In this beautifully shot, psychologically complex western, Van Heflin is a mild-mannered cattle rancher who takes on the task of shepherding a captured outlaw (played with cucumber-cool charisma by Glenn Ford) to the train that will deliver him to prison. This apparently simple mission turns into a nerve-racking cat-and-mouse game that tests each man’s particular brand of honor. Based on a story by Elmore Leonard, 3:10 to Yuma is a thrilling, humane action movie, directed by the supremely talented studio filmmaker Delmer Daves with intense feeling and precision.
Long before it was re-made, I treasured this modest gem of a western.
From the first notes of its mournful, affecting theme to to the poignant finale it draws you in and keeps you riveted as the tension mounts. It accomplishes this by keeping to the Aristotelian unities: a single theme about a single protagonist on a single day. Yes, there is an obvious parallel to **High Noon**.
Though cast as a villain for the only time in his career, Glen Ford’s natural likability shines through in the role of gang boss Ben Wade. Van Heflin’s Dan Evans is Everyman–no hero but spurred to heroism by desperate circumstances and devotion to family. In contrast to Heflin’s homeliness is the godlike physical perfection of the young Richard Jaeckel as the outlaw gang’s second-in-command, smart, dangerous, utterly amoral yet loyal unto death to his boss.
There is not a bad performance anywhere. But I must single out Felicia Farr as the lonely barmaid who gives Ford a last, quick good time, and craggy-faced Ford Rainey as a town Marshal with a plan.
With its mix of deep focus shots and closeups of the actors’ faces, the cinematography was the obvious inspiration to Sergio Leone in his spaghetti western series.
Also Known As (AKA): El tren de las 3:10, 3h10 pour Yuma, Quel treno per Yuma, O Comboio das 3 e 10, Three Ten to Yuma, Zähl bis drei und bete
BRRip 720p | MKV | 1280 x 720 | x264 @ 2560 Kbps | 1h 32mn | 2.05 GB
Audio: English AC3 5.1/1.0 @ 448/160 Kbps | Subs: English (embedded)
Genre: Thriller, Western
