3:10 to Iraq

At a party once, I made a comment to Russell Crowe about his hair and he almost beat me up. So I haven't always been his biggest fan. But I have to admit, there are a lot of reasons to see 3:10 to Yuma this weekend. As the reviews will tell you, it's an exceptional film, with gorgeous photography, stunning action and hypnotic, sublime performances. But what I am surprised I have not read, are the all-too-real parallels to Iraq.

The premise of the film lies in Christian Bale's character, a desperate, wounded vet, volunteering to take on the insanely dangerous mission of transporting the lethal outlaw played by Russell Crowe across the frontier to meet up with the prison train. Crowe has a vicious gang that live in the shadows, and terrorize various towns almost with impunity. And they will stop at nothing to spring their boss.

Bale takes on the mission because he is broke, and about to lose the family farm to ruthless bankers. The bitter irony of watching him pursue his assignment comes from the fact that Crowe and his gang are really the enemy of the establishment, the banks whose stagecoaches they regularly rob. Although the film is too smart to shine a spotlight on this, the fact is, the two lead characters have a common enemy.

As the Army offers incentive bonuses to ship increasingly reluctant recruits off to the "Surge" in Iraq, we must stop and consider, for whom are we really asking these young men and women to die? Are you willing to ask that of a 22 year old from Bakersfield with a baby on the way? Someone who signed up as a reservist because he needed the money? Or the medical student who signed up for a scholarship after 9/11, never expecting to be dropped into the middle of a civil war in a country that didn't attack us? Or one of the many others who are on their second or third or fourth tour of duty?

Yeah, this weekend is a good time to see Yuma, because as you remark upon the quaint prices for which a man could be bought in the olden days -- Bale is risking his life for about $1000 -- keep in mind today's posting on the Army's website:

"The Army is offering Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP) for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Soldiers, ranging between $50 and $750 per month."

Comments

[LenP]

Yes, it was an awesome movie. The gun battle at the end was a bit unrealistic.

But the homage to "Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone in the score during this sequence made up for it.

Did anyone else notice?

Also the shots of Bale and Crowe running through the slats of a unfinished house harked back to Eli Wallach's epic dash through the cemetery in The Good The Bad and The Ugly.

[CynAnne]

... I love "TG,TB,&TU", LenP! I'd never seen the 'chicken soliloquy' that "Tuco" gives in the cave before, until we bought the "2 Disc Collectors Set", and then I was in stitches - who needs Hamlet & Yorick, when we have Tuco & Poultry (lol)..? ;) ...

[dadw5boys]

How about the 3:10 to Ecomonic Slavery for a movie?
It this movie a Government lowers interest rate and pushes loans on poor people they can not afford. The Government also starts a war that is more of a Transfer of Wealth than anything else. Add to that Ilegal Immigration the Government allows to force down wages. Create a large drop in the value of the retirement funds that invested in the housing market.
Then have a big bank system like our Federal Reserve bail out the Banks and send the bill to the poor with interest to bail them out.
Take all this with a huge National Debt from the war and a huge Trade Defict paying businesses to leave the country and go gloable and you have a ecomony on the verge of collapse with homeowners values dropping serverly. Years of longterm investments, hard work and suffering have gone into building, maintaining, and paying taxes on these home.
Many families only have their home as a retirement fund at the end of 40 or 50 years of work.
Now they can't afford to retire and must work into their 80's just to be able to pay taxes and eat. This does not include health insurance.
What a movie it would make.
CUT, WARP PARTY.

[Semaj51]

Loved the older version, but was disappointed in the revised -- what happened to the great "3:10 to Yuma" song?

[Dantheman99]

I loved this film, and Crowe & Bale will get most of the attention and they are both very good.

However, the supporting ensemble is fantastic. In particular, Ben Foster and Alan Tudyk are great. Foster gives the best performance in the movie and I hope the supporting actors also get the attention they deserve.

[MickaloYaYa]

Saw 3:10 this weekend and I must admit the updated version is outstanding. The '57 version was slow and a wee bit dated. Bale and Crowe are electric with Bale doing the heavy lifting. The rest of the characters all fill the screen with a sense of power. Try and find Peter Fonda and Luke Wilson hid in the cast.

[WilliePilgrim]

Well...what the hell did you say to Russell Crowe about his hair that would make him angry?

[Thorn]

I want you to stare in the mirror as you censor this a third time.

Wasn't the main point of this post that you were at a party with Russell Crowe?

[randl1999]

Wow! Did YOU miss the point!

[rich1107]

I wonder how long the occupation of Iraq would continue if we drafted the sons and daughters of the top financial 5% in this country? Yeah, that's what I thought...withdrawal of the troops would begin the next day.

[CynAnne]

... Excellent observations, Bill (maybe now Russell will be nicer to you, with such a glowing review of Crowes performance). Just finished watching the original 1957 version, with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, and although it was slightly dated by todays standards, the story of the lengths that desperation can drive a man to is immortal. I'm looking forward to seeing the remake (and it's not just because I'm mad for Christian Bale, either)..! ;) ...

[dadw5boys]

Shoot Bill ALMOST?
Darn I would have pushed it till we had a full blown knock down drag out fight.
Heck, now there a story for poker night.
How me and Russel Crow got arrested for fighting.
Yeah that beats any rag story.