{"id":22134,"date":"2024-08-31T21:30:46","date_gmt":"2024-08-31T20:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=22134"},"modified":"2024-08-31T22:56:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-31T21:56:50","slug":"film-media-the-magnificebt-seven-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sebpalmer.com\/blog\/?p=22134","title":{"rendered":"FiLM\/MEDiA: The Magnificent Seven, 1960"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Excellent stuff. They don\u2019t make \u2018em like this anymore. More\u2019s the pity\u2026 I\u2019ve watched this a number of times over the years. And it\u2019s never disappointed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chris meets Vin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It starts with an interesting set up scene, in which two of our erstwhile Seven meet, battling racism in a rough Western town. This immediately sets up our gunslingers as noble warriors. As opposed to the rather more tawdry outlaws that history so often reveals, lurking behind the mythical glamour of the Western genre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eli Wallace is perfect as Calvera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And of course this is rightly so. As this is a remake of Akira Kirusawa\u2019s Seven Samurai<\/em>, transplanted to the Ol\u2019 West (or South-West?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Japanese poster!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Bronson\u2019s O\u2019Reilly; as rugged as them thar hills.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The star studded ensemble cast is great. Delivering in spades. And what\u2019s really good is that, with Yul and Steve as a binary focal point, the other guys don\u2019t crash their egos all over the screen. But, rather like the mythically super-cool cats they play, slouch into their roles with a studied but light touch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A nice on set production photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even the supporting cast are very strong. From Henry, the decent guy corset salesman at the top of the film, to the poor farmers, such as Hilario, who enlist the aid of our seven pistol-totin\u2019 heroes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hilario (Jorge Mart\u00ednez de Hoyos).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no point synopsising the very basic plot, which is very much based on the Seven Samurai<\/em> original. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is interesting is that this American Western version, going rather against the stereotypes, is not only in colour, not black and white, but even adds certain other dimensions to the whole genre piece, that the Japanese original has less of: warmth, humour\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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O\u2019Reilly!? \u2026 Really?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brynner is excellent in the slightly odd and potentially rather awkward role of moralist and philosopher gunfighter. And he has a suitably daft name\/origin\u2026 O\u2019Reilly, the Cajun. Say, wha\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But he looks great. As do all our very macho heroes. In their different ways. Brynner\u2019s compact dark clad figure contrasts strongly with the lean, rangy tan-clad James Coburn\u2019s knife-wielding Britt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the slightly disheveled youthful earnestness and idealism of Chico (Horst Bucholz) contrasts nicely with the jaded world-weary nihilism of Robert Vaughan\u2019s Lee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And then there were Seven.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The landscapes\/settings deserve their own billing. As does the music. And perhaps even the direction? It\u2019s all consummately well done. Well shot, in stunning locations. Well directed and acted. Well conceived. So many things that so many modern remakes – I haven\u2019t seen the modern remake of this film (and I don\u2019t feel very inclined to do so) – get wrong, this gets right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charmingly and disarmingly so. And that\u2019s despite it ageing. It\u2019s 64 years old now!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Excellent stuff. They don\u2019t make \u2018em like this anymore. More\u2019s the pity\u2026 I\u2019ve watched this a number of times over the years. And it\u2019s never disappointed. It starts with an interesting set up scene, in which two of our erstwhile Seven meet, battling racism in a rough Western town. This immediately sets up our gunslingers … <\/p>\n

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