#77 , 9/15 – 3:10 To Yuma (2007) (tofw)

As is probably obvious by now, sometimes I watch a movie and think to myself “gee, this reminds me of a movie I’d pretty much forgotten about until this moment and I ought to go back and give it another watch.” In this case, I couldn’t help being reminded of The Proposition which I’d described last year as “a scummy, brutal movie about scummy, brutal people doing scummy, brutal things.” I think I stand by that, but in little and big ways this version of 3:10 to Yuma seemed to echo things I’d forgotten about The Proposition and it’s given me an urge to sit down and watch it again. In fact, in some ways 3:10 To Yuma seemed to me a much friendlier, scrubbed clean version of the Australian film.

Of course, to be fair to 3:10 to Yuma, it obviously isn’t a knockoff of The Proposition (whether it owes a debt to High Noon, however, is another question entirely). But since I’ve neither read the short story by Elmore Leonard nor seen the first Hollywood adaptation, my head has no other clear reference points (besides, again, High Noon). And as I just remarked to someone earlier today “All westerns remind me of all other westerns.”

Yes, you could probably say that about other genre films, too (most horror movies remind me of most other horror movies, for instance), but I say it with some level of disdain whenever I’m talking about westerns. For some reason, despite my best efforts, I’ve never really been all that keen on them. But I’ve always enjoyed perceptive reads on westerns like Self-Styled Siren’s well-put argument: “On the most basic level Westerns are, always and without exception, about manhood. They ask, Who’s the man here? Is it me? How do I make it me?”.

I agree. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is what’s at the heart of 3:10 to Yuma. The only question, I guess, is how much I care.

OK, no, there’s one more question. Why do I want to see The Proposition again?

Both questions have the same answer: I’m not sure.