The Magnificent Seven

Over the last ten years, 'remake' has become a bit of a buzzword for cashing in on a franchise for a quick blockbuster buck. Consider Rambo as an example: it widely missed the mark of what made the first film excellent; it misjudged what it was to revive an idea and a character. Not so with The Magnificent Seven.  In fact a film like this one is probably a contributing factor as to why remakes are even palatable at all: it essentially understands its subject matter and story (Kurosawa's 1954 Shichinin no samurai - Seven Samurai) but in transporting it to a new setting and reviving the characters it adds and develops plot, flavour and meaning in a vibrant and effective manner.


The plot is straightforward enough. A small village is plagued by bandits, led by the vicious yet charismatic Calvera (Wallach who went on to star in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly); in desperation the villagers set out to buy guns to defend themselves and instead stumble upon Chris and Vin (Brynner and McQueen respectively) who take on their case, despite the lack of money. Between the two of them they convince other acquaintances, either through pressing their honour or with the lure of some secret wealth, to join them. 


Upon arrival in the village, they are not given quite the heroes' reception they hoped for. After a series of skirmishes with Calvera's men they are ambushed and forced out of the village. But, with nothing more than honour at stake, the seven return to rescue the village in a final, last-ditch attempt. 


The performances are sensational. Each of the seven are well-drawn enough that even with brief screen appearances a sense of character emerges that engages instantly. Particularly likeable are O'Reilly (Bronson) and Britt (Coburn), both taciturn characters clearly admired for their abilities. O'Reilly's first scene is machismo incarnate, while Britt's cool reserve perfectly matches his counterpart from Seven Samurai, and similarly masks a deadly killing potential. Chico (Horst Buchholz), the young, impetuous seventh, also shines. He's headstrong and moody, but pulls it off and gives us just enough of a chance to see the fear behind his posturing that he's an eminently likeable, if childish, hero.  


Couple that with a lively score, a great sense of dramatic pacing (no lengthy meaningful pauses here) and enough plot elements to keep things sharp, and it's easy to see why The Magnificent Seven holds a position of such gravitas in the cannon not only of westerns, but of remakes. Justly so. It's the sort of film that makes one want to look up every other Bronson or Coburn film, just to marvel at their abilities.


~~~
1960
Val Brynner, Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn and introducing Horst Buchholz
dir. John Sturges

Once Upon A Time In The West

Where do I really begin with this film? I've watched it now maybe three times, and loved it each and every time, for pretty much every second. I just can't really find anything wrong with it: it sums up perfectly the mood of the 'classic' western - slow-paced, bubbling with intensity, gritty, brutal - but it's also Leone's exploration, as he put it, of death. Cheyenne (Robbards), trying to explain Harmonica (Bronson) to Jill (Cardinale), says: "People like that have something inside... something to do with death". Leone conjured up not one but two characters completely intent on death, Frank (Fonda) and Harmonica, and some of the most memorable exchanges in the film are from when these two meet.

Frank, the ruthless gang-leader, is out to stop anyone in his way; Cheyenne works as a part-time lackey to him, but his heart isn't in the work; Harmonica is something of a mystery, but is intent on reaching Frank. So the plot plays out, step by step, frame by frame, as they pace towards a final confrontation.

It's something with everything being in its right place in this film that makes it all the more chilling: each element, each scene, slots together so neatly that there is a sense of inevitability, of destiny built into the film. And walking hand-in-hand with that, Morricone's score rivals The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It is absolutely haunting, and as a mood-influencer, used to perfection. Simple refrains, anchored to the characters, come back time and again, fluctuating and changing, signalling the mood and pace. In the second scene of the film, when Jill's stepson runs out of the farm door to find Frank (you'll know the scene I mean if you've seen the film; if you haven't, I'm trying not to spoil it), the explosion of sound that greets him enhances the ensuing action wondrously and chillingly.

I'm struggling with this because it is hard to write about something one loves without sound so overly enthused that it seems unbalanced. But in short, it's a wonderful film, because it tries to tackle a very complex question (death) and does so in a stripped-down, chilling manner, where mood is all. It drew me in so completely and provided me with something utterly involving and moving. Perfect cinema.

*****
1968

Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robbards, Charles Bronson
Dir. Sergio Leone

Music - Ennio Morricone