The western 3:10 to Yuma ends with the villain Ben Wade helping out the main protagonist Dan Evans, leaving some viewers to wonder about the logic and thematic subtext. Based on Elmore Leonard's eponymous 1953 short story, James Mangold's 2007 adaptation stays true to the original premise, only the climax is much darker and bloodier. Here's the silver lining that motivates the characters' fateful decisions.
3:10 to Yuma stars Christian Bale as Dan Evans, a Civil War veteran who desperately needs money to save his farm. A simple twist of fate leads to a meeting with outlaw Ben Wade (Crowe), who is captured by law enforcement and scheduled to be jailed in Yuma, Arizona. Hoping to earn a much-needed $200, Dan s a unit tasked with transporting Ben to a Contention City train station. The detained prisoner ultimately kills two men who offend him, and he's later saved from imminent death by Dan and the surviving crew. For the majority of the 122-minute run time, 3:10 to Yuma frames Dan as a man with a practical plan. The narrative becomes more complex when Ben learns more about the farmer's Civil War service.
In 3:10 to Yuma, Ben ires Dan's idealism. They discuss religion and retribution, but never quite become friends. When outlaw Charlie Prince (Ben Foster) tracks down his pal Ben and orchestrates the murder of various marshals, Dan refuses to give up. He ends up getting strangled by Ben, which marks a turning point in the film. Dan its the sad truth that he's never been a hero, and that his Civil War injuries were the result being shot by one of his own men. "You try telling that story to your boy," the rancher says as Ben stares and loosens his grip. In this moment, 3:10 to Yuma shifts from a traditional western into a more complex story about ego, pride, and legacy. Rather than escaping with Charlie and company, Ben agrees to board the train, and only because it will allow Dan to establish a legacy that makes him, and his son, proud.
After finding a safe spot at the train station, Ben reveals his true motivations during another heart-to-heart with Dan, stating that he previously escaped from the Yuma prison not once, but twice. Dan smiles at Ben's revelation because it's another silver lining in their story, as the outlaw will undoubtedly escape again when it's all said and done. As 3:10 to Yuma reaches its climax, Dan accepts his place in the world and realizes that he never was in control. In the 1957 adaptation, this is where the story ends. However, the 2007 version includes two existential twists.
Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma concludes with Ben defending Dan's honor and taking control of his own story. Just moments after the outlaw boards the train and fulfills his promise, the outlaw Prince shows up and blasts Dan four times in the chest. A close-up of Ben's face reveals his pure anger and inner turmoil, and he proceeds to murder his own men for doing what they had planned all along. As Dan lies dying, his son William honors his father's legacy by refusing to murder the outlaw Ben, whose humanity has ironically been restored through pure violence and his willingness to go along with the farmer's legacy plan. Ultimately, the ending is a redemption story — for both Ben and Dan.
