The Magnificent Seven (1960)

	Directed by: John Sturges	COUNTRY USA GENRE Western NORWEGIAN TITLE De syv uovervinnelige RUNNING TIME 128 minutes
	Produced by: John Sturges
	Written by (based on Kurosawa's Shichinin no Samurai): William Roberts Walter Bernstein Walter Newman

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Chris Adams	Yul Brynner
Vin Tanner	Steve McQueen
Chico	Horst Buchholz	½
Bernardo O'Reilly	Charles Bronson
Lee	Robert Vaughn	½
Harry Luck	Brad Dexter
Britt	James Coburn
Calvera	Eli Wallach
The old man	Vladimir Sokoloff	½
Hilario	Jorge Martínez de Hoyos	-
Petra	Rosenda Monteros	-
Sotero	Rico Alaniz	-
Tomás	Pepe Hern	-

Review

Akira Kurosawa reportedly advocated an American remake of his Shichinin no Samurai himself, and though this 1960 Western directed by John Sturges (Bad Day at Black Rock) feels strangely benign despite its level of violence, the story's emblematic grandiosity shines through. The film's first half is the best, as gunfighter Yul Brynner takes pity on three Mexican farmers whose village is being raided by a gang of bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach), and begins a careful process of recruiting gunmen to help fight them off. The ensuing drama alternates between timeless epic and Hollywood melodrama, but when the film touches on truths, they are sometimes universal and heartrending. All in all, The Magnificent Seven bears its title with dignity and delivers solid, unhip entertainment. Sturges directs with classical precision and an unfussy sense of scale, and the final shot is almost as touching as it is set up to be. Among the up-and-coming all-star cast, Brynner, Charles Bronson and Eli Wallach stand out. Steve McQueen, who had a much-publicised feud with Brynner on set, appears somewhat fumbling and weary. He looks among the oldest in the cast, despite being one of the youngest. There's also some Brando-esque overacting by Robert Vaughn and debutant Horst Buchholz, touted as the German James Dean at the time.