Akira Kurosawa’sSeven Samurai (1954) was the inspiration for M7 1960.
Often regarded as one of the greatest films of all time
– and the first “Action Film”
“It has remained highly influential, often seen as one of the most “remade, reworked, referenced” films in cinema. (Wikipedia)
Awards and nominations
Venice Film Festival (1954)
Winner – Silver Lion – Akira Kurosawa
Nominated – Golden Lion – Akira Kurosawa
Mainichi Film Award (1955)
Winner – Best Supporting Actor – Seiji Miyaguchi
British Academy Film Awards (1956)
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Film
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor – Toshiro Mifune
Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor – Takashi Shimura
Academy Awards (1957)
Nominated – Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White – So Matsuyama
Nominated – Best Costume Design, Black-and-White – Kôhei Ezaki
The CWF Charismometer: Test One Continued: Measuring Star Power / Charisma / Casting
Fuqua’s Folly? / Formula
“So far, so good.”
– Vin
In a lot of ways a re-make of M7 1960 was a no win scenario. Except of one way: Money. In this, Fuqua knew his formula of Denzel Washington and ActionFilm couldn’t miss. Though he knew his movie couldn’t match the Original Western as a Western Classic, it was bullet proof as a money maker. Just as Director Sydney Pollack knew that Robert Redford’s Star Power guaranteed Box Office success in the 7 movies he Directed Redford (including Western Classic Jeremiah Johnson – over $50 Million profit), the Box Office take for the previous 2 Washington/Fuqua Action movies: Training Day (2001) ($57 million), and The Equalizer (2014) ($137 million) guaranteed that M7 2016would be a success. The current Box Office for M7 2016 shows a profit of $46 million – and climbing. Combining all 3 Fuqua/Washington movies, we get about $240 Million profit. So far. Pretty good business. M7 2016 isn’t a Western Classic, but it’s sure going to pay the bills.
Amazingly Wikipedia claims the original Magnificent Seven (1960) was not initially well received in the US – but did well overseas. And despite unclear statistics on it’s overall Box Office, it’s a safe bet that it made it’s money back many times over – and it’s still selling well today on DVD and Blue Ray.
Casting?
“Once You’ve Met Them …You’ll Never Forget Them” – A tagline from the original M7 1960
Most any Western Movie fan can name at least 6 of this guys.
Large ensemble Casts in a movie are a problem. Writers and Directors know how important Character Development is. Because if we don’t connect with the people in the movie, what exactly are you doing? And the larger the Cast, the harder this is. With M7 (1960) however,most of the Actors had been around for quite a while – they weren’t unknown. They just weren’t Stars yet. We knew Brynner very well; McQueen was known from the TV series Wanted Dead of Alive; Bronson had been kicking around in support roles for years; Coburn had been in several Westerns already; Vaughn had done a ton of TV work; Dexter had also done a lot of TV work – and several movies; even Buchholz had been in about 17 movies by 1960; Eli Wallach had also done extensive TV and movie work.
The point is, we had seen them before. And it’s a lot easier to do movies with ensemble casts if the audience has some familiarity with the Actors.
Frankly, in that sense, the Casting M7 1960 was brilliant.
Can you name these guys? Justice might have a number, but might lack a name.
If you get 4 of those guys, I’ll send you a Tootsie Roll and a box of popcorn.
In M7 2016 we have less familiarity with the Cast. We would definitely know Washington, and likely Pratt, Hawke, and D’Onofrio – though D’Onofrio is so heavily made up, I doubt most people recognized him.
Most everybody else in the movie we are unlikely to know.
This puts M7 2016 at a definite disadvantage as far as the audience (us) is able connect with the Characters – and care about them – not a good thing for a movie.
Back when Tom Cruise started this whole M7 re-make debate,
I proposed my own Cast: Tom Cruise, Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Willem Dafoe, Benedict Cumberbach, Brenden Fraser, Aaron Paul, Antonio Banderas. This would have been a hell of a Cast …
but it also would have broke the bank.
And I still hadn’t figured out who would Direct that thing.
Coming:
Magnificent Sevens … myth, math and aftermath … Part 3
I finally went and saw TheMagnificent Seven (2016) the other night.
I had initially said that I wouldn’t judge this movie by the original,
but it raises so many issues surrounding modern Film Making – and Westerns
that I couldn’t resist.
“Justice has a number”
– M7 (2016) tagline
“Remakes? You probably shouldn’t go there.” – My Favorite Westerns
The CWF Film Critique System
Being a Film Critic of no renown, I have deferred my critiquing chores to my unfamous and trusted colleague Cecil W. (Wannabe) Ford! Wannabe is not a respected Film Critic, but to make up for that by his high HO (Highly Opinionated) Rating – especially of himself. This, combined with his unique CWF Critique System (whereby each movie is subjected to Wannabe’s stringent CWF testing criteria) he arrives at a judgment. Maybe.
Let us proceed.
The Magnificent Seven (2016) Review
by Cecil W(annabe). Ford
I like to think that NOTHING is impossible.
But my expectations were not high.
Why? Because a Remake of the Magnificent Seven IS pretty well impossible. Denzel Washington says right there himself at the start of the movie:
Quote: Denzel Washington (Sam Chisolm):
“Took a job – looking for a some men to join us.” Chris Pratt(Josh Farraday):
“Is it difficult?” Denzel Washington:
“Impossible.”
This is not mere dialogue (quoted from the first movie): It’s Film director and Producer Antoine Fuqua’sopen admission that there is no way he could make a movie that will equal the Original Magnificent Seven(1960).
No way.
You have to give him credit for admitting that. He knew it. And there are definite reasons for that knowledge – things that were beyond his control. I’ll get to those …
The real question is: Why? Why make the movie? Why make movie that you know is going to be compared to the incomparable? If you know something is impossible, then Why attempt it?
Antoine Fuqua’s last 9 movies have all made money – including M7 2016.
In Film Making that makes him a SuperStar.
Time for Wannabe’s Test # One:
Test One: The CWF Charismometer
Measuring Star Power / Charisma / Casting
My first Test will employ the trusty CWF Charismometer.This will infallibly measure, Star Power, Charisma, and Casting– vital components in any movie – and the main factors that Fuqua, his Writers, and the Producers … or anybody – could not match from the Original Magnificent Seven.
We’ll start with Yul Brunnerand Denzel Washington.
Charismometer says:
Denzelis a Star. No doubt about it. And a good Actor.
And if he wasn’t in M7 2016, it wouldn’t hardly be worth a sniff.
But compared to Yul Brynner?
Well, it’s a good thing I tested Denzelfirst, because Yulblew my Charismometer to smithereens.
BOOOM!
This is the first reason – and likely most important reason – M7 2016 couldn’t match the original.
I will next test the rest …
Those Thrilling Stars of Yesteryear
Is it just me? or is the Star Power in modern Film not equal to the Star Power of yesteryear – 50’s and 60’s. 70’s??? John Wayne,Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Clark Gable, Bogart, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, Fonda, Brando…
I could go on and on and on. And then start on the ladies. Yes. we certainly have Starsand some very good actors these days … but …
Unless you’ve been under a log you’ve probably heard about this Remake of The Magnificent Seven. |
So we have our first Trailers.
(brought to my attention by Tim Neath over at https://timneath.wordpress.com/) Thanks Tim!
Denzel Washington – the Magnificent Seven Equalizer ??
“What do you see when you look at me?”
“Oh, hell. If that’s all that’s holding things up, I’ll drive the rig.” – Yul Brynner / The Magnificent Seven
Wikipedia: September 14, 2015 “The Magnificent Seven is an upcoming American Western directed by Antoine Fuqua, a remake of the 1960 western film of the same name. The film stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Luke Grimes, Wagner Moura, Haley Bennett, Matt Bomer, and Peter Sarsgaard. Principal photography began on May 18, 2015, in the north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The film is set to be released on September 23, 2016.”
Denzel Washington gets the lead role of Chris formerly played by Yul Brynner in the 1960 film. I consider this to be a rather smart bit of casting. In my mind it completely circumvents the main problem of the remake: who are you going to cast that has enough Star Power who can measure up to Yul Brynner??! By choosing Washington – the black Superstar – for the the part it seems to approach the role from a completely different angle that deflects such judgements. Washington also has enough Star Power and acting chops to pull it off.
Despite having made plenty of Action movies in his career, this will be Washington’s first Western movie.
No trailers as of yet …
But what about the other 6 Sevens??
Well … here they are:
Up to you to figure out who’s playing who … if indeed the former roles have any bearing. I think they will, but …
This is all I know so far.
I’ll try to keep an eye on things and hopefully we’ll have a preview trailer soon.
One of the greatest westerns ever made, The Magnificent Seven, will be remade for the big-screen. The western which featured many of the biggest stars of its time, was actually a remake itself of Akira Kurosawa’s epic, Seven Samurai. An important point to make before there are cries from film purists claiming it is blasphemy to remake this classic. The project has gone through many hands in the past few years as multiple producers and stars have looked to repackage the film for the current generation. Most recently there was a version to star Tom Cruise, according to ScreenRant, other veteran actors such as Morgan Freeman and Kevin Costner were sought after to make up the posse.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The project is now in the hands another director and actor team, who have found a high level of comfortability and teamwork. Director Antoine Fuqua and Academy Award winning actor Denzel Washington, first forged their partnership on the film Training Day, where Washington won his second Oscar. After their second pairing in this month’s upcoming thriller, The Equalizer, they are more energized than ever to keep their professional partnership going. After confirming that the duo are indeed remaking The Magnificent Seven ….
…. It will be interesting to see how the remake is handled. With Washington assumably taking over the role previously held by Yul Brynner, it will be fascinating to see how race is handled in the film. It would be hard to not acknowledge how the additional hardship of being black in the wild west America would affect the character(s).
Even of more interest is whom Fuqua and Washington (who seems to be in a producing capacity as well judging by Fuqua’s comments) choose as the other six members of the legendary posse. The search for backup is a huge part of the original film and finding six other actors that won’t be overshadowed by Washington may not be a simple task. Not to mention Westerns certainly are not the dominant film genre any longer. It will take a quite a dynamic cast to drum up a buzz, since the original came out over fifty years ago. It should be a delight watching this project come together.
MFW comment:
Am I against a remake of M7? No.
Would I say M7 fans wouldn’t like to see one? Of course they would.
I would also say that it’s a daunting task – especially the casting – as is mentioned.
Over the years we have already seen several attempts to remake M7 – even a TV show.
None of them fared too well – compared to the original.
The problem is simple: On any such remake of a Classic Film there are going to be inevitable comparisons – as what happened with Johnny Depp’s The Lone Ranger.
So it’s a tough deal.
And the only thing that saves some remakes (to any degree) is that there is a whole new audience that holds no allegiance or knowledge of the Original. They don’t care – and don’t know – about the incredible Star Power and charisma of Yul Brynner – not to mention the other members of the cast – most of whom went on to long an illustrious success in filmdom.
Yes ..we all hope that somehow Washington and Director Antoine Fuqua can come up with something that rekindles the inspired work of John Sturges original movie …
But we are ready to be disappointed as well.
[Chris (Yul Brynner) is driving the hearse up to Boot Hill; Vin (Steve McQueen) is riding shotgun]
Chris: We’ll get there.
Vin: It’s not getting up there that bothers me. It’s staying up there that I mind.
The Magnificent Seven Official Soundtrack theme … Elmer Bernstein
Posters
Yul Brynner / Chris
Yul Brynner as Chris
“I’ve been offered a lot for my work, but never everything.”
It’s said that the idea of (“An Americanization of the film, Seven Samurai (1954)”) to The Magnificent Seven, was Yul Brynner’s idea.
In any case, it’s no secret who the Star of this film was: Yul himself. And a magnificent Star he was – surely one of the most charismatic actors in Hollywood history.
The whole success of the film and it’s cast – one the the major Western Classics even carries to this day – where constant rumours or a remake swirl. A remake, which would possibly be an impossible task in it’s challenge to find Stars of the stature or a Yul Brynner – and the rest of the cast. A very daunting task.
Brynner cemented his image as Western Film Star and went on to appear in several spin-offs – none of which were as imposing as Magnificent Seven – yet still worthy of a look due to Brynner’s Star power.
Alas dying far too early at the age of 65 from lung cancer.
Yul Brynner Western Filmography The Magnificent Seven / 1960 Invitation to a Gunfighter / 1964 Return of the Seven / 1966 Villa Rides / 1968 Adios, Sabata / 1970 Catlow / 1971 Westworld / 1973 _____________________________________________
Steve McQueen / Vin
“We deal in lead, friend.”
Billed 3rd behind Yul Brynner and Eli Wallach, McQueen’s shameless antics to steal scenes is the stuff of movie legends – as McQueen evidently feared Brynner’s notable charisma would overshadow him – and eventually started a one-upmanship duel between Brynner and McQueen throughout the filming. Steve, of course, eventually went on to become a big Star and success in his own right – and I wonder if they both didn’t share a chuckle about all this later on.
In the long run, it’s interesting that both of these great Stars seemed to pass before their time: McQueen of cancer at age 50 and Brynner of cancer at age 65 – both from smoking.
Tragic, as both would have undoubtedly continued to make good work.
Steve McQueen Western Filmography:
Tales of the Wells Fargo / TV Western / 1958 Guest Appearance Trackdown / TV Western / 1958 Guest Appearance (2)
Wanted: Dead or Alive / TV Western / 1958 Series Star / 1958 – 1961 The Magnificent Seven / Co-Star / 1960 Nevada Smith / Star / 1966 Junior Bonner / Star (Directed by Sam Pekinpah) / 1972 Tom Horn / Star / 1980
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James Coburn / Britt
“Nobody throws me my own guns and tells me to ride on. Nobody.”
James Coburn Western Filmography
1959 Ride Lonesome
1959 Face of a Fugitive
1960 The Magnificent Seven
1963 The Man from Galveston
1964 Major Dundee
1967 Waterhole No. 3
1971 Duck, You Sucker! / Renamed A Fistful of Dynamite for U.S. release
1972 A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die / Renamed Massacre At Fort Holman for U.S. release
1973 Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid / Sam Peckinpah
1975 Bite the Bullet
1984 Draw!
1990 Young Guns II
1994 Maverick
1996 Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right
2000 Texas Rangers
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Charles Bronson / Bernardo
Bronson seemed (to me) to be a man that had paid his dues (he had) and this seemed to shine through his on-screen persona.
But he had that soft side too – as we see with the kids in The Magnificent Seven. Maybe that comes from his upbringing in a real life family of 14 brothers and sisters.
When we are introduced to Bronson in The Magnificent Seven we encounter him chopping wood. You better believe that no acting was necessary. And he could just as easily have been swinging a pick.
It’s a smart casting trick: choosing people who don’t need to act.
Bronson’s unique looks, however, allowed him to play roles of different cultures and races. Mexicans, Indians … his name in The Magnificent Seven is Bernardo O’Rielly … Italian Irish ?
WIKIPEDIA: Bronson was born Charles Dennis Buchinsky in Ehrenfeld in Cambria County in the coal region of the Allegheny Mountains north of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. During the McCarthy hearings, he changed his last name to Bronson, fearing that Buchinsky sounded “too Russian”; the name was taken from Bronson Avenue in Hollywood, where the famous gated entrance to Paramount Pictures is located.
He was one of fifteen children born to a Lithuanian (Lipka Tatar) immigrant father and a Lithuanian-American mother. His father, Walter Bunchinski, who later adjusted his surname to Buchinsky to sound more “American”, hailed from the town of Druskininkai. Bronson’s mother, Mary (née Valinsky), whose parents were from Lithuania, was born in the coal mining town of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. He learned to speak English when he was a teen, before that he spoke Russian and Lithuanian.
Bronson was the first member of his family to graduate from high school. As a young child, Bronson did not initially know how to speak English and only learned the language while in his teens. When Bronson was 10 years old, his father died. Young Charles went to work in the coal mines, first in the mining office and then in the mine itself. He earned $1 for each ton of coal that he mined. He worked in the mine until he entered military service during World War II. His family was so poor that, at one time, he reportedly had to wear his sister’s dress to school because of his lack of clothing.
In 1943, Bronson enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces and served as an aerial gunner in the 760th Flexible Gunnery Training Squadron, and in 1945 as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress crewman with the 39th Bombardment Group based on Guam. He was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received during his service.”
“I admire your notion of fair odds, mister.”
~ Charles Bronson / The Magnificent Seven.
“Till you lose your nerve. You can feel it. Then you wait … for the bullet in the gun that is faster than you are …”
Lee is probably the most complicated Character of the Seven.
Vaughn’s and (Director) John Stuges’ portrayal of Lee is be-gloved, dapper, dudish, white shirted, articulate gentleman gunsfighter – with a string tie,
who had lost his nerve and his touch.
A washed up gunslinger.
A bit of a tragic figure to be sure … only redeemed moments before his death – a death we sense is somewhat of a relief for him from the torture of the failure that he feels himself to be.
It’s pretty well telegraphed to us from the beginning that Lee will not be one of the Seven who rides off into the sunset.
Robert Vaughn Western Filmography
Good Day for a Hanging (1958) The Magnificent Seven (1960) TV Work: Gunsmoke (1956) Guest Frontier (1956) Guest Tales of Wells Fargo (1957) Guest The Rifleman (1958) Guest Law of the Plainsman (1959) Guest Wichita Town (1959) Guest Laramie (1960) Guest The Man from Blackhawk (1960) Guest Bonanza (1961) Guest The Blue and the Gray (1982 mini-series) _______________________________________________________
Horst Buchholz / Chico
I wonder if people really appreciate the acting of Horst Buchholz in The Magnificent Seven? I doubt it.
Here’s a young German actor who comes over here … and does a Mexican Hat Dance, a mock bullfight, handles the romance, the action, some comic relief, and is also brilliant in the several dramatic scenes including the famous ‘audition scene’ with Yul Brynner. Displaying a breadth and depth of emotion throughout the movie.
Pretty heady stuff.
Brynner and Buchholz …. renegotiating
el toro !
Horst Bucholz and Rosenda Monteros
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Brad Dexter / Harry Luck
Brad Dexter as Harry Luck
The Magnificent Seven
Bronson, Dexter, Vaughn
Let’s call it Luck … bad luck, because sadly, strangely, unfairly, movies often all boil down to that intangible element called Charisma.
You either got it … or you don’t.
The Magnificent Seven
The proof is in the most famous trivia question of Western Film: “Who was that Seventh guy anyway?”
Even when people are shown his picture …
most people STILL don’t know his name.
Brad Dexter
Playing Harry Luck.
Against the other members of the Seven … Brad simply fell into shadow.
Oh, Brad Dexter was cast correctly for his part alight – as the cynical member of the Seven who was ‘just in it for the money’.
But most everyone else in the cast was already an established Star (Brynner, McQueen, Wallach) – or moving swiftly up the ladder toward bright daylight (Bronson, Coburn, Bucholz and Vaughn).
Brad simply fell back – and never quite made it.
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Brad Dexter / Veljko Soso
April 9, 1917 – December 11, 2002
Yet Dexter still had a successful film career that spanned some 50 years and included at least 40 movies.
Luck had nothing to do with it.
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Eli Wallach / Calvera
“My first Western was called The Magnificent Seven.” ~ Eli Wallach
Eli Herschel Wallach (born December 7, 1915) Eli Wallach is 97 years old.
In his acting career Wallach appeared in approximately 90 films and 85 Television shows.
“I never dreamed I would do Westerns.” ~ Eli Wallach
Eli Wallach Westerns
The Magnificent Seven(1960) How the West Was Won (1962) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Mackenna’s Gold (1969) Long Live Your Death (1971) Shoot First… Ask Questions Later (1975)
Wallach says he once received a letter from the Pope who told him that his favorite Wallach Movie was The Magnificent Seven.
“As an actor I’ve played more bandits, thieves, killers, warlords, molesters, and Mafiosi than you could shake a stick at.”
~ Eli Wallach
Below is my favorite Wallach scene from the The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
I heard Wallach say that Director Sergio Leone basically gave him free reign to improvise that scene any way he wanted.
Nicely done.
Bandito ?
Amazingly, by today’s standards for Western Badguys, Wallach was a pretty nice chap. In The Good, the Bad and the Ugly he may be Ugly and ornery, but he’s basically comic relief, while Eastwood and Van Cleef handle the drama.
Likewise, in The Magnificent Seven, after Wallach and his gang get the drop the Seven, he merely scolds them … and then lets them go! THEN, he gives them back their guns !!! Nice guy. The Seven promptly ride back and kill all the bandits – including Wallach.
He’s also pretty clean … nice red shirt and vest … no tortilla stains, no spitting, cussing, abusing, raping … a little bit of pillaging … but that’s it.
And those peons … in immaculate white togs.
Fact is, the Mexican government was furious at the way Mexicans were depicted in a previous Western, Vera Cruz (starring Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper) and therefore placed people on the set whose job it was to censor any negative depictions of Mexico or Mexicans.
Funny, but nobody seems to notice this … unless someone points it out.
Sorry.
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“I always end up being the evil one, and I wouldn’t hurt a fly.” ~ Eli Wallach
Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954) was the inspiration for M7 1960. 
