HOW THE WEST WON BALE AND CROWE

Russell Crowe and Christian Bale discuss why they felt passionate about making a western.

Two of Hollywood’s hottest stars Christian Bale and Russell Crowe saddle up in the western 3:10 To Yuma. Bale stars as a rancher who is on his last ropes trying to save his farm from being taken over by railroad prospectors, when he finds a way out of his debt by going after the purse for wanted outlaw Ben Wade played by Russell Crowe.

Christian talks about what drew him to the western morality tale.

“What I like so much about the story is very often in movies, Hollywood movies it’s presented that you do the right thing, you get the rewards. Everybody knows you look around in life OK that happens sometimes but an awful lot of the time you do the right thing and you lose everything. And you don’t even get people’s respect because they think you’re an ass for not having just caved in and towed the line. What I like with this movie as well is it doesn’t give you that false hope of all it takes is doing the right thing and standing up to the bad guys and your life is going to be wonderful. He pays the ultimate price for it, Dan does.”

Russell Crowe who stars as the legendary sharp shooter Ben Wade wanted for killing dozens of men and holding up the Southern Pacific Railroad talks about why westerns work.

“I think there’s something always sort of simple and direct about the morality of a western story. I think traditionally it’s been very easy to see who’s wearing the white hat and who’s wearing the black hat. I think that’s one of the essences of storytelling.”

3:10 To Yuma which opens Friday, September 7th is an update of the 1957 western from an Elmore Leonard story.