Thursday, November 11, 2010
SP 3:10 to Yuma
The main difference between the original and the remake of 3:10 to Yuma is the extent to which violence is depicted and the romanticized image of the cowboy is shattered. From 1957 to 2007, American culture has evolved into an extremely violent society, as shown by the extensive and horrific display of violence in the modern version of the film, compared to the lack of such violence in the original. In addition, the 2007 version, as a revisionist western, is much more focused on hopelessness and despair, and makes the audience question the legitimacy of the alpha male cowboy. This development is reflected in American society, as the mindset of the majority has become largely pessimistic of the world. The events of 9/11 and of a receding economy make the world seem to Americans hopeless and condemned, and that their “manifest destiny” is to live in a struggle to survive amongst such violence and despairing truths. This attitude is most clearly supported in the alternate ending of the revised 3:10 to Yuma, in which Dan Evans dies after working so hard through the entire film. Whereas in the original, Dan successfully boards the train and is presumed to prosper on his land as it starts to rain, that hopeful and positive thinking is lost during the fifty years when the remake is produced. The conclusion of the remake leaves the audience feeling disheartened that the hardworking Dan ultimately dies and leaves his fourteen year old son behind to take over caring for the family. Similarly, in American society, men who are working extremely hard for their families, and barely making enough to scrape by, feel this same despair that whatever they do will still not be enough, and that ultimately they will let their families down. Furthermore, the legitimacy of the alpha male cowboy is questioned as Ben Wade’s moral ambiguity is extremely amplified in the remake compared to the original. Russell Crowe’s Wade shows he has no morals whatsoever as he viciously kills both enemies and comrades, and his meticulous outfit reinforces his being much more of a sociopath than he ever was in the original. At the end of the film, even Ben Wade himself shows that he questions his legitimacy as an alpha male cowboy by killing all of his gang and putting himself on the train – a complete reversal of his character throughout the film. Overall, the remake of 3:10 to Yuma reinforces the lack of hope as the reality that happy endings are rare to occur is strongly emphasized in this version, compared to the idea of hope suggested in the original.
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The differences between the 1957 and the 2007 version of 3:10 to Yuma reveal that American values have drastically changes in the fifty year elapse. As a “revisionist” film, the 2007 remake of the film includes much more violence and despair than the original as American culture has evolved into an extremely violent society. In the original, most of the action takes place in the initial and final scenes, which consist of gunshots and running. Yet the remake expands on the action scenes, incorporating violence into almost every scene possible and even including Dan Evan’s son, William, in the situations, which are much bloodier and gruesome than originally depicted. This stronger depiction of violence in the 2007 version of the film can be attributed to the events of 9/11 and a receding economy which have dejected the spirits of many Americans, contributing to an overall crestfallen America. Furthermore, Dan Evans is depicted as a much weaker man, incapacitated from being a full man by his handicap and his inability to provide for his family. While in the original, Dan was debilitated by a drought that would cause him to lose his land, the 2007 Dan is debilitated by his own inability to make enough money and support his family. In the 1950s, the American man had a much more hopeful outlook, seeing that he was capable of enabling self-achievement, and could only be hindered by outside forces. However, in the twenty-first century, men see that despite their best efforts, they may not even be able to support themselves, let alone their families, as economic times and unemployment prevent people from being able to make a living. Consequently, a much more severe sense of hopelessness is evident in the 2007 version of 3:10 to Yuma.
ReplyDeleteThe depiction of Ben Wade in both films also differs greatly between the two distinct time periods. The original Ben Wade appears as a regular guy, friendly and smooth-talking, but fundamentally good natured when the outcome takes place and he decides to help Dan get to the train station. The 2007 Ben Wade has a much more complicated psyche, and his fundamental morality may still be questioned at the end of the film. First of all, Russell Crowe’s Ben Wade dresses meticulously and impressionably. This contrast to the denim-shirt and jeans Ben Wade of 1957 suggests that the “bad guy” that the hardworking, family-man Dan Evans must face has transformed into a much formidable opponent – corporate America. In a modern society run by big business and capitalism, the average blue collar man finds it extremely difficult to survive, especially when intentionally victimized by the corporate world, as illustrated by the man trying to take Dan’s land and the power and wealth represented by Wade with which he tempts Dan and William. The level of power and influence that corporations have was not as strong in the 1950s when the original was filmed, which owes to the significant difference in the two films in the depiction of Ben Wade.
The most significant and telling difference between the two films is the conclusion: in the original, Dan lives, while in the remake, he dies. The original suggests that in America, people felt a sense of hope and ability to accomplish things in the world. Contrastingly, the 2007 version indicates that people no longer have a strong sense of hope and feel powerless to their fate, which is at the hands of a receding economy and the terrorists who bombed the Twin Towers. As a result, the 2007 Dan dies, which implies that in order for the modern working man to accomplish his goals, he must give his life working for it. The conclusion of the remake leaves the audience feeling disheartened that the hardworking Dan ultimately dies and leaves his fourteen year old son behind to take over caring for the family. In American society, men who are working extremely hard for their families, and barely making enough to scrape by, feel this same despair that whatever they do will still not be enough, and that ultimately they will let their families down.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, the alpha male cowboys in the original and the remake are very different from one another to reflect the changes in American culture that have occurred over the part fifty years and which have a great impact on the expression of American sentiment in western film.