Normally, the western isn’t the genre I gravitate towards, but when done right, I can get behind it. And I think 3:10 to Yuma, Delmer Daves’ 1957 superb adaptation of the 1953 Elmore Leonard short story, is definitely one of the last great black and white westerns.
Buy 3:10 to Yuma (Criterion Collection)The always underrated Van Heflin is Dan Evans, a down-and-out Arizona rancher who agrees to escort captured outlaw and murderer Ben Wade (a sinisterly cool Glenn Ford) from Bisbee to Contention City, where Wade will be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma for his trial. The simple mission tests both the men’s code of honor as Dan battles Wade’s deranged henchmen and tries to resist the large sum of money Wade offers in exchange for his freedom.
During the film’s brisk 92-minute running time, there is enough psychology and tension throughout the film that keeps you on your toes. The characters are not completely good or bad; they are pretty complex. There are also themes of pained marriage and risky financial gain added to the mix. It’s not your typical western and it has an unexpected moment of spiritual catharsis at the end that gives you some odd relief (unlike its more successful 2007 James Mangold remake). It’s one of the hidden gems of the western genre because it feels more real than other films like it. It’s more about humanity than being a hero.
Making its 4K UHD debut from Criterion this week, I bet the film’s cinematography and vistas will feel more defined. Just like the original Blu-ray and DVD releases, there’s only the interviews with author Elmore Leonard and actor Glenn Ford’s son and biographer, Peter Ford, but they’re both great. There’s also the amazing essay by critic Kent Jones.
3:10 to Yuma is classic western storytelling at its most sobering and I think this 4K reissue will make a solid addition to your collection, assuming you like a little nuance in your westerns.
Other releases:
Keeper 4K (Decal Releasing/Neon): Osgood Perkins’ latest creepfest stars Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland as a couple celebrating their anniversary at a remote cabin. When the husband leaves, the wife is left alone to confront a sinister presence that exposes the cabin’s disturbing past.
10 Rillington Place (Alliance Entertainment): Richard Fleischer’s chilling 1971 true-crime thriller starring Sir Richard Attenborough as British serial killer John Christie, who committed ghastly crimes in his West London flat during the 1940s. Also starring John Hurt and Judy Geeson.
