The Western was the biggest film genre during the forties and fifties with a whole host of movies hitting the big screen and enjoying success.
Over the years, we have seen many terrific Western movies released and great acting performances, but there is one that is perhaps more famous and enduring than the rest... of course, I am talking about The Magnificent Seven.
The Magnificent Seven is one of my favourite movies in the Western genre and it hit the big screen back in 1960. It was a remake of the 1954 Japanese movie Seven Samurai, and saw John Sturges back in the director's chair. Sturges also brought together an impressive cast list as Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, and James Coburn were just some of the names on board.
When you think about Westerns, The Magnificent Seven is the one that immediately pops in there - not only did it have a great cast and some unforgettable shootouts, the soundtrack is one of cinema's most iconic.
I have to say, I am not the biggest fan of the Western but The Magnificent Seven is just a pure gem of a movie and one that hasn't seemed to age over time. The shootouts are still as dramatic, the banter is still as electric, and the characters are just as intriguing as they were when I watched it for the first time.
Many people do forget that this movie is in fact a remake, and that is because Sturges has given this movie an identity of its own - in turn, The Magnificent Seven has gone on to influence a raft of other movies and directors over the years.
The movie starts at a rather unexpected slow place, but it soon explodes into action and becomes a gun slinging and action packed ride that will have you on the edge of your seat.
But it is not just about cowboys and shootouts, as the movie does explore some deeper themes of what is means to be an outlaw - can you be an outlaw and still do the right thing?
This is something that sets The Magnificent Seven apart from other films in this genre.
I have always been a fan of Yul Brynner and is terrific in the central role of the brooding and mysterious Chris Larabee Adams. Steve McQueen was not a big name when he was cast as Vin Tanner in the movie, but it was The Magnificent Seven that turned him into a star.
Brynner and McQueen are terrific together and it is this central friendship between Chris and Vin that is the most interesting and the most entertaining. The actors all banter well together and you just get the feeling that they are having a great time living out a bit of a childhood fantasy.
Surprisingly, The Magnificent Seven was not a box office success when it was released in the U.S. but it did go on to be a huge hit in Europe. Three sequels followed - Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride Again - but they were never able to come close to topping the original.
A remake of the 1960 films is on the horizon with Antoine Fuqua in the director's chair and Chris Pratt, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jason Momoa, Denzel Washington, and Ethan Hawke on the cast list.