Writers: Halsted Welles, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Elmore Leonard
Cast/Character
Russell Crowe ... Ben Wade
Christian Bale ... Dan Evans
Logan Lerman ... William Evans
Dallas Roberts ... Grayson Butterfield
Ben Foster ... Charlie Prince
Peter Fonda ... Byron McElroy
Vinessa Shaw ... Emma Nelson
Alan Tudyk ... Doc Potter
Luce Rains ... Marshal Weathers
Gretchen Mol ... Alice Evans
Lennie Loftin ... Glen Hollander
Rio Alexander ... Campos
Benjamin Petry ... Mark Evans
The film opens up won August, 1884 with Dans's barn being burned by the people he owes money to. They tell Dan Evans he has a week then they burn the house. His boy William saves the horses and the saddles left in the barn. It's obvious the son resents and doesn't look up to him. His wife Alice is mad at him for not making full payments to Hollander. She is shot in a low-angle shot making her look big and showing she has power over Dan - while Dan is shot in a high-angle shot making him look small and powerless. Ben Wade is introduced drawing a bird. Charlie Prince talks to him and Ben Wade leaves the sketch of the bird on the branch of a tree.
Mark, William and Dan Evans track down their herd. A carriage with money and a Gatling gun get ready for Wade's gang approaching. Their Gatling gun kills a lot of the crew but Wade's sharpshooter, Campos, takes out one of the guys operating the Gatling gun. They ambush the armored caravan. Ben Wade sees the cattle of Evans and watches from above, He shoots scattering the herd until the caravan crashes. Charlie Prince introduces himself to Pinkerton Byron McElroy and McElroy calls him Chralie Princess. Charlie Prince is alleged to be gay in the movie. They blow up the caravan and shoot the lock off getting the money. They split up the money. One of the gang is at gunpoint by the caravan's Pinkerton and he says, "Shit!" knowing he will be killed along with the guard. That is exactly what happens. Charlie Prince reports the incident to the Marshal. The authorities move out and the town is undefended. Ben Wade enters the saloon and the door whips the other way with Charlie Prince sneaking in - symbolizing Charlie swings the other way and is a homosexual. Ben Wade quotes Proverbs 13:3 from the Bible justifying killing one of the gang. Ironic.
Ben Wade takes a liking to the waitress and trying to distract Ben Wade, Charlie Prince is jealous. Ben Wade melts this ice queen reminding her of her glory days as a singer. Ben seduces her. Dan Evans is met up with the authorities and they see a wounded man, Byron McElroy, Dan has helped. He tells them Wade did this. Ben Wade sketches the nude bar waitress he seduced.
The authorities find out Wade is in Bisbee. Evans talks to Hollander - the man who burned down his barn for failing to pay his debt. Evans ties to reason with him but Hollander punches him. Hollander tells him, "Sometimes a man has to be big enough to see how small he is." Dan confronts Wade in the saloon. Telling Wade he lost some of his herd Wade generously gives Dan some money. This shows Wade's weakness and Evans frugality being poor. Wade is surrounded in the saloon by authorities and they take his gun, "The Hand of God." He warns one guy who takes it its got a curse on it.
For $200 Evans agrees to escort Wade to be hanged. There is good composition in the film using rule of thirds in the following shots where Charlie gets away with shooting someone in town. They hold Ben Wade at Evans's house and Alice, Dan's wife, is not pleased. Alice is nervous and standoffish - but that might be her hiding her sexual attraction to Wade. Wade asks Dan where he was stationed. He tells him he was stationed at Second Company Sharpshooters out of Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Wade asks how Evans lost his leg. Later Alice tells Dan he doesn't have to bring Wade to justice. Dan says, "I am tired of watching my boys go hungry. I'm tired of the way they look at me. I'm tired of the way you don't. Iv'e been standing on one leg for three damn years, waiting for God to do me a favor and he ain't listening."The authorities tell Wade they are taking him to Contention on the 3:10 to Yuma. They take turns watching Wade by the fire. The guy who took Ben Wade's cursed gun is killed by Wade with a fork when he is asleep.
Dan says there's a shortcut to Contention. Another man tells him it's Apache country. William saves the day when he sneaks up behind Wade and puts a gun to his head stopping Wade from killing anymore people. Wade charms everyone he meets and asks William if he's ever been to Dodge City. William says no. He tells William the way he shuffles them cards he'd take him for a pro. William says he practices a lot. Wade tells him he could tell. He says about Dodge, "Women who'll do things to you you'll never forget. "The other guy says , "They'll give you a disease you'll never forget."
Once Dan take Wade out to take a piss Apache Indians shoot at them hitting Dan. Wade skillfully kills all of them. Wade gets away and Dan goes after him considering the money for his capture. Mr. Butterfield finds Wade being tortured by a man whose relative was killed by Wade. Mr. Butterfield tells him he can't do that it's immoral. They steal Wade and make way through the pass. Doc Potter dies in the skirmish, Butterfield takes Dan and Wade to the Bridal Suite in the hotel. Wade like a siren seductively tempts Dan on the bed with $1,000 to let him go. He tells him all the things he could do with the money. He asks him, "What about Alice? She would be the proud wife of a bonafide Arizona rancher. " William spots Wade's crew coming from the distance.
When Charlie Prince and the gang find the hotel that Ben Wade is in he makes the offer to the townspeople $200 to anyone who kills one of Ben Wade's captors.With 30-40 hired guns outside the Sheriff gives up and surrenders. Instead he is brutally killed. Dan reveals that 's what the government paid him for his leg to Butterfield who offers him $200 to quit. $198.36. Dan says, "They weren't paying me to walk away. They were paying me so they could walk away." When Dan tells his son, "I need a man at the ranch to run things, protect our family and I know you can do that because you've become a fine man William." you see Ben Wade's eyes watery almost about to cry. Dan looks at his watch to which Wade says, "You know squeezing that watch won't stop time." In a seamless cut on action between two shots Dan gets up and tells Wade, "it's time."
They move through the alley through gunfire. After getting shot in one of the rooms , Wade tells him, "I ain't doing this no more Dan." He tells his Dan his boys can't see him being a hero so give up. He tells Wade the only battle he seen was in retreat. "You try telling that story to your boy. See how he looks at you then ." Wade helps Dan make his bounty. Charlie Prince shoots Dan. Wade tells Dan he's been to Yuma Prison before. Twice. The train arrives and Ben Wade charitably does Dan a favor by agreeing to get on the train, Wade congratulates Dan but Dan is shot by Charlie Prince till he is nearly dead. Wade finally redeeming himself get his gun, "The Hand of God" and shoots his whole crew dead. Dan dies with a smile finally getting the respect from William. Once the train moves with Wade on it he whistles for his horse to follow.
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