BE 3:10 to Yuma

The 1957 film, 3:10 to Yuma, follows the traditional standards set by a Western film during that time period. However, the 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma, directed by James Mangold, offers a revisionist perspective on the Western. Both films include similar plot, characters and settings but the major difference is the way the characters, specifically the alpha-male cowboy, are viewed. Also, the way violence is presented in each of the films represents society’s change in accepting violence.
The alpha-male cowboy, Dan Evans, in the 1957 version of the film is traditional in every aspect. As in all typical Western films, the alpha-male cowboy, Evans, is known for his sharp shooting. Evans is well known to be the best shooter, something both his son’s are proud of him for. Also, as a role model, Evans’ sons respect and admire their father. He also lives up to his alpha-male status through his duty-based ethics. He ultimately takes the job of accompanying a known villain, Wade, to the train to transport him to prison because he feels he has a duty to his family and the town. He realizes his family needs the money and is willing to risk himself on this dangerous journey in order to better his wife and son’s.
The 2007, revisionist edition of the film offers the different viewpoint of the alpha-male Dan Evans. He is a retired soldier who has the burdens of injury and debt stacked against him. His eldest son doesn’t respect or admire him at all. Instead of being a well-known sharp shooter, Dan must plead with the men of the town in order to get the job of transporting Wade to the train. His physical stature and mental toughness both decline from the original film. Also, while duty might be involved, Dan accepts the Wade job because he desperately needs money in order to save his family’s ranch from being repossessed. Dan is not the standard image of an alpha-male because of his misfortune and lack of support from his family.
Another major difference between the two films is the amount of violence incorporated into the remake. The added violence is representative of society’s changing norms that deal with violence. The 1957 original shows less people dying, less blood and less unjust killings. The lack of gruesome details is a telling sign of society’s view on violence during the 1950s. Many people were becoming outraged at the idea of war and wanted to focus on more important internal issues such as equality and civil rights. Violence was targeted for adults only as children were deemed too immature to handle death and blood. The 2007 remake’s obsession with killings and gruesome scenes highlights the change in society’s norms. Nowadays, society has become more accustom to violence as a part of everyday life. Violence is not only targeted towards adults but children are becoming more infatuated with violence. Violent video games and television shows are widely accessed by children every day and are becoming more of a norm at an earlier age for children. As society has become more familiarized with violence, it has become a strategy for media to entice people into stories, movies and television programs because people are more intrigued by violence.