The Magnificent Seven is an American western remake of a Japanese film which, in turn, was highly influenced by American westerns.  Japanese director Akira Kurosawa had an affection for the films of director John Ford and, while it was not adapted from any specific western, he injected elements of westerns into Seven Samurai.  The Magnificent Seven takes the Seven Samurai story and moves it back to the old west.

The story is simple.  A Mexican village is terrorized by the bandit Calvera (Eli Wallach).  He returns each year and takes what he wants, including a large portion of the crop the village produces.  The villagers decide to send three men across the border to purchase guns.  Instead, they find Chris (Yul Brynner), a black clad gunman who convinces them to hire men with guns to defend the town.  With what little the villagers have to offer, Chris recruits five other men with a variety of lethal skills.  Vin (Steve McQueen) is quick with a gun, Britt (James Coburn) is a master of blades, Lee (Robert Vaughn) is a quick draw artist who has lost his nerve, Bernardo (Charles Bronson) is a reliable and steady man who gets the job done and Harry (Brad Dexter) is an opportunist who is sure there is more money somewhere in this job.  A seventh man, Chico (Horst Buchholz), idolizes Chris and hangs around long enough to gain acceptance into the group.

The group travels to the village and prepares for Calvera’s arrival.  They help the villagers build defenses and teach them how to use weapons, but the villagers are initially distrustful of the outsiders.  When Calvera does return the gunmen and the villagers drive him off.  Celebrations ensue until everyone realizes he is not gone for good.  A faction of the village then sells out the gunmen and lets Calvera in.  He spares them and sends them back to the border.  Now, they have a decision to make.  Do they just go home, or do they return and take on Calvera? 

The Magnificent Seven is considered one of the greatest westerns ever made and it also feels a bit like a break from tradition.  While not a clear dividing line, this film includes elements of earlier westerns where the heroes save the day as well as elements of later films where the lines between hero and villain are blurred.  When I think of westerns before The Magnificent Seven, I think of films like Stagecoach or Winchester ’73.  The heroes are clearly the heroes, and the bad guys are clearly the bad guys.  When I think of westerns after The Magnificent Seven, films like Once Upon a Time in the West and Unforgiven come to mind.  Things are not as clear and, sometimes, you are not even sure who to cheer for. 

In The Magnificent Seven, the bad guys become good guys.  We’re not told very much of their back stories but the seven are not exactly choir boys.  In one scene, the heroes lament how their guns have earned them everything they have, which is nothing.  No home, no wives, etc. They are essentially a collection of drifters earning their living with a gun.  They are nothing like the errant knights of The Seven Samurai and nothing like previous western heroes. Westerns and western heroes are never quite the same after The Magnificent Seven.

The Magnificent Seven features a stellar cast of Hollywood action stars.  Yul Brynner was an established star at the time, but the rest of the cast was made up of up-and-coming talent.  Steve McQueen went on to become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood for over a decade.  Others, like Charles Bronson and James Coburn went on to very successful careers as movie tough guys.  The Magnificent Seven is a rare opportunity to see an all-star cast of this type. The film also features an outstanding score and one of the most memorable title themes of any film.

The Magnificent Seven was a box office disappointment in the US but became a smash hit in western Europe and Brynner’s homeland, the Soviet Union.  Critical reviews were mixed but mostly positive.  However, the film’s popularity grew over time as Steve McQueen and Charles Bronson went on to become major stars.  Their popularity kept interest in the film alive and, over time, appreciation has grown for the cast, script and score to the point where the film is considered one of the finest westerns ever made.