D.S. proposed this question to myself and D_Davis: What film are you thankful for and why? Personally, I’m thankful for The Magnificent Seven. I have difficulty finding any fault with the film and enjoy watching it immensely. But why am I thankful for it? Answering that is a little bit more difficult.
I love Elmer Bernstein’s score for this film. It’s heroic, cheery, and it makes you want to strap on a six-gin and saddle up. It’s quite possibly one of the greatest motion picture scores ever composed (I might like it even more than John Williams’ “The March of Superman”). So I’m thankful for that.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’ve seen Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece The Seven Samurai (or Shichinin no Samurai if you prefer) and I enjoyed it. But director John Sturges’ remake of it just clicked with me so much better than the original. Possibly because of the much more upbeat ending. The Magnificent Seven also made me appreciate The Seven Samurai a lot more. Just by the fact that I was able to relate to the characters and better comprehend the narrative. So I’m also immensely thankful for that.
The film is also a visual feast. It’s filled with beautiful scenery and vivid colors. Every shot just hooks your eyes and makes you want to see more. Sturges’ masterfully composed this film and makes it look perfect.
Another reason that I’m thankful for this film is the cast. Chris (Yul Brynner) & Vin (Steve McQueen) are instantly likeable characters. From their introductions, you feel like rooting for them right away. Don’t get me wrong, I respect Kambei (Takashi Shimura) and Shichiroji (Daisuke Kato) and appreciate what they and the other samurai were willing to sacrifice for the village. But with Chris and Vin, you not only respect them, you like them too. And the same goes for Lee (Robert Vaughn), Harry (Brad Dexter), Chico (Horst Buchholz), O’Reilly (Charles Bronson), and Britt (James Coburn). They’re good, respectable men whom the viewer comes to like. And I just never felt that way towards the samurai, except for Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune). He brought a passion to the character that the other samurai seemed to lack.
The Magnificent Seven is quite simply one of the greatest films ever made. It stands on the shoulders of a giant named Akira Kurosawa, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that this is a wonderful film of heroism, tragedy, humor, respect, hope, and love that has withstood the test of time (just like The Seven Samurai). If you haven’t seen it yet, I urge you to pick it up and watch it. Then you can be thankful for it as well.
