``3:10 to Yuma'' A thick human drama with a mythic quality, guided by the Western drama format.

The question “How should we live?” resonates because it is a Western movie.

The quality of the depiction of the main characters, who are the main focus of this work, far exceeds that of the original version, which Mangold was once impressed with. Moreover, if we look at it differently, the struggle they face over how to live their lives resonates with us as something extremely universal and relevant today.

If these themes were to be depicted in a modern drama, it would bring out the vividness of life-sized people, and depending on how one perceives it, it could become quite heavy and preachy. The reason this didn't happen here is probably because this is a ``Western movie'' that is a certain distance from modern reality.

“3:10 to Yuma” (c) Photofest / Getty Images

``If you want to depict human conflict, it will be more successful and more interesting if you set it in a place that has nothing to do with the world in which we live,'' says Mangold.

Indeed, this film was not simply a stepping stone to preserving and passing on the good old Western genre. What matters is the story of humans confronting their fate. By making good use of the structure of a Western movie in depicting this, the vividness is led to a kind of ``mythicality''.

Director James Mangold derives from a different channel the very methodology that has been consciously chosen by the makers of superhero movies in recent years, and effectively puts it into practice in this film , 3:10 to Yuma. It may have been.

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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