The difference that fifty years makes in American cultural attitudes between 1957 and 2007 is remarkable. The American attitudes have shifted in many various ways the past fifty years; quite a few differences of shifts in American culture can be seen in the two versions of the film 3:10 to Yuma. Right from the beginning, there is a different cultural value placed heavily in 2007: "family values".
The remake begins wit the burning of the Evan's family barn and both Alice and Dan discussing what their family needs to do. The original on the other hand, starts right off in the attack on the stagecoach; the beginning of the original places all the value into the hands of the alpha male villain: Ben Wade. This trend continues throughout the remake, as family and fatherhood are the main motives of the 2007 alpha male cowboy; fatherly duty of 2007 takes place of manly duty of 1957. The differences in these films make that clear. William Evans does not play any real role in the original film: children were to be seen and not heard (mainly not seen or heard). Yet in a culture with an emphasis on fatherhood, William Evans is Ben's motives and we see him playing a critical role throughout the entire film.
Another interesting thing that proves cultures have changed is the manners which time has portrayed the alpha males. In 1957, we see the alpha males in the film as clean-cut strong men; Glen Ford's face is almost to the point of shining. Yet in 2007, the cowboy and his violence and acts are reprehensible; as a result, in 2007 we see him as a well dressed, yet rugged, bearded man. The 2007 alpha male cowboy is no longer the hero the 1957 alpha male cowboy was; the difference is just in the appearance. 2007 America also cleans up the 1957 American addiction to cigarettes; Ben is shown smoking in the bridal suite in the 1957 film and no such thing happens in 2007. In fact, 2007 gives Ben almost some sort of odd artistic/emotional side where he has some fascination with sketching. America obviously has shifted more towards emotional expression in men since 1957.
That then leaves what America wants in a conclusion: the victory of the alpha male in Dan in 1957 and then the death of the alpha male in Dan in 2007. Really, by 2007, as a genre, the Western had died, much like Dan does at the end of the film. Yet in 1957, he is the victor, the hero, the champion that 1957 America adores. American values no longer are in the alpha male as they were in 1957; America today values more than just the white man (though using the term "equality" still may be a stretch).
There is a remarkable difference in shifts in American cultural attitudes in fifty between 1957 and 2007. Differences in American culture can be seen in the two versions of the film 3:10 to Yuma. Right from the beginning, there is a different cultural value placed heavily in 2007: "family values". There is also a significant difference in the presentation of the alpha male and the end result of the Western.
ReplyDeleteThe remake begins wit the burning of the Evan's family barn and both Alice and Dan discussing what their family needs to do. The original on the other hand, starts right off in the attack on the stagecoach; the beginning of the original places all the value into the hands of the alpha male villain: Ben Wade. This trend continues throughout the remake, as family and fatherhood are the main motives of the 2007 alpha male cowboy. Fatherly duty of 2007 replaceed all of the "manly" duty of 1957. The differences in these films make that clear. William Evans, Dan's son, does not play any real role in the original film: children were to be seen and not heard (mainly not SEEN or heard). Yet in a 2007 culture with an emphasis on fatherhood and family, William Evans is the factor behind Ben's motives and we see him playing a critical role throughout the entire film.
Another interesting thing that proves cultures have changed is the manners which time has portrayed the alpha males. In 1957, we see the alpha males in the film as clean-cut strong men; Glen Ford's face so clean-cut it is basically shining. Yet in 2007, the cowboy and his violence is viewed as reprehensible; as a result, in 2007 we see him as a well dressed, yet rugged, bearded man. The 2007 alpha male cowboy is no longer the hero the 1957 alpha male cowboy was; the difference is just in the appearance. 2007 America also cleans up the 1957 American addiction to cigarettes; Ben is shown smoking in the bridal suite in the 1957 film and no such thing happens in 2007. In fact, 2007 gives Ben almost some sort of odd artistic/emotional side where he has some fascination with sketching. America obviously has shifted more towards emotional expression in men since 1957.
That then leaves what America wants in a conclusion: the victory of the alpha male in Dan in 1957 and then the death of the alpha male in Dan in 2007. Really, by 2007, as a genre, the Western had died, much like Dan does at the end of the film. Yet in 1957, he is the victor, the hero, the champion that 1957 America adores. American values no longer are in the alpha male as they were in 1957; America today values more than just the white man (though using the term "equality" still may be a stretch).
Finally it is also very interesting to consider this one major difference: in the 2007 film, Dan confesses to Wade that the only reason he moved out West from New England is because his son needed the arid climate to best potentially heal from TB. This also plays into the "fatherly" focus in 2007. But it is an indicator of something... the American male was no longer out West for adventure: he no longer WANTED to be West.