3:10 to Yuma

I recently started a new small tapestry project of exotic butterflies. As I was finishing the outline of the flowers and butterflies, I decided to take a break and revisit a movie I had not seen since its release in 2007, a remake of a 1957 movie by the same title, " 3:10 to Yuma". The 2007 version stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in the lead roles. Russell Crowe as Ben Wade, the leader of an outlaw gang, and Christian Bale as Dan Evans, an impoverished Civil War veteran turned rancher. What is remarkable about this gritty western is the effect the two men have on each other, and the subtlety in the characterization of the connection that eventually develops between them, ultimately leading to an unexpected apotheosis. It is a moving and very convincing story of how the definition of good and evil comes with a lot of shades of grey when honesty is allowed. Usually, a western is a perfect set-up for a kick-ass story of good and evil with very clear and visible defining lines between these two poles, making  it easy for the audience to cheer for the good guy and delight at the demise of the bad guy. This movie gets very close to it two lead actors, and allows us to build empathy for the hunted outlaw as much as for the injured war veteran, and that does not change when it turns out that Dan Evans is the one who agrees to take in Ben Wade for 200 dollars, so he can pay off his debts and regain his honour with his wife and two young sons. As callous as Ben Wade is as a gang leader, we learn he has some principles, and in the end when he realizes how much this reward money means to Dan Evans, he agrees to allow himself to be taken into custody for prison transport. He knows he has escaped the prison in question twice already, and it would be easy to do again on the train ride there,and it would fulfill the contract for Dan Evans to deliver the outlaw to the train by 3:10.It all seems to work out fine for both men, until Ben Wade's right hand man, Charlie Prince, played flawlessly by Ben Foster, shoots Dan Evans in the back right at the moment Ben Wade boards the train. In a passionate turn of heart, Ben Wade shoots and kills Charlie and the rest of his gang. Dan Evans' teenage son, who helped his father and the outlaw make it to the train, sees how honorably and bravely his father dies and understands that Ben Wade did his part to help his father fulfill his contract. James Mangold as the director and Cathy Konrad as the producer did a great job with the story as did the actors. The chemistry between Russell Crowe and Christian Bale is so well crafted, so believable, so honest. It is also very moving as this is not a story about friendship, but about two men realizing something very profound, namely that decency should transcend ego and conviction and that sacrifice can be understood by saint and villain alike. It is one of the best westerns I have ever experienced. Because this is not a western you watch, it is one you experience, deep in your own psyche, heart and soul. Both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are outstanding in this deeply American portrayal of frontier morality and conflict.