can he make it and does he want to do it?   The gang, not wanting Ben Wade to get on the train to Yuma, galvanizes the town against the law. We now have a big gunfight with all the bad guys and the town people getting involved.

This was a great western movie with all the things you would want and have grown up to expect. This movie is on my Top 100 Best Western Movies List. You can find them on my sidebar. I recommend this movie to all western buffs as well as those viewers who view the western movies or books as a part of America’s western mystic.

An excellent realistic western set in 1882.  The story really begins with the introduction of a natural event, a serious rainstorm, and how it changed people’s lives. The rain continued to move and guide the movie with each successive rainstorm.

 Boss Spearman is the character that moves the story, played by Robert Duval, the ultimate in a real-life western man.  Charley Waite, played by Kevin Costner who also directed this western, is a glimpse into the past.  He looks and gives you the feeling of the cowboy he portrays.  The only woman with any extended dialogue is the female character of Sue Barlow, played by Annette Benning. She does a great job looking and portraying a woman of the time.

There are two villains. One is the controller and one is the hired gun-hand.  The big rancher is Denton Baxter, played by the British actor Michael Gambon. He is the controller. The hired gun-hand is Butler, played by Kim Coates.  Both characters show the audience how it was when the power of one man is out of check.    

The story is about “freegrazers”, those western cattlemen that did not own an individual ranch but had cattle that they kept moving.  After the cattle eat the grass down in a particular place they move on to a new spot.  In this instance, the rain stopped them and the real conflict began.  The town, Harmonville, is where the movie turns on the idea that all parties handle circumstances in the moment. 

Gunfights were not a common happening in real time but when they did happen they were dramatic and final.  The conflict builds during the movie. The rain continues giving the image of things out of control.  It seemed to me that the problems and actions taken were all within the scope of the story and time. The shoot-out begins late in the movie and then moves fast.  The personal relationships turn and twist but continue in a reasonable manner to a positive conclusion.

 The scenery was vast and involving.  Running horses and grazing cattle continues to draw you into the western theme of the movie.  The music is commanding and plays into the western image of the time.  The sounds got me pumped up and continued to keep me up.

 I put this movie in my list of Favorite Western movies. (See my list here.) In fact this one is in my top ten.