The 3.10 from Yuma

I had meant to see this in the Cinema. It has two of my favourite actors. Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe. So Mr Crowe, who we remember from Master and Commander,Gladiator and  LA Confidential, a film I mean to pick up on DVD.
Mr Bale, plays Batman, and was the American Psycho
Its a straight forward piece. A western, Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, an outlaw, a black hat, who after robbing a stage coat, is captured. Bale, plays a rancher, a crippled rancher. Prosthetic foot, down on luck, behind on his payments. Bale had his herd stampeded, and his barn burnt as a warning to pay up. Looking for his herd, Bale stumbles across Wade. Who removed his horses. As Bales teenage boy observes They were not worth stealing.
Bale brings the bloody and beaten, Pinkerton. Into town, there Bale confronts, his banker. Who refuses to take, his medal in hock. The land is worth more with him gone. His farm's water has been dammed, there is a drought. His boy is sick.
(Consumption, lurks in the back ground in this Motion picture. A barmaid, Crowe seduces, moved out west, for the dry air. )
Bale strides into the Bar, and disturbs, a post coital Crowe.
There follows an exchange between Bale, and Crowe. Bale wanting release from his debts. Is confronted by Wade/Crowe. Crowe seemingly wanting a quiet life, pays Bale for the trouble he put him too. A days work, and the price of a cow. During this exchange the forces of law and order, in Bisbee. Manage to surround the notorious Wade
Beeves,- Cattle
Ben Wade, quotes from the bible, often. He had read it after being abandoned by his mother, at a train station.
Proverbs: 3-13. Book of Proverbs, is one of his favourites
Wade, later chides the Pinkerton, with having never read another book.
Wade carries a black handled  inlaid  with crucifix Pistol. ``The hand of God,'' its supposed to be cursed. It goes without saying Wade is a crack shot
With Wade, in gaol. The Pinkerton, is attended by the vet. There is a nice line, about being able to have a conversation with one of his patients.
Wade is reckoned to have killed 22 Men, cost 40 000 dollars worth of losses, to the Southern pacific. No one is keen to take him into custody, as his gang, lead by Ben Foster. Who was Angel in X men. I had thought it was Giovanni Ribisi
Well, Bale volunteers to ride shotgun, with Crowe. A man who killed more men, the the drought. For a chance to pay of his debts. If he can get him to Contention, and from there onto the 3.10...
If ....
There is a subplot, with Bales teenage son. 14, and Proud. He his sick of the constant humiliation. A great performance by the young actor. Whose express contempt, and wounded pride. Who just can admire his father.

He takes the lead, in rescuing the horses, and saddles from the burning barn. Watching Crowe in awe  over the dinner table. Bales Wife also takes a shine
We see the West, The Chinese Labourers. There bosses, complaining about their pay. We see rogue Apache's and Pinkerton's.  The future is coming. There is a torture scene with electrodes. The Gombeen man, notes, that the capture of Wade, will put the town of Bisbee on the Map.  But for now, the Fifth Cavalry are a day away, and the Apache still ride.

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