GLORY OF NUMBER SEVEN !!
INTRODUCTION
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The Heavens are seven and they are all Magnificient, this film is one of the seven great films I ever saw, it has the Bandits looting the farmers Eli Wallace (Calvera) is their leader a wise bandit, believes in god, says sheep are meant to be sheared, A thief who steals from a thief is pardoned for a thousand years, he always demands from the farmers to obey him, the villagers dont ! they go to Texas and find Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen (Chris and Vin) taking their stand for justice on Boothill.
ACTORS
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Farmers approach Chris Adams(Yul) and makes him agree to take their job of defending their village from Calvera and his 40 bandits, he says I was offered many things before but never everything !! what a fantastic dialog to begin the mission, he recruits 6 others like him, all gun fighters, all understand Chris and accept him as a leader, Chico passes the test and finally becomes a member of this gang. Steve McQueen (Vin) Brad Dexter (Harry) Horst Buchholz (Chico) Robert Vaughn (Lee) James Coburn (Britt) Charles Bronson (Bernardo O’Reilly) almost all of these actors became big stars later after this film. We all know them, I have seen many of their films, I am admired their works in one film or another many times.
ERA
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I was 14 in liberated India, there was no television those days it started in 1974, song and dance films could never satisfy me mentally. So I used to visit big screen theaters in search of English films, one was the magnificient seven, after seeing this film I always mounted my bicycle the Steve McQueen way and got down my bicycle the Steve McQueen way. So I was impressionable those days, shoot me I do not care if you are smiling, its the effect of this film.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
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Brad Dexter is dying from his wound, his curiosity is not satisfied , he still believes Chris is after big money. He cant be just defending the villagers and he asks him why did he come on this job, Chris says with his good smile for the GOLD and Harry dies satisfied. Some moments in this film are just too beautiful, Robert Vaughan (Lee) has the most fashionable dress sense, Charles Bronson has 3 kids following him, they are his fans, they love watching him at the peril of death , he makes a pact with them, if he die fighting then the kids should bring flowers for him everyday, he takes up the responsiblity to teach the villagers how to shoot a gun, he even gives some flowers to a village beauty. He teaches his kid friends the value of their fathers bravery.
EFFECTS
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James Coburn throws knives and know the use of gun better than everyone, his silent role was one of the great features of this film, he is my hero eventhough I am just 5ft.7in.tall, I dont care about my own height, I still like James Coburn, Yul Brynner is a King in the art of walking, if you could learn to walk like him, you may succeed in few more sales contracts without even trying, the body speaks before our tongues, it is the first impression on others, Yul Brynner has a speaking body and black dress, very piercing eyes, the leader in the movie and star those days.
NO MAKEUP, NATURAL LOOKS
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Chico (Horst Buchholz) learns to draw quick gun and later learns to bring news from the decoits den which makes him one of them, the village changes hi life towards the end, there was this girl who was always distracting Chico, Rosenda Monteros (Petra) just watch her de-seeding the corncob, she looked the most beautiful woman in the world without even lipstick and hardly any make up, that girl has a face very close to the heart of a 14 year old Indian boy. The face still remains in the memory, the talking eyes are a must watch. Direction of John Sturges.
MUSIC
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Elmer Bernstein gave the music for this movie, he has to his credit from 10 commandments to every notable film of those days, a vastly talented music director, the signature tune of this film was purchased for MARLBORO which still remains with them. This piece of music is a legend, there were 3 sequels made for this film, all had the seven in it, but I saw only this movie and I dont like sequels, so dont ask me about them. Moreover there are so many things we can say about this film, to keep it short I just say our KHOTEY SIKKAY film which was very successful HINDI film is a inspiration of MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN.
This film is evergreen like the music pieces of POPCORN, COME SEPTEMBER, FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, ESCAPE, they all are still hair raising musical scores, my early teenage they were a source of entertainment, the record player stand was never complete without these records.
MEMORY
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Its a very long time to remember the things from the film, men like you ? why did you come back ? is still as fresh as it was yesterday and a few years back, I tell myself before and now men like me dont do what is expected from us, do what is unexpected !! a inspiration from the movie heros of MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN, old man was right ! only the farmers won ! we lost, we always loose !! these sayings grabbed my memory like a bonded glue, I think only old age can cure my admiration for this film, why should I forget the pleasure of this movie, our world is speeding towards talentless days faster than a bullet, where are the people like Elmer Bernstein, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Yul Brynner gone !!!, they have become fables of the past.
CONCLUSION
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The demise of the people is the start of the demise of talent, art and it cannot be revived, the empty void is soon occupied by less talented copy cats and other things, these are the ways recorded in the history of this world, silent reminders of our past BRAIN & its powers.
Yo film making is loosing its art and charm faster than a falling stone !!!