3:10 to Yuma is a great old western. The story is lean, focused, and driven almost entirely by tension between two men with opposing moral codes. Every scene feels like it is moving toward the same destination. The ending needed more emotional weight, but the filmmaking itself is remarkably strong.

Great theme, whistled by Glenn Ford in the film. Surprised to see Elmore Leonard as the writer. Shouldn't have been. Excellent characters, tense drama, moral issues considered. "Squeezin’ that watch ain’t gonna stop time". "Safe! Who knows what's safe? I knew a man dropped dead from lookin' at his wife. My own grandmother fought the Indians for sixty years... then choked to death on lemon pie." Very happy to see the rain fall at the end.

What a title song! That's just great. Overall a good score anyway. The movie has some lengths. Most scenes in Contention are exciting though. The psychological warfare between Wade and Evans is interesting. This movie has no shining hero. Good. This makes this movie better than the average contemporary US western. Nice final twist. The movie is held back by the boring scenes before they arrive in Contention and by the fact that many people in this movie act stupid AF. The Sheriff's out of town? Butterfield can't keep his mouth shut? Someone stupidly fires a gun in a hotel room? His wife walks into the scene just before and after the showdown? They won't fix Wade with a rope or something to the bed? They don't want to be seen but ride into town like they own that place and book the best suite in the best hotel of town? Just stay in a goddamn random barn or tent out of town or something until that train arrives! PS: the anti-hero stance and the lead-up to the showdown remind me a lot of "High Noon" which is the better of the two movies though.

great movie some issues including pacing and drinking