Tweet

The Magnificent Seven is an absolute classic. Although it has been remade a few times, nothing beats the original, by which I mean the Seven Samurai, but the cowboy reimagining is also great. This movie contains many larger than life actors including Yul Brynur as the smooth
and speedy gunslinger dressed all in black, Chris Larabee Adams; Eli Wallach as the main bad guy, Calvera; Steve McQueen, who makes up for his more casual dress with his sheer coolness as Vin Tanner; James Coburn as yet another cool guy who is faster throwing a knife than most
people are firing a gun, Britt; and Horst Buchholtz as the young hot shot, Chico. There are many more superb actors, but these are best and most well known. The cast is one of the things that makes the film, I mean what do you expect from these famous action stars.

The movie starts right off with the main conflict, a group of bandits are terrorizing a small town in Mexico. It is a somber scene as they must decide what to do. They will starve if they give over their harvest, but there is not much else they can do. The elder says to go and buy
guns, but they are farmers and know not how to fight. We get introduced to our first two gunslingers, Vin Tanner and Chris Adams, who must defend a hearse from a group of townspeople who do not want a body buried. It is due to this incident that the three townspeople
approach Chris Adams who helps them build a team. They later recruit Vin and yet another slinger. They finally reach Brett who is opened by killing a man with a throwing knife before the man can draw his weapon fully. We then get a longer introduction to Chico, who is upset about being turned down earlier. Vin and Chris pick up an outlaw, a guy who thinks there is some actual money in this job, despite what people tell him, and Chico who is finally accepted. The thing that makes this movie so great is definitely shown here. The sheer coolness of the actors.
It is something that is expected of the actors. I mean there are the two cool action stars Yul Brynur and James Coburn, yes, but there is also the racer car driving, motorcycle racing, and action superstar Steve McQeen. They just ooze coolness. The whole movie is really made
because they are in it.

At long last they arrive at the town where everyone hides from the outsiders. They only come out when the warning bell sounds and they think the bandits are there. The young Chico sounded the bell only to yell at them for being cowards. This however is forgotten the next day as the townspeople celebrate the founding of their home. Britt, Chico, and the outlaw are sent to take care of a scouting party sent by the outlaws. Chico kills two, but one gets away. He is speeding away and is far away when Britt makes the absolute worst shot ever. He means to hit
the horse, but instead the scout falls off the horse dead. Of course this is done with that usual sweet Coburn style. The festivities must end, for now is the time to prepare. The men learn to shoot the guns left by the scouts and fortify the town. This is all build up, so there is not much to
say. I will say that it is enjoyable and the acting is as absolutely amazing as in the rest of the film.

At long last it is time for the slingers to meet Calvera and his force. Naturally Calvera is not got to back down, so a big gun fight ensues. The traps are sprung and several of the gang are killed. The rest run away. There is no time to celebrate as sharpshooters open fire. While the group tries to maneuver up to their positions some important events happen. Some kids say they would pick up the gun should one of the slingers fail, but more importantly is the matter of Chico. He is pinned, but he does get one companion. He gets a village girl who falls head over heels for the boy.

The guns of the dead are handed out to the civilians and patrols are set. Now the acting is not the only great thing about this movie and that is shown in this part. The side characters are good, yes, but that is also not what I am referring to here. The battle scenes. They make this movie. They are exciting, high pace and not filled with anything unnecessary. There is also a perfect showcasing of the directors talent. He flawlessly moves from adrenaline packed action to plot and character development. It is part of what makes this movie so great. Chico infiltrates the enemy camp and the outlaw has a night terror. The man who is on the run has lost his nerve. As the boy returns he brings back some bad news. Calvera is coming back because his men are starving. Some of the villagers now think they should submit to Calvera so that their families might be spared. Chico flaunts his espionage for his girl, because of course he does. Some of the villagers let Calvera sneak in and capture the seven
gunslingers. They are forced back to Texas, where their guns are given back. Calvera does not want to make them enemies. You know if the antagonists just shot the good guys when they had them in custody they would win in every movie.

That being said they could not kill off the heroes just yet. This part is honestly my least favorite in the movie. The fact that Chico so easily infiltrated the enemy camp is sort of silly and I always complain about villains doing nonsensical things, like sparing the lives of the heroes. This all being said it was necessary for the plot to move forward, so I guess you have to weigh it against the rest of the film. Six of the group decide to return, all except the one who never found the riches he thought were there. The remaking group sneaks into the town and the final battle starts. Bodies are dropping right and left as they rush through town. Vin is hit in the leg, another is hit in the arm. The one who left comes back and is gunned down in the classic tv trope. Men and women from the town join the battle against the bandits and several are killed, along with the outlaw. Another one of the group dies with a truly heartfelt and sad goodbye. Lastly Britt is killed in what has got to be one of the hands down coolest yet simplest death scenes of cinematic history, but that’s James Coburn, cool even in death. The bandits are defeated and the town is saved. Chico remains in the town with his girl and the last two left are the two we started off with, Vin and Chris. This ending is excellent. The action is superb and the deaths of the main characters don’t seem unnatural. The whole battle has got to be one of, if not the, best battle scenes ever.

As I have made, perhaps overly obvious, this movie is great. The action is great, as it should be considering this is an action flick. Of course the cast fits the movie perfectly and acting is great. The script and directing, while not the most important part of the film, takes this movie over the top and makes this one of those timeless films. If you are looking for an action cowboy movie to watch I would definitely and unequivocally recommend the Magnificent Seven.