THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

US, 2016, 133 minutes, Colour.
Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D 'Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia -Rulfolo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Luke Grimes, Matthew Bomer, Cam Gigandet.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.

As with many remakes of significant films of the past, there have been outcries against this version of the classic The Magnificent Seven, the 1960s Western, directed by John Sturges, with a group led by Yul Brynner and significant action stars of the time. And, of course, there was, Elmer Bernstein’s famous score and rousing melodies which made their way to Marlborough Country. A quick comment usually is that those exalting the past and decrying the present may not have seen the original film for many years and remembering their experience of watching the film rather than the quality of the film itself. Be that as it may, it is 56 years since Yul Brynner and co defended the oppressed people of the Western town.

One thing that should be said is that The Magnificent Seven was itself a remake, a re-imagining of Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, from the 1950s.

Quite a lot has happened in Hollywood moviemaking in the half century or so since the original film, and there are different sensibilities around the world, especially in terms of racial equality. So, the leader of the Seven this time is Denzel Washington. And, amongst the Seven, there is an Asian American, a Mexican as well is a Native American. (Audiences who like westerns and themes could do well to track down the 1996 American miniseries, Children of the Dust, with Sidney Poitier in an equivalent leadership role in the West.).

The villain here is a mining boss, with no scruple whatsoever, assuming that he is the law and that his will and whim are sacrosanct. He wants to move many of the farmers out of their land, uses workers in the mine like slaves, confronts the town people who have been having a meeting in the church, and, when some stand up to him, he shoots them. And then his thugs draw their guns and shoot more. He is played by Peter Sarsgaard who, when he goes to Sacramento, he hears of the revolution in the town, raises a little army to come back to confront the Seven.

Many of the townspeople leave but a strong-minded woman, Emma (Haley Bennett) whose husband has been shot by the mining boss, sets out to employee gunfighters to defend the town, coming across Sam Chisholm (Washington) who is quick with the gun, tracks down criminals, not as a bounty hunter, but as an employed law enforcement officer. Watching him do his job in the saloon is Faraday (Chris Pratt), a gambler and a con man, with a touch of the clown, who joins up with Chisholm. They then go looking for a Civil War sharpshooter, Goodnight (Ethan Hawke), now drinking sponsoring the fighter, Billy (Byung-hun Lee). Then the Mexican, then the Native American, Red Harvest, and then a most unlikely candidate, Jack Horne, an eccentric but good with weapons, played by Vincent D’ Onofrio in a way that a lumbering Orson Welles might have taken on the role.

The Seven ride into town, work with a population in setting up all kinds of defences, traps, trenches, getting dynamite from the mine, and planning to corner many of the invaders in the streets of the town. There is a lull before the attack at dawn. And then, of course, it is on, a high body count, but audience sympathies are with the townspeople and the Seven, no sympathy for the invaders, especially when they produce a Gatling gun and fire on the town.

There are quite a lot of heroics and, without spoiling the plot, it can be said that not all of the Seven survive. Sam Chisholm does, of course, for a final confrontation with the boss, his retreating into the Church, and Emma, remembering the death of her husband, making the final decision.

The film looks good, the town, the desert, the attack, the battles, the gunfights. At times, the musical score seems to be going back to Elmer Bernstein but then goes in its own direction. For those who are missing that original score, they can relax a little because, thank goodness, in the final credits when the images of the Seven appear on screen with the names of the actors, there it is. It does have to be one of the most rousing score is in the movies.

Antoine Fuqua has worked with Denzel Washington in Training Day for which Washington won his second Oscar as well as in The Equaliser.

The basic plot works well so it is most probable that there will be another remake.

1. The cult status of Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai? The cult status of John Sturges’ 1960s version?

2. The 21st century remake, the plot, the cast, the musical score – and the reprise of Elmer Bernstein’s theme during the final credits?

3. The town, needs, the mining boss, his tyranny, exploitation of his workers, wanting the land, to get rid of the farmers? The leader of the seven, Sam Chisholm, Denzel Washington, Black? The multiracial composition of the seven? Native American, Mexican?

4. The musical score, the echoes of the original score?

5. The title, the tone, Chisholm working within the law, rather than vigilantes? The violence, guns and weapons? The town threatened with the mining interests? Themes of heroism, defending the defenceless, self-sacrifice?

6. The town, the people, the mines, seeing the explosions for exploration, the hard situations of the workers? The meeting in the church, the discussions about the owner? Out in the street, the meeting, the boss and his henchman, the threats, Emma and Matthew, Matthew being shot, the open firing, the massacre? The assumptions of the boss that he was his law?

7. Sam Chisholm, his arrival in the town, the bar, the people gambling, the threats, the crowd, the guns, the discussion about the killer, his arrest, the shooting? Chisholm and his having warrants and documents? His qualifications? The later filling in of his background, the death of his family, the threat to his own life? The confrontation with the mining boss and his violence in the past?

8. The townspeople in the street, Emma and her strong stances, Matthew and his death? Emma and her leadership, the fears of the townspeople, her assuming leadership, her associate, going to find Chisholm, the discussions with him, the amount of money available, his acceptance?

9. Faraday, playing cards, watching? His getting out of the saloon? The two men threatening him, his card tricks, the shootings? His getting the horse? Chisholm and his help? Indebted to Chisholm? Joining the group? Cheerful with the touch of the clown?

10. Finding Goodnight, his past, the Civil War, ability to shoot, drinking, Billy and his fighting skills, the crowds gathering, the betting? Billy and his looking after Goodnight?

11. The encounter with the Indians, and the Indian, Red Harvest, joining the posse?

12. The Mexican, the stand-off, the confrontation, his character? Joining the group?

13. Jack Horne, his age, size, lumbering, yet agile, his causes, ability to shoot, joining the group?

14. The Seven and their bonding, riding together, arriving, in the town, the confrontation with the sheriff, his riding to Sacramento to warn the boss? The thugs and the shootout in the town?

15. The mining boss, in Sacramento, the high life, his wealth, the news, upset, decision to raise an army, his henchman and advisers?

16. The townspeople preparing for the invasion, the seven with their various skills, the traps in the street, collecting the dynamite from the mine, digging the trenches, the barriers for the horses?

17. The townspeople, the option to go, many of them leaving, the other staying? The reverend, his background, the church and its being destroyed? The raising of the bell? His support of the Seven? Goodnight and his decision to leave?

18. The characters of the Seven, their interactions, leadership, and their roles?

19. The arrival of the Army, the numbers, waiting outside the town, the attack and the multiple deaths? Riding into the town, the shooting? The use of guns, knives? The attack and the warning by Goodnight about the Gatling gun, its effect? Hiding the children below – and then taking them into the fields?

20. The siege, the attack, Emma being saved?

21. The boss, supervising, coming into the town?

22. Faraday, his horse, the dynamite, going out to confront the boss and the Gatling gun, the shooting and his pulling the dynamite?

23. The various members of the group, their deaths, especially Jack Horne and his almost seeming to be indestructible?

24. The stand-off between Chisholm and the boss? In front of the church, the boss cowardly, the truth about his past, going to the church, the confrontation and fight, Emma shooting him?

25. The Magnificent Seven and their achievement on behalf the oppressed?