Rating: 
Summary: KUROSAWA IN CHAPS
Review: Yul Brynner, back in the late 1950's, wanted to direct an American version of the SEVEN SAMURAI, as an western. So he bought up the movie rights. He wanted to cast Anthony Quinn in the lead, as Chris. Brynner had been directed by Quinn in the remake of THE BUCCANEER. Quinn would have been great as Chris, the leader of the Seven; and what a different film it would have been. But, alas, Brynner himself took the part, and put his own stamp of individuality on it. He walked like a cross between a panther and a ballet dancer; light on the balls of his feet. Ironically, as an actor, he was slow on the draw, and not used to Westerns. But artistically, this was never apparent in the finished film.Many of the Seven's actors had seen the Kurosawa film, and they were very excited about transferring it to the American West. Eli Wallach, as Calvera, in just a few short scenes, found both the humor and the cruelty in the bandit chieftan. His accent and speech pattern were fairly authentic; more so certainly than the young German actor, Horst Buchholz, endeavoring to find a southwestern/Texan/Mexican drawl. Director, John Sturges, had great hopes for Horst; the camera loved him. But it was the trio of studs, Steve McQueen as Vin, Charles Bronson as O'Reilly, and James Coburn as Britt, that dominated the frame. Steve McQueen, wearing skin-tight leather stovepipe chaps, spent a lot of time finding ways to upstage Yul Brynner. There was a rumor that he would have preferred playing Chico, the Buchholz character. McQueen's manic physical performance, lightning fast with a pistol and a quip, seemed to work well for him, and it gave him more than his share of focus. His Vin emerged as lethal, lean, and hungry; yet weary of the gunfighter's plight, and envious of the simplicity and the honor of the peasants fighting for their families and their homes. James Coburn, as Britt, was laconic and dangerous, and living on the edge of his blade; competing mostly with himself for the next big thrill. Coburn got the part he wanted, and though he was given minimal dialogue, his deliveries were classic. This set the mold for his future career. Charles Bronson as Bernardo O'Reilly, half-Irish, half Mexican, was solid as a rock; an experienced stone killer, and yet still a soft touch for the children of the village. His death scene touched us. He found the pulse of his character, and he was both dangerous and decent. Robert Vaughn, as Lee, seemed uncomfortable and lost. His part had been rewritten, and expanded for him. Yet he seemed ill-suited for the part, and the genre. Even his costume seemed ill-fitting. Part of the problem was that his characters' inability to participate in the first couple of firefights left us with little sympathy for him. Later then, in his scene with the peasants, in which he admitted his fear, the emotions seemed forced and poorly conceived. His last moment heroics and death did little to balance the scales. Brad Dexter was nearly invisible. He is the one actor in trivia games no one can remember. His character, Harry Luck, with twice the dialogue as Coburn, paled in comparison. Part of it was Dexter himself. He was a bland, middle-of-the-road, B-Movie heavy, and it was odd to cast him, and thrust him in amongst all of those young turks. He did a credible job, but he was completely outshined by the future super stars. Vladimir Sokoloff, as the village's "old man", gave such a wonderful and touching performance, one did not realize the actor was not Latino. Like Eli Wallach, his talent as an actor transcended ethnic boundaries. John Sturges, a veteran director of westerns, found just the right balance of action and character. Mexican farmers substituted fine for the original Japanese farmers. And brigands, or bandits, are cut from the same nasty mold no matter what the era, or geography. Kurosawa's classic runs like 3 hours in length, and it gave us much more in-depth character development; so that when these samurai began to die, we cared about them. In 1959, when SEVEN was filmed, three hour westerns were a non-existant species. Elmer Bernstein's musical score was revolutionary, and its pounding stacatto beat has become one of the most recognized pieces of music ever created for film. This western, always listed in the top 50 best westerns, is a must-see. And the DVD version, in widescreen, is crisp and clear and colorful, and it helps us to recapture that magical feeling we had the first time we saw this film in a movie theatre.
Rating:
Summary: What a western should be
Review: There are few westerns that come close to the level of quality of this one. What can I honestly say about this movie that no one hasn't already heard? If you like westerns, like the battle of good versus evil, like beating the odds and protecting the innocent, they you'll love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: A Definite Must-See
Review: Not everyone is a fan of the Western, but after watching this movie, I would highly recommend making the exception to see this film. Contrary to Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven, this film shows the gunslinger with his own since of honor even when his way of life is on the wane. A small, Mexican farming village is being tormented by a bandito with his small army of about forty men. After being raided, the village men decide to cross the border and buy guns to defend themselves. In America, the village committee sees a couple of gunslingers stand up to drive a coffin to the local cemetery. The townfolk were prepared to stop them due to the dead man's race. Rather than do this for money, the gunslingers due it for the challenge and because it is right. These are the men the villagers want. The next chunk of the movie is the recruiting of gunslingers. None of them seem to fit into this new world; for example, Charles Bronson's character is chopping wood to earn his breakfast whereas he used to get hundreds of dollars for gunslinging jobs. The last part of the movie is the seven gunslingers helping to train the villagers and to fight with them. They could leave, but their unwritten code requires them to continue until the job is done. You have to see this movie at least once.
Rating:
Summary: In Texas only Texans can rob banks.
Review: One of the great westerns of all time. Some of the best dialogue ever recorded. Each actors brings something unique to the table and adds to this film. Yul Brynner, king of Siam and Pharoh of Egypt, leads six men into Mexico to fight a band of 40 bandits. Steve McQueen brings his laid back style and looks for love, while Bernardo Charles Bronsan wins the heart of children. James Coburn is the man of action, "fastest with gun or knife" while Robert Vaughn is the desterter hiding on the battle field. A young Horst as Chico (no, I'm not joking) is the young gun wanttobe, while Brad Dexter is the gun for hire. A gold-toothed Eli Wallach does a great job as a villian, by not trying to be one. John Sturges had a unique touch to handling a large cast. Elmer Berstein delivers the screen's most rousing score that helped Marlboro sell cigarettes.
DVD Features: A good documentary with interviews with some of the cast. Steve Mcqueen is sorely missed, but his ex wife tells a few tales along with Yul's exwife. Also great is the commentary with Eli Wallach, James Coburn, Walter Mirisch, and another excutive. They don't deliver a lot of insight to the movie itself, but give background to the actors. Overall, a great bargain. Skip the sequals.
Rating: 
Summary: Less dark than Seven Samurai
Review: In the past week, I watched both this movie and Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, on which the Magnificent Seven is based. While this was a good movie, I definitely liked Seven Samurai better. It may be a cultural thing, or merely my personal preference for darker movies, but I didn't think Magnificent Seven captured the same depressing feel by the end of the movie, and I also think Kurosawa's film had a more atmospheric feel or look. However, more of the main characters were better developed in this movie than in the Seven Samurai. As for the acting, Yul Brynner was good as Chris, Eli Wallach was excellent as the head bandit (although somewhat similar to his later character in Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), and Steve McQueen was cool as only Steve McQueen can be. These performances were rounded out by good performances by James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn. However, the character of the kid, played by Horst Buchholz, seems somewhat throw-away. Indeed, the character is more annoying than anything else, although I suppose he's supposed to be as the cocky kid who idolizes gunfighters without understanding the costs involved. In addition, while the villagers are relatively well-played, the village elder seems too beatific--why's he smiling about the whole thing if his village is about to be destroyed by bandits? I guess his line about needing a little excitement makes sense, but it seemed to distract from the overall urgency. As a whole, this was a decent movie with some pretty good acting, but I urge viewers who enjoyed this film to see Seven Samurai. In comparison, this film seems very Disneyfied in many aspects, including the interaction Charles Bronson has with the group of adoring kids, the general atmosphere, and its somewhat lighter ending.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent is not the word!
Review: This was the first Western genre film that I ever saw and unlike several others in the genre, it just gets better as the years roll by. There is only one moment in the film that John Sturges and William Roberts could have cut out and not lost anything: the scene where Chico is drunk and screams at Chris to "face me!" Chico proves himself later, so there was no need for that scene, I feel. That apart, a fantastic film (especially our introductions to Chris and Vin, the so called "injun lovers") and the memorable music score? I trust Elmer Bernstein is still rolling in royalties!!
Rating:
Summary: The best Western movie ever!
Review: If you are to watch only one Western-watch "The Magnificent Seven".Journey westwards in the company of an all-star cast,terrific music and action from beginning to end!Join Chris,Vin,Britt,Chico and the rest of the magnificent ones in their stuggle against evil.Watch them win.Your only trip to the West-or, who knows,after this,maybe you`ll find yourself returning for more?
Rating:
Summary: Great Saturday Afternoon Flick
Review: Great old fashion shoot'em up flick, the good guys( who are hired gunslingers) are of course out numbered and the bad guys are despised. If you have a home theater it will brings you back to those days when $3.00 got you a Saturday afternoon at the movies.
Rating:
Summary: A Timeless Classic, part of Western History...
Review: The Movie: The Magnificent Seven is truly the most timeless of any Western ever made. I won't go into too much detail about the film's plot, except to say that it was a unique work amoung westerns, and very entertaining. Not only did this movie make its mark on other filmmakers at the time, but it collected and cataloged many standard movie items you see in movies made 20 years before AND after it. You got the innocence and clarity of older westerns - the perfectly clean costumes and sweeping music, and that obvious contrast between outdoor and stage shots. Action scenes were quick and unfocused (typical western stuff), and we are treated with that strange Hollywood way of shooting guns, where the actors don't aim at all. Yul Brynner gives a very traditional, stoic performance, hardly moving a muscle for any of his scenes. Many of the actors gave old-style, John Wayne-inspired performances, in which they stand perfectly still and read their lines with a straight face and dead earnesty. When they finally move, they seem to explode into action. Contrast this with the fidgetting and fussing of Steve McQueen's much more human performance, and you can almost see how movies will change entirely in the next 15 years. Eli Wallach's bandit villian is a perfectly likeable fellow, while some of the heroes are hunted and greedy. The first scenes show the heroes confronting racism - in 1960! The Magnificent Seven was one of the first movies made outside of the studio system, and it shows. The entire supporting cast is played by Mexican actors who are willing -and allowed- to portray their characters in a realistic, human light. Perhaps the best reason to watch this movie is to prepare yourself for the film that inspired it - Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai, one of the greatest movies of all time, from -any- country or genre. The DVD: The visual quality is only average. The print is stratched and grainy, and when a transition shot approaches, the image becomes even worse! The sound is faithful to the original movie, but nothing to show-off your stereo with. The documentary is the best extra, as it lovingly explores the history of the movie, the legal troubles of its early creation, the friendly rivalry of the Seven actors on the set, and the strange relationship that Eli Wallach had with his band of bandits. There is also a commentary track, but much of the information in this track is presented more clearly in the documentary. Definitely a must-buy for western fans.
Rating:
Summary: The Best American Western Ever Made
Review: Because, of course, Once Upon a Time in the West (Should REALLY be on DVD) is Italian. Contains the greatest lines of dialogue in any Western ("It seemed like a good idea at the time.") A miraculous cast with stars galore from later years. Most importantly: The Alice Cooper Band wrote and preformed a brilliant homage to the Robert Vaughn character on their Killer album (should be available in the CD store) called Desperado. Watch the film, listen to the song. Nothing is better than mixing your media.
|
