3:10 to Yuma

When looking at the differences between the original and the remade 3:10 to Yuma, the most obvious is the role of Evans. In the 1957 version, Evans is much more of a stereotypical alpha male. He is brave, rugged, and looked up to. However, when we look at the 2007 version of the film, we see a much weaker character. Christian Bale portrays a father who doesn't command the respect of his children, and who has been embarrassed in the past for his cowardice in the war. He tries to act like the alpha male, but isn't nearly the man that Van Heflin played in the original. The reason for this is that the 2007 version is part of the revisionist western genre. In classic westerns, we were shown heroes that glorified the west, and made kids everywhere want to be cowboys. However, in revisionist westerns, we are shown that much of the west shown in these films is simply a myth. This is shown by Evans in the 2007 version. He represents the typical cowboy, that wasn't nearly as brave or talented as the legends make them out to be. However, in order to gain the respect of his family, he takes on a mission knowing he will likely be killed. In the end, we see Wade agreeng to go along with Evans. This shows how pride leads to the creation of a myth.