John Sturges's remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic THE SEVEN SAMURAI has become an influential film in its own right. A small farming Mexican village that makes involuntary donations of its harvest to a gang of bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach) decides to hire a group of professional gunmen, headed by gunslinger-for-hire Chris (Yul Brynner), to protect them. Despite the meager pay, Chris and Vin (Steve McQueen) sign on after the Mexicans see them face down some racist thugs. Chris begins to pick up other gunmen, including Bernardo (Charles Bronson), Lee (Robert Vaughan), Britt (James Coburn), Harry (Brad Dexter), and aspiring gunslinger Chico (Horst Buchholz), as they ride back to the village.The Mexicans, who are at first ambivalent about having gunmen hanging around their town, finally let down their guard and allow their visitors to teach them how to shoot and how to best reconfigure the town to defend against Calvera. When the bandits return, they find harvesting the crops a little more challenging. This rousing, perfectly cast action film launched the careers of Bronson, McQueen, and Coburn. It also benefits tremendously from the unforgettably polyrhythmic score by Elmer Bernstein, among the most famous in film history. So popular was the film's theme that it was used to sell Marlboro cigarettes for years afterward.
Magnificent Seven, The - Feature
John Sturges's remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic 'The Seven Samurai' has become an influential film in its ow...
Magnificent Seven, The - Bonus Features
John Sturges's remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic 'The Seven Samurai' has become an influential film in its ow...
Director John Sturges (The Great Escape, Gunfight at the OK Corral) was extremely fortunate in securing a near-perfect cast for this enduringly popular western reworking of the Japanese classic Seven Samurai. Not content with forging a new iconic image for King of Siam Yul Brynner as a black-clad gunslinger, he also created key star-making roles for 1960s sensations Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Charles Bronson. The use of Panavision landscape is glorious to behold, Eli Wallach is a suitably slimy villain and the action sequences are tremendously exciting. There's also one of the greatest musical themes ever written for a movie, in an altogether fine brass-led score by composer Elmer Bernstein. If you've never seen it, don't miss. And if you have, enjoy again a visit south of the border with some old and trusty amigos. By the way, the one nobody can remember is Frank Sinatra's friend, Brad Dexter.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Popular Western based on the Japanese Seven Samurai; good action scenes, but the rest is verbose and often pretentious.
Radio Times
Halliwell's Film Guide
