Rating: 10 / 10

Sometimes a man has to be big enough to realize how small he is.

This moral quandary is the underlying theme of the masterpiece, and the year’s best film, “3:10 To Yuma.”

Every few years, Hollywood tries to rejuvenate the Western genre. From the ridiculously absurd “American Outlaws” to the decent “Open Range,” Westerns on the big screen have been on life-support for quite some time. Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood’s Westerns of the 60s may be a thing of the past, but “3:10 To Yuma” is as close as you can get to achieving that type of cinematic genius.

When there is a film set in the Wild West assembled with two of the most gifted actors around, an incredibly talented director and a story that is filled with equal amounts of action and raw human emotion, the final product is a magnificent triumph for Westerns and cinema.

The film stars one of the most underrated actors, Christian Bale, as Dan Evans, a Civil War Veteran turned rancher. His Arizona ranch is falling on dire times due to drought and railroad prospectors demanding him to leave his land. Evans has never been much of a hero and he feels he is disappointing his wife and two sons.

While herding his cattle one day, Evans witnesses a carriage robbery by a gang of outlaws that could very well be his way out from all of his financial woes.

Enter Ben Wade played by Russell Crowe. Wade is one of the most notorious criminals in all of Arizona.

He and his gang of misfits murder, steal and are responsible for 21 carriage robberies on the back roads of Bisby, Arizona. However, on the crew’s 22nd outing, things don’t go as planned.

Wade is captured and is to be immediately placed on the 3:10 prison train leaving for Yuma. Seeing this as possibly his last opportunity to get out of his current rut, Dan Evans volunteers to assist the group transporting Wade for a price of $200. The story begins as a race against time to get Wade on that fateful train to Yuma before his crew finds him.

Come Oscar season, Russell Crowe and Christian Bale would be robbed if they didn’t get recognized for their unfathomable performances in this film. Crowe plays his first villainous role since 1995’s “Virtuosity” and does so with such poise. He portrays Ben Wade as an enigmatic man who will buy you a shot of whiskey just as soon as he would cut your throat.

The cunningness and mannerisms of the three-time Oscar nominated actor should very well get him his fourth nomination.

Bale, on the other hand, plays a more subdued character than his previous films. From the chainsaw-wielding yuppie in “American Psycho” to the Iraq War Veteran in the criminally underrated “Harsh Times,” Bale has range that is infinite.

In this film he plays Dan Evans with such sincerity and optimism, the performance sheds new light on Bale’s already impressive acting résumé.

Although a Western on the surface, “3:10 To Yuma” has so much more depth. Beneath the historical period of the film and the gritty violence lies a deep character study that presents an issue of morality for the viewer to comprehend.

The movie intends for it’s audience to love and hate the hero and villain simultaneously. This cowboy film is at it’s best when the cowboy is off of his horse. Late-night dialogue between Evans and Wade provides for a personal connection with each character.

Although their ideas of ethics and morals are on opposite sides of the spectrum, the two men form a trivial bond that still puzzles the viewer even during the explosively climatic last scene.

“3:10 To Yuma” is a film that is a milestone for not only the filmmakers, but also for the audience. Rarely does Hollywood put out a film that is undeniably a modern day masterpiece.

This film puts a much needed shot of adrenaline back into Western films.