Within the past couple of weeks I had the opportunity to see the original 3:10 To Yuma from 1957 on TCM and the new version just last night. Interesting comparison.
I somewhat wish I'd seen the new version first because it's a decent film, but I have to say that I was impressed with the original when I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It didn't strike me at all as a typical '50s era western. Both Glenn Ford and Van Heflin gave very nuanced performances that painted each of their respective characters as neither wholly good or bad. Indeed I thought their interpretations were more nuanced and less clearly defined then the recent Christian Bale and Russell Crowe interpretations. Glenn Ford reminded of how versatile he was as I compared his performance here and that in another film of his I saw recently, The Courtship Of Eddie's Father. I also remember him from Gilda, Blackboard Jungle and for younger viewers as Jonathan Kent in 1978's Superman - The Movie.
I can't say which version of 3:10 To Yuma is better--they're both fine--but I was sufficiently impressed with the original to the point that I'm inclined to give it the nod in preference. The newer take strikes me as a bit more conventional (for it's time) particularly in it's action scenes.
While the newer version is fine I disagree with some reviewers and wouldn't put this on the same level as Unforgiven.
I somewhat wish I'd seen the new version first because it's a decent film, but I have to say that I was impressed with the original when I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It didn't strike me at all as a typical '50s era western. Both Glenn Ford and Van Heflin gave very nuanced performances that painted each of their respective characters as neither wholly good or bad. Indeed I thought their interpretations were more nuanced and less clearly defined then the recent Christian Bale and Russell Crowe interpretations. Glenn Ford reminded of how versatile he was as I compared his performance here and that in another film of his I saw recently, The Courtship Of Eddie's Father. I also remember him from Gilda, Blackboard Jungle and for younger viewers as Jonathan Kent in 1978's Superman - The Movie.
I can't say which version of 3:10 To Yuma is better--they're both fine--but I was sufficiently impressed with the original to the point that I'm inclined to give it the nod in preference. The newer take strikes me as a bit more conventional (for it's time) particularly in it's action scenes.
While the newer version is fine I disagree with some reviewers and wouldn't put this on the same level as Unforgiven.
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