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I’ve been wanting to recommend this since we started here and now — thanks to TVNZ+ — I can.
If you get the chance, you really should see the Delmer Davies 1957 original which stars Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. You can rent it from Apple.
The fortunes of the Western rise with the tide of American cinema. During the 70’s indie renaissance we got rugged classics like The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid and The Long Riders, then in the 80’s and 90’s Clint Eastwood re-examined his own mythic West in Pale Rider and Unforgiven . (The less said about Young Guns 1 and 2 the better.)
The past 12 months have offered us two Westerns that are as good as any of the last 30 years: The Assassination of Jesse James and James Mangold’s homage to the classic 3:10 to Yuma which opened in Wellington last week.
Yuma is a story (by Elmore Leonard) with great bones: poor, honest, rancher Christian Bale is suffering because of the drought and for $200 takes on the desperate task of escorting captured outlaw Russell Crowe to Contention City, where he will catch the eponymous train to the gallows.
But Crowe’s gang are on the way to liberate him and Bale’s support is dwindling to nothing. The tension rises as the clock ticks towards three o’clock.
Slightly marred by muddy motivation for Crowe’s character at the end (and by Bale being Bale), 3:10 to Yuma is still fine entertainment with many of the best lines lifted straight from the 1957 original.
Also reviewed in that Capital Times column: Julie Delpy’s 2 Days in Paris, “glossy, multinational” adaptation of Love in the Time of Cholera and excellent Czech comedy I Served the King of England.
Where to watch 3:10 to Yuma
Aotearoa: Streaming on TVNZ+ (free with ads) or Lionsgate+ (An Amazon add-on)
Australia: Streaming on FoxtelNow
Canada: Streaming on Paramount+
Ireland: Digital rental
India: Digital rental
USA: Streaming on Fubo or Paramount+
UK: Digital rental