Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #858 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-25
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Akira Kurosawa's rousing Seven Samurai was a natural for an American remake--after all, the codes and conventions of ancient Japan and the Wild West (at least the mythical movie West) are not so very far apart. Thus The Magnificent Seven effortlessly turns samurai into cowboys (the same trick worked more than once: Kurosawa's Yojimbo became Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars). The beleaguered denizens of a Mexican village, weary of attacks by banditos, hire seven gunslingers to repel the invaders once and for all. The gunmen are cool and capable, with most of the actors playing them just on the cusp of '60s stardom: Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn. The man who brings these warriors together is Yul Brynner, the baddest bald man in the West. There's nothing especially stylish about the approach of veteran director John Sturges (The Great Escape), but the storytelling is clear and strong, and the charisma of the young guns fairly flies off the screen. If that isn't enough to awaken the 12-year-old kid inside anyone, the unforgettable Elmer Bernstein music will do it: bum-bum-ba-bum, bum-ba-bum-ba-bum... Followed by three inferior sequels, Return of the Seven, Guns of the Magnificent Seven, and The Magnificent Seven Ride! --Robert Horton

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Fully Restore Feature
Remastered Audio Track
Exclusive New Documentary
Feature Length Audio Commentary with members of the Cast and Crew
Theatrical Trailer
Theatrical Trailer No.2
Extensive Stills Gallery
Return Of The Magnificent Seven Trailer
Guns Of The Magnificent Seven Trailer
The Magnificent Seven Ride! Trailer
Collectable 8 Page Booklet
Language in Dolby Digtial 5.1 - English
Subtitles: English, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Hebrew, Turkish, Czechoslovakian, English for the hard of hearing.

Synopsis
John Sturges's remake of Akira Kurosawa's classic THE SEVEN SAMURAI has become an influential film in its own right. A small farming Mexican village that makes involuntary donations of its harvest to a gang of bandits led by Calvera (Eli Wallach) decides to hire a group of professional gunmen, headed by gunslinger-for-hire Chris (Yul Brynner), to protect them. Despite the meager pay, Chris and Vin (Steve McQueen) sign on after the Mexicans see them face down some racist thugs. Chris begins to pick up other gunmen, including Bernardo (Charles Bronson), Lee (Robert Vaughan), Britt (James Coburn), Harry (Brad Dexter), and aspiring gunslinger Chico (Horst Buchholz), as they ride back to the village.The Mexicans, who are at first ambivalent about having gunmen hanging around their town, finally let down their guard and allow their visitors to teach them how to shoot and how to best reconfigure the town to defend against Calvera. When the bandits return, they find harvesting the crops a little more challenging. This rousing, perfectly cast action film launched the careers of Bronson, McQueen, and Coburn. It also benefits tremendously from the unforgettably polyrhythmic score by Elmer Bernstein, among the most famous in film history. So popular was the film's theme that it was used to sell Marlboro cigarettes for years afterward.

Customer Reviews

Seven Stars
Whilst this probably isn't the best western ever made its certainly up there amongst the top flight. It was fortunately made a few years before 'A Fistful of Dollars', which changed westerns and what was expected from them.

Take the classic Kurosawa film 'Seven Samurai' (which is given its due in the opening credits) and reinvent it in the American west. Then add the staggeringly good cast of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, James Coburn and Robert Vaughan and what you have is a near perfect piece of Cinema. Some of these guys (like McQueen) were not the bigshots they would later become, but they are incredibly cool. Just a look is enough for these actors. For example, James Coburn hardly says a word throughout the film, and he has arguably the best scene - the knife vs gun moment.

Sure its not a great film in the way 'The Searchers' is, but for straightforward entertainment this is hard to beat. And for those who criticise it as being dated and slow, I'm afraid you've been watching too many modern Hollywood blockbusters. What makes The Magnificent Seven substantially better than a lot of modern films, is that its a simple morality tale, and in the end you do care about the villagers and the Seven.

As a simple comparison the film I watched prior to this one was 'Swordfish' a 2001 film starring John Travolta and Hugh Jackman. Not a bad film. It has a great start. But its not in the same league as The Magnificent Seven. After the start it becomes an exercise in CGI, explosions, car chases and computer screens. Its worth seeing, just, but its a largely souless, depressing piece of filmmaking. Saying that of course there are much worse films than Swordfish out there...

A final word on The Magnificent Seven, listen to the wonderful music score by Elmer Bernstein. There haven't been many more evocative soundtracks than this one.

'pull those pistols'
A regular hotpot of western entertainment. Throw in a handfull of stars -established and up and coming from the stage and screen of their day. A heap of on screen chemistry, and a rousing score that stirs the soul then bring it to the boil over 125 mins. This format has been imitated over the years through many a genre but rarely bested. If you love westerns -then you've seen it (what the heck are you readin' this for?), if you're dipping your toe into the genre -get it'n'watch it, if you're wondering what all the fuss is about -get it'n'watch it. Get it? Adios.

Magnificent ?
Let me say this first, I love Seven Samuraii. This film (a reimagining)cannot match it but the makers probably knew that at the time, so here goes. The real strength of this film are the leads Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and Eli Wallach as Calvera. Calvera is a great villain, and a good compliment to his most famous role - Tuco. The action senes are somewhat dated but exciting nevertheless. Good Saturday morning/afternoon matinee fun!