Seven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.Seven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.Seven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 6 nominations total
- Hilario
- (as Jorge Martinez de Hoyas)
- Villager
- (as Natividad Vacio)
- Miguel
- (as John Alonso)
- Director
- Writers
- William Roberts
- Akira Kurosawa(uncredited)
- Walter Bernstein(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough the film received mixed reviews, Akira Kurosawa was so impressed he sent John Sturges a ceremonial sword as a gift.
- GoofsSteve McQueen wears Levi's jeans with the famous red tab, which were introduced in the 1930s.
- Quotes
Village Boy 2: We're ashamed to live here. Our fathers are... cowards.
[O'Reilly takes the boy over his knee and spanks him]
O'Reilly: [harshly] Don't you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards! You think I am brave because I carry a gun? Well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there's nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery. That's why I never even started anything like that... that's why I never will.
- Crazy creditsAnd Introducing Horst Buchholz
- Alternate versionsThe German theatrical release differs from the German VHS video in the scene where the magnificent seven have been taken by surprise and have to put down their weapons on the table. Chico is the last one and stands in enragement. In the theatrical version he then nevertheless unstraps his belt like the others. In the VHS video version Chris jumps at Chico just in that moment when he wants to pull the gun. Chris takes his gun and puts it on desk. Then Chico unstraps his belt.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Precious Images (1986)
- SoundtracksThe Magnificent Seven Theme
Written by Elmer Bernstein
Much is made here of the difference between fighting for money, fighting for justice, or fighting for a future. While this version of Kurosawa's epic contains all the philosophical leanings of the original, it isn't nearly as long-winded or languid. The downside to this is that it isn't nearly as moody or powerful. In fact, one can easily see the difference between American and foreign cinema simply by comparing Shichinin no samurai with The Magnificent Seven. One is incredibly dark and downbeat most of the time. The other mostly has a score that is so major it wouldn't sound out of place in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.
Differences in feeling aside, the ultimate question is whether this version of the story manages to entertain. The hardest challenge any film faces is keeping the audience amused while all the exposition is laid out. Here, the exposition is kept to a minimum while carefully inserted between some fast-paced, albeit very mild action sequences.
Sometimes, the dialogue ("We deal in lead, friend.") gets incredibly stilted. Sometimes, it seems incredibly wise. Well, since we have examples of films where it's all stilted, all the time, we can forgive this one. The film also includes several textbook examples of how to include a sudden plot element without seeming contrived. When we learn why Calvera's men just won't go away, it needs no setup simply because it is consistent with their behaviour throughout the rest of the film.
In the end, The Magnificent Seven comes off as an excellent remake of a masterpiece. There are better Westerns out there, and there are better action films, but there aren't many. I gave it a nine out of ten. Go in expecting to be entertained, but little more, and you cannot go wrong.
- mentalcritic
- Oct 1, 2004
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Siete hombres y un destino
- Filming locations
- Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico(desert, sets)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $182
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
Contribute to this page
![Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and Eli Wallach in The Magnificent Seven (1960)](http://178.128.105.246/cars-https-m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzYyNzU0MTM1OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzE1ODE1NA@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg)