This movie brings back the trope of honor, of good vs evil, to the Western, and the Western back to contemporary audiences. What a lucky break for all of us.
Somebody smacked me about the fact that I enjoyed 'Transformers' this year, and I did so for a couple of reasons. The first was that from the perspective of a gamer and a patriot, I really dug how the infantry squad tactics were highlighted in the film. It's something that hasn't been done well since 'Blackhawk Down'. Whereas that was something of a downer of a film, this one was nicely heroic. Of course you can smack me for liking 'nice' heroes, but I never pretended that Transformers was a grownup movie. The other reason was for the various faces and exuberence of actor Shia Laboef. Sue me for spelling his name wrong but the dumbass should change it anyway. He wants to be a movie star doesn't he? Because he's not a kid. Nor is the little girl in Disney's "Game Plan". Their little smart-mouthed grownups, as contrasted to adults.
The kid in 3:10 is a kid, and you know it because he knows what he can and cannot say and he doesn't say much when it comes to adult situations, which is not only realistic but as it should be. A kid who runs away from space aliens that tranform themselves into hot cars demonstrates nothing about courage or character. The kid whose trembling hand holds a gun to the head of a man who holds a gun to the head of his father, that's a decidedly deep moment.
It's not much of a stretch to see how 3:10 works and might have happened. You have a bad man who has the jump on most everyone - who takes what he wants at all times, who lives by his wits and reputation and who keeps a motley crew of killers in tow. He's Ben Wade, and he thinks on his feet, swimming like a shark through the dusty old West preying on Pinkerton stages. He comes across an onery cuss who, motivated by the last shred of decency he has and a bit of desparation, joins a posse to deliver the killer to a prison train.
It's a father and son film and also about how men alone make law in their ethics out in the wilds. It serves to remind us how little moral thinking we are called to do in our conventions. I hear there's a new game show which will reveal that very shallowness called 'The Moment of Truth'. That's why we need more Westerns.
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