“What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law.” Romans 7: 7a
We walk a road that isn’t always clearly marked as black or white, right or wrong. Yet in the worldview of James Mangold’s 3:10 To Yuma, there is a right, and there is a wrong. Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) represents the wrong and he knows it. Dan Evans (Christian Bale) represents what is right, even if he does not know it at the start!
3:10 To Yuma ranks among the greatest westerns filmed in my admittedly brief lifetime. Granted, I was not yet a twinkle in my parents’ eye during the golden era of the western, but this film is a truly special one. Mangold’s film improves in almost every way from the 1957 original. In that very solid original film the “feel good”-ness of the 1950s did not do this stark material a service. 2007’s remake grounds itself not in the conventions of the world of film, but in the territory of real life. In both films, Ben Wade and his gang rob a carriage and head for Mexico. When Ben Wade stays behind to indulge in the love of a woman, he is caught by an outmatched group of lawmen. They know Wade’s gang will come looking for him, so they enlist Dan Evans to escort Wade to Yuma in order to get on the titular train and go to trial for his many crimes. Evans and Wade embark upon an epic battle of wills, with Wade seeking his freedom at every possible opportunity, and his gang bringing the threat of death to everyone trying to imprison their leader. Evans needs the money he will make from the completion of this job if he is to keep his farm and his family from upending. But soon money isn’t the motivation behind this job. Wade and Evans undergo a life changing journey as they approach Yuma.
3:10 to Yuma is not only exciting, well-acted, and engaging, but it also reveals a deep sense of spirituality; of right and wrong. Russell Crowe’s character is a fascinating villain who quotes scripture and speaks with a deep understanding of God and His law. Dan Evans’ character is a believing man, a family man, who has lost his leg in war, and is on the brink of losing his farm and home. He has seen very little evidence of God’s presence in his life for many years and his sense of integrity is waning. What a wonderful set-up: A villain who knows the ways of God and lives to flaunt his wickedness, and a hero who has lost believe in what is right and is simply bent on surviving. This film is truly about these two men, the decisions they make, and the journey they take together.
Ben Wade is a ruthless killer, womanizer, thief, and outlaw. But he is SO loveable! Wade is the type of wild west outlaw idolized by boys who read pulp fictions (such as Evans’ own son). He revels in his sins, charms women as a hobby, spends money frivolously, and knows deep down that one day judgment is coming. Ben Wade believes in God, he knows the law, and he chooses his path in spite of God. (Romans 7: 7a) He sins boldly and without remorse. Perhaps, the viewer learns, Wade has become this way because he does not believe in selflessness or love. He has never experienced either, so he gives neither. And when he is captured, he is like an animal in a cage…he will use all of his ferocity and guile to free himself.
Dan Evans, on the other hand, also knows right from wrong, but can’t seem to eek out a living by doing what is right. Evans’ is behind in payments on his land. He is desperate to maintain a home for his family. When that landowner refuses to offer him grace, he tells Dan something that sums up the loss of Dan’s hope: “Sometimes a man has to be big enough to know how small he is.” With those words Dan loses any hope of keeping his land and his home. It is at that moment that he seizes an opportunity to collect on arresting Ben Wade. His life is endangered, but what other choice does he have? Evans focus is on survival, not on justice. But in squaring off with Wade, he will soon need to take a stand for justice or risk his own soul in the process.
3:10 To Yuma never falters or stumbles in a complex tale of two men on a journey. Where the 1957 original often charmed, it never quite rang true. Mangold’s version fills in each character and shows us what happens when our views of right and wrong are challenged. I can’t reveal much more at the risk of ruining many of the plot developments of this gem. But I will note that Wade becomes witness to true selflessness in the form of Evans. What does a man who has lived his whole life believing only in man’s depravity do when he is faced with selflessness and love, not to mention justice? What does a man who only wants to save his family do when he is faced with life and death, as well as the opposite end of the same justice that Wade is facing? 3:10 To Yuma explores these questions in a realistic, gritty, and exciting way.
