3:10 to Manhood

What does it take to become a man?  What is a man?  What does it mean to be a father?

Last Saturday I went with Vincent and Andrea to see the remake of the 1950's classic 3:10 to Yuma.  It's based on a short story by Elmore Leonard. 

The modern update was pretty good.  I remember watching the original with my grandfather (all of my best memories of my one on one time with him are of us watching westerns--and Murder She Wrote and Matlock--on TV together).  The original was more suspenseful, from what I remember, but the remake is pretty good.  It is heavy on the violence, and the Thermopylae-like ending with all the high powered shooting is just a little less believable than the more solemn original, but I would definitely recommend it.

When I left the theater, I was struck by one re-occurring thought:  What does it mean to be a man?  The plot of the movie is about a rancher who agrees to help take a captured thief and murderer across the desert to Contention, Arizona so that he can be put on the prison car that leaves for Yuma prison at 3:10.  Yet, the plot is driven by an overriding question:  Why would anyone risk their life, even for the huge prize of $200, on what seems clearly like a suicide mission?

The subtext is a rather intelligent discourse on what honor, courage, love, and witness have to do with becoming a man.  Evans (the ranch hand farmer) has suffered indignity after indignity to himself, his honor, and his family.  He has a chance to provide for his family, but more than that, he has a chance to demonstrate to himself that he has what it takes to be a man, a real man.

As the story unfolds, you see that his desire to be a true man, a living man (as Irenaeus would say), not only changes the man who desires it, but changes those who are witness to it.  Even Ben Wade (the outlaw prisoner), by the end of the movie is different, changed by his encounter with Evans.

I recommend the movie, and I suggest that, when you see it, you ponder this question with me.  What does it take to be a man?

Comments

[Kim]

I've never seen the original and so I was completely in awe of this movie. I was also struck by the questions that it asks us to take a look at:

What does it mean to be human?
What does it mean to have honor?
What does it mean to sacrifice?

And finally...am I the only woman who posts comments here? :)

Also, I would love to discuss why the thief did what he did in the end, but I don't want to give it away. :(

[an]

Kim, you're not the only girl who reads here.

**Warning, Giving away ending of Movie below***

If you're referring to Ben Wade getting back on the train, I believe he is trying to help Evans complete the mission. If Wade didn't get on the train, Butterfield does not need to fulfill his end of the bargain (returning Evans' son to mom and giving them $1000). It was a moment for Wade to be more honorable.

Wade also mentioned he'd escaped from that prison twice before and when he called his horse at the end...well, I think Wade was saying he'll get out anyway.