3.10 to Yuma
We watched a great western last night. We are both big western fans having been brought up on John Wayne and Clint Eastwood classics and it's good to have some new western films about, although the one we watched last night was a remake.
The 3.10 to Yuma was originally released in 1957 and starred Glen Ford and Val Heflin as the two main characters. Their parts are played by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the 2007 remake.
The film tells the story of the capture and attempted delivery to prison of a notorious robber Ben Wade (Russell Crowe). A simple farmer, Dan Evans (Christian Bale) gets caught up in the story in an attempt to save his farm and gain the respect of his eldest son.
I have not yet seen the original however I really enjoyed the remake. It has all the tension and sinister feel of a good western along with a good guy you want to win and a bad guy you can't help liking. I can imagine Glen Ford being very effective in the role of Ben Wade as he is a likable character no matter what his sins. I found the same to be true of the charming Russell Crowe.
I watched Russell Crowe is a western a few years ago along with Sharon Stone, Leonardo Dicaprio and Gene Hackman called the Quick and the Dead. It is a slightly less serious western to that which I am used to however I thought the story was original and refreshing and the cast were excellent. I have to say I have never seen Gene Hackman in a role he did not excel in and this is no exception. He is brutal, cruel and terrifying.
The Quick and the Dead tells the story of a girl gunslinger seeking revenge against Gene Hackman for crimes against her family. She returns to the town Gene Hackman controls and takes part in the annual shoot out competition in an attempt to get close enough to him to kill him.
It's an early role for Leonardo Dicaprio but a good one from an actor I have come to respect as he has matured.
Image Credits: The Internet Movie Database & Home Videos respectively.
The 3.10 to Yuma was originally released in 1957 and starred Glen Ford and Val Heflin as the two main characters. Their parts are played by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the 2007 remake.
The film tells the story of the capture and attempted delivery to prison of a notorious robber Ben Wade (Russell Crowe). A simple farmer, Dan Evans (Christian Bale) gets caught up in the story in an attempt to save his farm and gain the respect of his eldest son.
I have not yet seen the original however I really enjoyed the remake. It has all the tension and sinister feel of a good western along with a good guy you want to win and a bad guy you can't help liking. I can imagine Glen Ford being very effective in the role of Ben Wade as he is a likable character no matter what his sins. I found the same to be true of the charming Russell Crowe.
I watched Russell Crowe is a western a few years ago along with Sharon Stone, Leonardo Dicaprio and Gene Hackman called the Quick and the Dead. It is a slightly less serious western to that which I am used to however I thought the story was original and refreshing and the cast were excellent. I have to say I have never seen Gene Hackman in a role he did not excel in and this is no exception. He is brutal, cruel and terrifying.
The Quick and the Dead tells the story of a girl gunslinger seeking revenge against Gene Hackman for crimes against her family. She returns to the town Gene Hackman controls and takes part in the annual shoot out competition in an attempt to get close enough to him to kill him.It's an early role for Leonardo Dicaprio but a good one from an actor I have come to respect as he has matured.
Image Credits: The Internet Movie Database & Home Videos respectively.
I really liked 3:10 to Yuma. It definitely was a movie with a lot of character.
ReplyDeleteI loved 3:10. That was the best new movie I'd seen in a long time.
ReplyDeleteI mean, new as in recently released. I knew it was a remake, but I haven't seen the original.
ReplyDeleteHello Literary Feline! I agree. We tend not to go and see many films at the cinema anymore and save our visits there for the films that will be at their best on the big screen i.e. sci fi or Lord of the Rings etc.
ReplyDeleteWe sometimes go on birthdays too. I seem to remember the release of 'What Women Want' coincided with my birthday one year and I was treated to two hours of Mel Gibson!
As a result we hang around for films to come out on DVD and usually end up seeing them quite late on. Thankfully our video shop has a good section of films from previous months and years.
This one though I would have enjoyed on the big screen. I don't think I've ever seen a western at the cinema and this would have been a good one to start with.
Maybe there will be a resurgence of cowboy films sometime. Did you see this at the flicks?
Hello Lone Chatelaine! I thought you would like this film and wondered if you had seen it.
So are you a fan of the bad or good guy? Christian Bale is lovely and a good man in this film but Russell Crowe's character is....well I have always had a slight tendency towards the adventurous characters, although obviously after meeting me he would quickly see the error of his ways and stop killing people, but the adventurous soul would still be there, and hopefully finding other, non violent outlets!