The Magnificent Seven (NR, 1960)

This is a classic film that has so many things going for it. Great performances by a young cast that would almost all go on to have legendary careers, a rousing musical score, beautiful cinematography, cool action scenes (even some of my teen friends were visibly impressed), and a saddlebag full of unforgettable one-liners. Watching the documentary about the making of this film gave me an even greater appreciation for it as I discovered that Steve McQueen and the rest of the cast were all trying to one-up eachother and especially the established star, Yul Brynner. All that said, all that would have only made The Magnificent Seven a good film. What makes it a great film is its heart. So many scenes in it are poignant and moving as the The Magnificent Seven prove themselves truly magnificent. Their sacrificial decision at the film's end echoes the sacrifice of Christ in the Bible in that they are willing to give up their lives for people who have betrayed them. The first time I watched this film, I was thirteen years old, and I remember crying as MILD SPOILER WARNING several members of the Seven die heroic deaths SPOILER END. Parents should know that there are about 8 mild curses in this film (h-words and d-words, mostly in one scene), a brief mention is made of rape (mild, not graphic at all), there is some passionate kissing, alcohol use, and the violence can be fairly bloody (despite what other reviewers say, when people get shot in this movie, and I counted a body count of about fifty, there is sometimes quite a bit of blood). This film remains one of my favorite westerns, one of my favorite films to quote, and a film that I watch time and time again.