The Magnificent Seven

The quintessential western, The Magnificent Seven is a powerhouse of a film from 1960. It is a remake of Seven Samurai, the Akira Kurosawa classic, and it effectively translates to a western with seamless direction, powerful acting and a tremendous script. Directed by John Sturges, known as “the dean of big budget movies” from the 50s and 60s, The Magnificent Seven features a blockbuster cast pulling out all the stops.

Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn and more star in the western. Brynner is the man in black, known as Chris, who leads the gang of mercenaries. Eli Wallach is Calvera, the leader of a gang of bandits that is terrorizing a small village near the United States-Mexico border. Calvera steals from the people in the town and, with a gang of about 40 men, continues his reign of terror until the villagers are fed up.

Three villagers are sent to the nearby town to dispatch some weapons so that the townspeople can defend themselves. Instead, they run into Chris in the middle of a heroic act against bigotry. The villagers hire Chris and his newfound companion Vin, played to perfection by the masterful Steve McQueen, to help their situation. Chris and Vin put together a gang of their own and set towards the town.

As the film unfolds, the characters become more familiar to the audience through a witty and intelligent script and through the top-notch performances of the actors. The Magnificent Seven is as much a meditation on loneliness and the life of a gunslinger as it is an action-western. Director Sturges pieces together scene after scene of broad stroke camera shots and intense stand-offs played out by cool characters.

The Magnificent Seven would be one of the most influential westerns of all time. TV shows like the A-Team would borrow from it conceptually, as would many other films. In a bit of an ironic twist, A-Team leader George Peppard was originally selected for the role of Chris, but he was passed over after his erratic and volatile behaviour became a major issue.

Another key component of the film is the famous score by composer Elmer Bernstein. The Academy Award nominated score drives the action and plays out in each scene as the perfect accompaniment. It is essentially a constant score, guiding us through the film with large blasts of sound and sweeping instrumentals. Berstein’s score is one of the finest in western film history and is certainly one of the most emulated.

With a perfect score, witty script, great performances, exciting and smart action and top class direction, The Magnificent Seven is one of the finest westerns of all time. It truly a passionate and engaging film that unravels on the screen through its use of character over standardized action and its use of a tight script over the use of the usual suspects of cinema trickery. Instead, the film is carefully and meticulously put together with a fascinating end result.

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