3:10 to Yuma(2007 film)

3:10 to Yumais a 2007 Americanwesternaction dramafilm directed byJames Mangoldand produced byCathy Konrad,starringRussell CroweandChristian Balein the lead roles, with supporting performances byPeter Fonda,Gretchen Mol,Ben Foster,Dallas Roberts,Alan Tudyk,Vinessa Shaw,andLogan Lerman.Bale plays a rancher impoverished by drought who takes on the dangerous but lucrative job of taking a notorious outlaw (Crowe) to justice.

3:10 to Yuma
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	James Mangold
Screenplay by	Halsted Welles Michael Brandt Derek Haas
Based on	"Three-Ten to Yuma" 1953 story inDime Western Magazine byElmore Leonard
Produced by	Cathy Konrad
Starring	Russell Crowe Christian Bale Peter Fonda Gretchen Mol Ben Foster Dallas Roberts Alan Tudyk Vinessa Shaw Logan Lerman
Cinematography	Phedon Papamichael
Edited by	Michael McCusker
Music by	Marco Beltrami
Production companies	Relativity Media Tree Line Film
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release dates	August 21, 2007(2007-08-21)(Los Angeles) September 7, 2007(2007-09-07)(United States)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$48–55 million
Box office	$71.2 million

It is the second adaptation ofElmore Leonard's 1953 short story "Three-Ten to Yuma",after the1957 film of the same name.Filming took place in various locations inNew Mexico.3:10 to Yumaopened September 7, 2007, in the United States and received positive reviews from critics.It grossed $71 million worldwide on a budget of $48–55 million.

Plot

In 1884Arizona Territory,Dan Evans is a poor rancher andCivil Warveteran who owes money to Glen Hollander, a local banker in the town ofBisbee.Hollander's men burn down his barn and scatter his cattle as a warning to pay his debts. The next morning, Evans and his two sons search for their herd but stumble upon Ben Wade and his gang robbing astagecoachstaffed byPinkertons.Wade sees Evans and his two sons watching from the hills and decides that they are not a threat to his gang. He takes their horses to prevent them from giving warning about the robbery. Wade promises to leave the horses tied up "on the road toBisbee",so that Evans can recover them. After Wade's gang departs, Evans rescues the lone surviving coach guard, Pinkerton Agent Byron McElroy.

Wade and his gang ride to Bisbee to drink at the localsaloonand divide up their loot. The gang departs but Wade chooses to stay behind to enjoy the company of the barmaid. Evans brings McElroy to veterinarian/lawman Doc Potter to tend his wounds and tries in vain to negotiate his debt with Hollander. Evans finds Wade emerging from an upstairs room in the saloon and coaxes a few dollars from Wade over the trouble he caused Evans. As the two talk, lawmen surround the saloon and arrest Wade.

Grayson Butterfield, the railroad's representative, hires a posse consisting of McElroy, Potter, and Tucker (one of Hollander's men) to take Wade toContention.They are to put Wade on the 3:10 afternoon train toYuma Territorial Prison.Evans asks for $200 to help deliver Wade, in order to pay his debt to Hollander. Butterfield agrees, and the newly formed posse meet at Evans's ranch. McElroy arranges for a decoy wagon to distract Wade's gang in pursuit.

During the journey, Tucker and McElroy provoke Wade; he stabs Tucker to death with a fork stolen earlier from Evans' home and throws McElroy off a cliff after he insults Wade's mother. Wade attempts to escape but is stopped when Evans's son William appears. The group is ambushed byApaches.After Wade kills the warriors, he flees into aChinese laborerconstruction camp. The foreman of the camp captures Wade and the posse arrives to collect him, but the foreman, holding an old grudge against the outlaw, wants to kill Wade. A gunfight breaks out between the two groups, killing Potter while the rest of the posse escape with Wade. They arrive in Contention hours before the train's departure time and check into a hotel, where severallocal marshalsjoin them.

Wade's gang, led by Charlie Prince, ambushes the decoy wagon and kills everyone after learning that Wade is in Contention. The gang offers a $200 cash reward to anyone who kills one of Wade's captors. Numerous men volunteer, causing the town's marshals to desert; Wade's men kill them when they surrender. Butterfield resigns and even offers Evans $200 anyway to walk away for his trouble but after Evans refuses the offer he agrees to keep William safe at Evans's behest. Evans agrees to put Wade on the prison train if Butterfield pays him $1000, escorts his son safely home, grants his farm access to river water, and gets Hollander to leave his family alone.

Evans escorts Wade out of the hotel, and the two make their way across town, evading gunfire from the gang and the townsmen. Wade surprises Evans and nearly strangles him, but relents when Evans reveals that delivering Wade to the train is not only for his family but his honor as well; he finally reveals to Wade that he lost his leg after retreating in the only battle he ever fought when one of his own men accidentally shot him, requiring part of his leg to be amputated. Wade then admits he has already been to Yuma Prison and escaped twice, and agrees to board the train, allowing Evans's contract to be fulfilled and redeeming Evans to his sons.

Wade helps Evans evade his gang and boards the train. Charlie appears and shoots Evans despite Wade's order to stop. Wade steps off the train, comforting Evans in his final moments. When Charlie returns Wade's gun belt, Wade executes him along with the rest of his gang. William appears and draws his gun on Wade but does not kill him, instead turning to his dying father. Wade boards the train and surrenders his weapon. Evans dies as William tells him he accomplished his mission. Butterfield watches the train depart with Wade on it. As the train disappears around a bend, Wade whistles, and his faithful horse gallops after the train.

Cast

• Russell Croweas Ben Wade, the ruthless leader of a gang of outlaws
• Christian Baleas Dan Evans, a one-legged war veteran turned rancher
• Logan Lermanas William Evans, Dan's eldest son, who dreams of adventure
• Dallas Robertsas Grayson Butterfield, an agent of theSouthern Pacific Railroad
• Ben Fosteras Charlie Prince, Ben's ruthless right-hand in the criminal gang
• Peter Fondaas Byron McElroy, an elderly bounty hunter working for the railroad who has history with Wade
• Vinessa Shawas Emma Nelson
• Alan Tudykas Doc Potter, a veterinarian and volunteer lawman
• Gretchen Molas Alice Evans, Dan's wife
• Lennie Loftin as Glen Hollander, Dan's creditor
• Johnny Witworth as Darden
• Kevin Durandas Tucker, a sadistic ranch hand employed by Glen Hollander
• Luke Wilsonas Zeke

Production

In June 2003,Columbia Picturesannounced a negotiation withJames Mangoldto helm a remake of the 1957Westernfilm3:10 to Yuma,based on a script written byMichael BrandtandDerek Haas.After being apart from the project for several years, Mangold resumed his role as director in February 2006. Production was slated to begin in summer 2006.In the same month,Tom Cruiseexpressed an interest in starring as the villain in the film.Eric Banaalso briefly sought a role in the film.

A stagecoach used during filming

In summer 2006, Columbia placed the film inturnaround,and the project was acquired by Relativity Media.Russell CroweandChristian Balewere cast as the main characters and Relativity began seeking a distributor for the film.By September,Lions Gate Entertainmentsigned on to distribute the film.Later in the month,Peter Fonda,Gretchen Mol,Dallas Roberts,Ben FosterandVinessa Shawwere cast. Filming was slated to begin on October 23, 2006, inNew Mexico.On the first day of filming, a rider and his horse were seriously injured in a scene when the horse ran directly into a camera-carrying vehicle instead of veering off as planned. The rider was hospitalized, and the horse had to beeuthanizedon the set. The animal's death prompted an investigation from theAmerican Humane Association.By November, the AHA concluded its investigation, finding that the horse did not respond accordingly due to having received a dual training approach and the rider not being familiar with the mount. The organization recommended no charges against the producers.Principal photography took place in and aroundSanta Fe,Abiquiú,andGalisteo.The Bonanza Creek Ranch represented the film's town ofBisbeeas a "kinder, gentler frontier town" while Galisteo was set up to beContention(now a ghost town), a "much rougher, bawdier, kind of sin city".Others locations were the scenicDiablo Canyonand the Gilman Tunnels (35.734081°N 106.76475°W/35.734081; -106.76475) alongNew Mexico State Road 485.Filming concluded on January 20, 2007.

After filming concluded, the owners of theCerro Pelon Ranchpetitioned to keep a $2 million expansion to the movie set on their property, which was supposed to be dismantled within 90 days. The set of3:10 to Yumamade up 75% of the overall sets on the ranch.The county's development review committee granted their request, which enabled the possibility of future revenue generation.

Release

3:10 to Yumawas originally slated for an October 5, 2007 release, but Lionsgate moved the film's release a month earlier to September 7, 2007, to beat competing Western filmsThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordandNo Country for Old Men.As a result of the move, the studio was not able to use theToronto International Film Festivalas a platform for the film's release, but it was released before a cluster of films similarly vying for awards. According to Lionsgate presidentTom Ortenberg,"In what is shaping up to be a very impressive and crowded field of upscale commercial motion pictures this fall, we wanted to be one of the first ones out, so that everything else will be measured against us." The earlier theatrical run positioned it for a prominent high-definitionBlu-ray DiscandDVDrelease in the first week of January, during awards seasons. Lionsgate similarly planned this strategy forCrash(2004), which won theAcademy Award for Best Picturethat year.

Reception

Box office

3:10 to Yumadebuted in the United States and Canada on September 7, 2007, in 2,652 theaters. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $14 million and ranked #1 at the U.S. and Canadian box office.3:10 to Yumagrossed $53.6 million in the United States and $17.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $71.2 million.

Critical response

On film review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 223 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The remake of this classic Western improves on the original, thanks to fiery performances from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale as well as sharp direction from James Mangold."OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.

Andrew SarrisofThe New York Observersaid "There is more greed-driven corruption in the remake than there was in the original" and that the film is less a remake "than a resurrection of both the film and its now unfashionable genre." Sarris said Fonda and Foster "are especially memorable" and said "the performances of Mr. Crowe and Mr. Bale alone are worth the price of admission."The New Yorkerfilm criticDavid Denbywrote that the film "is faster, more cynical, and more brutal" than the 1957 film. Denby wrote that Fonda "gives an amazingly fierce performance" and that Crowe "gives a fascinating, self-amused performance", saying "Crowe is an actinggenius."Denby said" this is by far [director James Mangold's] most sustained and evocative work. "Denby wrote that" much of this Western is tense and intricately wrought. " Ty BurrofThe Boston Globecalled the film "lean, almost absurdly satisfying." Burr wrote that Crowe and Bale "are among the best, most intuitively creative we have, and whatever transpires offscreen in Crowe’s case, onscreen they only serve their characters. Neither man showboats here, and it’s a thrill to watch them work." Burr said that the character of Ben Wade is "a snake and a snake charmer in one irresistible package" and said Foster as Charlie Prince is "mesmerizing." Burr said "Bale and Crowe never once misstep" and that Mangold "steers clear ofDeadwoodrevisionism. "Burr, however, wrote that the ending" makes little to no sense in a post-Clint Eastwooduniverse. "

Bruce Westbrook of theHouston Chroniclegave the film 3½ stars and called it "the best Western sinceUnforgiven",calling it" both cathartic and intelligent. "He wrote that the film" draws clear inspiration from the lonely heroics ofHigh Noon"and said" While a wildly eventful action-adventure and outlaw shoot-'em-up, it's also a vibrant story of heroism, villainy and hard-earned redemption. "Westbrook said that Crowe and Bale are" at the top of their game "and" Crowe is reliably charismatic as a man who's less craven and bloodthirsty than wise, resourceful and expedient. "Shawn LevyofThe Oregoniangave the film a "B+" and said the film is "grounded in something like the credible realism of aJohn FordWestern but which also can appease the thirsts for blood, wit and tension harbored by fans ofQuentin Tarantino."Levy wrote" The original film spends much time on conversation between Wade and Evans and focuses more on Evans's wife, whereas the new film has more action sequences and is infused subtly with themes that echo ve xing contemporary political and moral issues. "Levy said" Christian Bale gives us another of his wounded, desperate, stubborn men "and" Russell Crowe fills a role originated byGlenn Fordwith a big dose of the mocking charisma, cool discernment and casual cruelty ofRobert Mitchum."Levy said the climax" sews up the narrative too quickly ", but called the film" a fine and sturdy picture. "

The Christian Science Monitorcritic Peter Rainer gave the film a "B+" and wrote "whatAlfred Hitchcockonce said about thrillers also applies to Westerns: The stronger the bad guy, the better the film. By that measure,3:10 to Yumais excellent. "Comparing the film to the 1957 film, Rainer wrote that the film" is larger in scope than its predecessor, and significantly altered in its ending, but essentially it's the same old morality play. "Rainer said the" drippy father-son stuff is the least successful aspect of the movie. "Rainer also wrote" Bale acts as if he's still playing thePOWsurvivalist fromWerner Herzog'sRescue Dawn"and said" his hyperrealistic performance is a drag next to Crowe's dapper prince of darkness. "Rainer said Crowe's" underplaying here is in many ways as hammy as if he were overplaying, and that's just fine. " Richard SchickelofTimesaid "when a movie is as entertaining as this one, you begin to think this formerly beloved genre is due for a revival." Schickel said the 1957 film "was, in my opinion, not as good as a lot of people thought" and said Crowe "never settles for predictability when he's on screen and never lets us settle into complacency as we watch him." Schickel wrote that director Mangold "never loses his crispness or his narrative efficiency." Schickel said the comparisons toUnforgiven"are not entirely apt", saying that "Mangold's offering lacks the blackness and absurdity" of that film. He wrote, "It is more in the vein ofAnthony Mann's westerns of the 1950s — trim, efficiently paced, full of briskly stated conflicts that edge up to the dark side, but never fully embrace it. "

IGNpraised Foster's performance as Charlie Prince, saying, "the real scene-stealer in the film, though, is Foster. Crazy-eyed gunslinger Charlie Prince is like a loyal but wild dog who will maul anyone seeking to hurt his master and would follow him into hell if need be. There is a glance between Ben and Charlie near the end that is one of the most moving and dramatic moments seen in any film this year."UGOranked Foster's character #50 in their "Best Second-In-Commands", saying that "Stepping up to fill Ben Wade's shoes is tough business, but that's the task the psycho cowboy Charlie Prince was left with when his bank robbing leader was wrangled by the police."

Awards and nominations

The film received twoAcademy Awardnominations for the80th Academy Awards.Marco Beltramiwas nominated forBest Original Score,andPaul Massey,David Giammarco,andJim Stuebewere nominated forBest Sound Mi xing.The film also received a nomination forBest Castat the14th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

See also

• List of American films of 2007

External links

• 3:10 to YumaatIMDb
• 3:10 to Yumaat theTCM Movie Database
• 3:10 to Yumaat theAFI Catalog of Feature Films
• 3:10 to YumaatRotten Tomatoes
• 3:10 to YumaatMetacritic
• 3:10 to YumaatBox Office Mojo