I don’t watch very many Westerns, but I must say I liked The Magnificent Seven. Starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson, this movie is about men doing good works in a Western Movie kind of way.
In stark contrast to much of what we see on TV and in movies today, there wasn’t any cussing in the story. At least I didn’t remember hearing any. What a refreshing way to show tough guys. And they were certainly tough. But the subtle movements and expressions showed their hearts beneath the tough guy exterior. They had to have hearts or the movie wouldn’t be believable.
Seven bad guys decided they could work together to save a town. Even though they were used to being feared by the good people of the towns they visited, they eventually felt welcomed by the people whom they planned to help.
Eli Wallach was superb as usual. I always loved him in whatever role he played. This is a man whose career spanned 59 years as of September 2010 when he was in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Aside from Calvera in The Magnificent Seven, another memorable role he played was Tuco in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Wallach has won a Tony Award, an Emmy, and an Honorary Academy Award.
