The Magnificent Seven

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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Bruce Eder
One of the most popular Westerns of all time, John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven was based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 epic The Seven Samurai (which was originally titled "The Magnificent Seven" and was itself a thematic descendant of the Westerns of John Ford). Director/producer Sturges packed a huge amount of plot and detail into what could have been a routine Western -- the opening threat to the Mexican village; the first meeting between ...
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Wonder Book
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Very Good condition. VHS Tape. Case Very Good. Quality guaranteed! In original artwork/packaging unless otherwise noted.

Ships from: Frederick, MD

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Bruce Eder
One of the most popular Westerns of all time, John Sturges' The Magnificent Seven was based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 epic The Seven Samurai (which was originally titled "The Magnificent Seven" and was itself a thematic descendant of the Westerns of John Ford). Director/producer Sturges packed a huge amount of plot and detail into what could have been a routine Western -- the opening threat to the Mexican village; the first meeting between Yul Brynner's Chris and Steve McQueen's Vin in a tense confrontation with a group of racist thugs trying to block a funeral procession; the decision to help the villagers and the gathering of the unlikely band of heroes; the heroes' journey to the village and their confrontation with who and what they, as gunmen, really represent to the people they're trying to help. Some of this kind of material had figured in other, earlier movies, including George Stevens' Shane, Anthony Mann's underrated The Tin Star, and Sturges' own Last Train From Gun Hill, but no one had ever put quite that much plot or character development into a single Western before. Apart from Yul Brynner, who was already an established star thanks to The King and I, the cast featured a half-dozen actors who were either on the edge of stardom, such as Eli Wallach and Steve McQueen, or who would become major stars in coming years, including James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn; indeed, Sturges would re-team with McQueen, Coburn, and Bronson for 1963's The Great Escape, a film that provided a huge boost to each man's career. The Magnificent Seven was a massive hit when it was first released and by 1966 had spawned the first of three sequels; but the cast, which grew in prominence as most of them became massive box-office attractions in their own right, only made the movie seem bigger and more important as time went on, so much so that, had it not gone to television in the early '60s, The Magnificent Seven would have been ripe for an even bigger theatrical run in, say, 1965 or 1966. As it was, a television series based on the film was finally spawned at the end of the 1990s. There were also enough parodies, as well as references to the movie in media touchstones like the 1980s sitcom Cheers -- The Magnificent Seven being the favorite movie of the bar's regular patrons -- to confirm its place in the cultural lexicon. None of the sequels or the television series, however, ever matched Sturges' original, either at the box office or in their impact on popular culture. The secret behind the original's vast success, apart from the once-in-a-lifetime cast and the dazzlingly memorable score by Elmer Bernstein, was its timing and underlying zeitgeist. The Magnificent Seven was one of the very last feel-good films about American adventurism abroad to come out of Hollywood. Appearing in the period immediately before Vietnam became a political worry and then a full-blown war, it was the last major movie to depict Americans (albeit gunmen and mercenaries) going to another country to help a people struggling for independence, without any of the complications that Vietnam added to that notion. The film was, thus, a two-tiered nostalgia experience -- initially, about the closing of the West and, in the next few years, in a much more powerful and potent way, as a fond look back at Americans' image of themselves as "good guys" in the modern world. The only flaw in the film that is apparent when looking at it today is the absence of a black member of the seven -- Sturges himself was an old-fashioned, two-fisted liberal, but it's debatable whether, even if the script had contained such a character, United Artists or any other studio, would have okayed that casting in 1959. Even three years later United tried to get Ralph Nelson to make Lillies of the Field with Steve McQueen in place of Sidney Poitier); not to mention the question of who would have played the part -- among the most visible black leading men of the period, Poitier was too young and James Edwards was the wrong type. In any case, the film is a perfect document of its time as it stands and has become identified as such an intensely American cultural document that many viewers are unaware of its origins as a samurai story.
All Movie Guide
One of the most popular Westerns of all time, John Sturges's The Magnificent Seven was based on Akira Kurosawa's 1954 epic The Seven Samurai which was originally titled The Magnificent Seven and was, itself, a thematic descendant of the westerns of John Ford. Director-producer Sturges packed a huge amount of plot and detail into what could have been a routine western -- the opening threat to the Mexican village; the first meeting between Yul Brynner's Chris and Steve McQueen's Vin, in a tense confrontation with a group of racist thugs trying to block a funeral procession; the decision to help the villagers and the gathering of the unlikely band of heroes; the heroes' journey to the village, and their confrontation with who and what they, as gunmen, really represent to the people they're trying to help. Some of this kind of material had figured in other, earlier movies, including George Stevens's Shane, Anthony Mann's underrated The Tin Star, and Sturges's own Last Train From Gun Hill, but no one had ever put quite that much plot or character development into a single western before. Apart from Yul Brynner, who was already an established star thanks to The King And I, the cast featured a half-dozen actors who were either on the edge of stardom, such as Eli Wallach and Steve McQueen, or who would become major stars in coming years, including James Coburn, Charles Bronson, and Robert Vaughn; indeed, Sturges would re-team with McQueen, Coburn, and Bronson for 1963's The Great Escape, a film that provided a huge boost to each man's career. The Magnificent Seven was a massive hit when it was first released, and by 1966 had spawned the first of three sequels; but the cast, which grew in prominence as most of them became massive box office attractions in their own right, only made the movie seem bigger and more important as time went on, so much so that, had it not gone to television in the early 1960's, The Magnificent Seven would have been ripe for an even bigger theatrical run in, say, 1965 or 1966. As it was, a television series based on the film was finally spawned at the end of the 1990's. There were also enough parodies, and references to the movie in such media touchstones as the 1980's sitcom Cheers -- The Magnificent Seven being the favorite movie of the bar's regular patrons -- to confirm its place in the cultural lexicon. None of the sequels or the television series, however, ever matched Sturges's original, either at the box office or in their impact on our popular culture. The secret behind the original's vast success, apart from the once-in-a-lifetime cast and the dazzlingly memorable score by Elmer Bernstein, was its timing and underlying zeitgeist. The Magnificent Seven was one of the very last feel-good films about American adventurism abroad to come out of Hollywood; appearing in the period immediately before Vietnam became a political worry and then a full-blown war, it was the last major movie to depict Americans albeit gunmen and mercenaries going to another country to help a people struggling for independence, without any of the complications that Vietnam added to that notion; the film was, thus, a two-tiered nostalgia experience, initially, from within its own script, about the closing of the west, and, in the next few years, in a much more powerful and potent way, as a fond look back at Americans' image of themselves as "good guys" in the modern world. The only flaw in the film that is apparent when looking at it today is the absence of a black member of the seven -- Sturges himself was an old-fashioned, two-fisted liberal, but it's debatable whether, even if the script had contained such a character, United Artists which, three years later, tried to get Ralph Nelson to make Lillies of the Field with Steve McQueen in place of Sidney Poitier, or any other studio, would have okayed that casting in 1959; and then there was the question of who would have played the part -- among the most visible black leading men of the period, Poitier was too young, and James Edwards was the wrong type. In any case, the film is a perfect document of its time as it stands, and has become identified as such an intensely American cultural document, that many viewers are unaware of its origins as a samurai story. Bruce Eder
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 4/1/1992
  • UPC: 027616613738
  • Original Release: 1960

    • Rating:

  • Source: MGM (VIDEO & DVD)
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Yul Brynner Chris
Eli Wallach Calvera
Steve McQueen Vin
Horst Buchholz Chico
Charles Bronson O'Reilly
Robert Vaughn Lee
Brad Dexter Harry Luck
James Coburn Britt
Vladimir Sokoloff Old Man
Rosenda Monteros Petra
Whit Bissell Chamlee
Val Avery Henry
Bing Russell Robert
Rico Alaniz Sotero
Robert J. Wilke Wallace
Jorge Martinez de Hoyos Hilario
Pepe Hern
Enrique Lucero
Jorge Marchegiant Hilario
Alex Montoya
Mario Navarro
Natividad Vacio
Technical Credits
John Sturges Director, Producer
Walter Bernstein Screenwriter
Elmer Bernstein Score Composer
Edward FitzGerald Art Director
Jack Hayes Musical Arrangement
Charles B. Lang Cinematographer
Emile LaVigne Makeup
Walter Mirisch Executive Producer, Producer
Walter Newman Screenwriter
Milt Rice Special Effects
William Roberts Screenwriter
Dan Striepeke Makeup
Ferris Webster Editor
Jack Williams Stunts
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 13 )
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Sort by: Showing all of 13 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    TRANSFER WEAK for this VISCERAL CLASSIC

    ¿The Magnificent Seven' is based on the Japanese movie, 'Seventh Samari.' It stars Yul Brynner as Chris Adams, a retired gunslinger forced to pick up his pistols to free a small Mexican town from its oppressive regiment of banditos fronted by Calvera (Eli Wallach). The updating and transmutation from the original premise - that of seven desperados out to avenge a ruthless cutthroat's stronghold on a poor community - is, for once in the business of remaking movies totally justified and worthy in its own right. Steve McQueen is Vin, one of the six other liberators. The film explores each man¿s motives for signing onto the mission; Bernardo¿s (Charles Bronson) need to belong to something and someone, Lee¿s (Robert Vaughn) desperate attempt to regain his composure in the face of death, Chico¿s (Horst Buchholz) desire to prove himself as a hero to the men he admires. The climactic showdown also points to a revisionist perspective in Hollywood westerns; a cinematic landscape where the good guys don¿t always finish first and sometimes die trying to make good on their honorable intentions. MGM Home Entertainment gives us a tired, worn print of this classic film with faded colors and a barrage of age related blemishes - all this, while calling the disc a 'Special Edition'. Colors can be rich and nicely balanced at times. However, most of the movie's color scheme has suffered from the natural ravages of time. Blacks are weak. Browns, beiges and light grays all appear to have the same muddy texture. Reds are slightly orange and flesh tones are not very natural. There's a considerable amount of edge enhancement and fine detail shimmering throughout. Chips, scratches, dirt and tears in the original print are evident throughout. The audio is stereo but feebly so with a forward sounding characteristic that is not terribly engaging. The music is generally well represented. Extras include a ¿making-of¿ that falls somewhere short of a full fledged documentary but too long to be considered a featurette. There¿s also a theatrical trailer and an audio commentary. Usually I don¿t critique DVD menus but this one is just plain awful. Attempting to showcase a montage of snippets from the film, the clips presented suffer from excessive edge enhancement and aliasing problems that render them impossible to view.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Magnificent Western

    'The Magnificent Seven' ranks as one of Hollywood's finest westerns. It succeeds on many levels. The story is simple but powerful. Seven professional gunfighters agree to help a group of poor, mexican peasants defend themselves against the continual ravages of a wicked band of outlaws.The characters are each unique and well defined. Some are brave and virtuous, some opportunistic, some struggling with personal doubts and some just like a good fight. The cinematography is beautiful. The music score ranks as one of finest, setting the mood for each scene. The cast is packed with big names. Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn, Horst Bucholz, to name a few. As in all good stories, the villain must be memorable. Eli Wallach is classic as the wily bandit leader. The supporting actors and actresses (many unnamed) all add to the realism. This is a morality play set in a rugged, mexican village. Good versus Evil. From the opening scene where Yul Brynnner and Steve McQueen agree to drive a dead indians' corpse to Boot Hill (despite death threats against them) we know that we're in for a wild and entertaining ride. This is a movie not to be missed. It's a definite 'must have' for your home film collection.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The greatest musical score of any Western, and a darn good movie too

    The score by Elmer Bernstien is the true star of this otherwise highly entertaining and enjoyable western movie classic. The casting is inspired if not always believable (I can never quite buy Yul Brenner as a gunslinger) but Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson, James Colburn and the supporting cast are all superb. The story is simple, well told and exciting. Each member of the cast, who does not survive to the end, has his own little death scene interupting a thrilling closing battle between our heroic hired guns and the mexican bandits led by Eli Wallach, and Mr. Brenners ending lines are just a bit too sappy. But I am being far too negative, this is a movie to sit back, watch and enjoy, and please pay attention to the score.

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 15, 2002

    MY FAVORITE WESTERN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Great, Wonderful,...Magnificent!!! You will Love it! I have seen this movie about a gazillion times and STILL love it!!!!! The Magnificent Seven a remake of the 'Seven Samuri'. But it is not about Samuri. It is about seven 'cowboys' who are hired to rid a village of their ever returning terrorizers,who are led by Calvera(Eli Wallach) The Seven are led by Chris(Yul Brynner) who is joined by Vin(Steve McQueen, what a cutie!), Harry(Brad Dexter), O'Rielly(Charles Bronson, another cutie),Britt(James Coborn), Lee(Robert Vaughn), and Chico (Horst Bucholz). I prefer the dvd edition best but the vhs edition is good too. On the dvd you get to see how they made the movie and other interesting facts about the actors. Really Kool!!! I love the music, the story, and absolutly love the actors. If you haven't seen this movie you are missing out on something great! Go out and buy or rent this movie now!!!!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Seven Samurai

    A Classic Addition To Any Collection

    This 1960's remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai" leaves a legacy of inspiration for many associated in the film business. The beautiful cinematography and set designs are unique and unmatched by any other in the Western genre.

    Director John Sturges assembles a gifted cast, including Yul Brynner, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn and others of Hollywood's greatest.

    Complete with an Oscar-Nominated original score by Elmer Bernstein, this film is a must-see for all who enjoy the classic Westerns of the 20th century.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A big fan of the seven!

    I loved this movie from the start. It has all of the action and cowboys that you would hope for in a movie. Steve McQueen is my all time favorite actor and to have him dressed in chaps is no longer just a dream, but also a reality. The thing I found confusing with this picture was exactly where the magnificent seven presents itself. I watched this film 3 times in the hopes that the magnificent seven would belong to Steve McQueen, but maybe there is a different version that I need to watch. I was also curious as to why seven is so magnificent, I've had way bigger and must say that a magnificent 9 or 11 would be much more appropriate. My partner thinks that we may have gotten hold of the G rated version, because to have this many cowboys not exposing anything magnificent must have been a fluke. All in all I would have to say that this movie is superbly acted and includes a cast that any film buff should have in their collection.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The Traditional Western like none other

    The cast of Steve McQueen, Yul Brunner, and James Coburn does not disappoint. Anointed as the pre-Vietnam era Western, it still gives American Western the title of our original artistic heritage, besides, of course, jazz. The villains do not disappoint, either, in this traditional, good guy vs. bad guy western. I just love it. Fighting for the farmers and their America's own! For any red-blooded American at heart! The cast includes some men that are seeking redemption, violence, gold , or just adventure.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    The Best Non-Wayne Western Ever

    The Magnificent Seven is without doubt the best western not starring John Wayne (sorry Clint). Great plot, great acting, great cinemetography and great score. The first 20 minutes (like Saving Private Ryan) are the best. But the rest is pretty spectacular also. You'll watch it again and again. And by the way, it is a film that has values and that you can watch with your magnificent seven year old (not too much gore...)

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 29, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 9, 2010

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 22, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 27, 2010

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