2) The Magnificent Seven
Based on Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, John Struges created one of the most enduring westerns of all time with The Magnificent Seven.
From the opening notes of the theme music to the blood soaked final confrontation, this is perhaps that rare thing: a perfect film. Every beat feels placed with the precision of a master composer, every character detail and every blistering fight scene is captured with such power as to almost be overwhelming.
Yul Brynner leads a small group of gunmen in the defence of a Mexican village against the tyrant bandit Calvera (a sweating, maniacal Eli Wallach), and in the process forms a close bond with the inhabitants. The gunfighters are legendary, but James Coburn, as the man who can compete only with himself with either a knife or a gun, was always my favourite.
This is a film that more than stands the test of time, and is as dramatic today as it was in 1960. The gunfights are genuinely thrilling, and even the tacked on romantic subplot doesn’t feel as laboured as it might have in less skilled hands.
The Magnificent Seven is a film to watch and enjoy for years to come.
Published: Apr 12, 2014 04:27 pm