3:10 to Yuma; the western influence

Most people probably wouldn’t think I’m a fan of westerns, but I’m a fan of manly men, and what’s more manly than a western? Anyway this movie made me contemplate, and I mean very seriously, why it didn’t do well at the box office. I get it for the other westerns, most of them are corny, outdated, and well… offensive. But this movie was actually really good. So what was the problem? It took me a minute but I figured it out. First there’s an innate absurdity that is built into westerns that I think most people won’t buy into. Things like no matter how many bullets fly, horses never die. Or the total lawlessness of a town, and random badasses that can do whatever they want and have to answer to no man. Followed by the moral cowboy who’s usually some pretty boy prick who looks like he just rolled in from upstate. Just not believable.

But more importantly, westerns are ugly. Aesthetically they are not pleasing. Seriously. All they are, is a bunch of grimy white guys, who aren’t particularly attractive, {even when the actor is normally attractive he has to put of this western look that’s not becoming on anyone, like say Russell Crowe}. The other problem, there’s no women. It’s always a cock fight, which is great, it’s why I watch them, but it does help to have women in the movies because they will bring in men and women to watch them. And lastly the landscape, for those that can’t appreciate its bare beauty, is boring. It’s tan or red hills in the middle of nowhere are not nearly as appealing as the imaginary world in Lord of The Rings, the island in Pirates of the Caribbean, or the international urban backdrop of The Borne series. It’s a bunch of dead grass and cows.

Most American exports do well overseas, but it’s well known that westerns make $0. If it wasn’t for the American nostalgia, or a fight to hold on to traditions, I’d have to wonder why people still make them. But somehow, they still sporadically sprout their Oscar hoping wings. The best westerns have addressed some of the above issues, when one can reach them all, we’ll probably have a hit.