Greetings,
So, I've never been super into Westerns, and I tend to be super NOT into remakes. Therefore, you may already be making guesses when it comes to how I feel about this. Now my biggest complaint with remakes is that most of them are completely unnecessary. I usually don't see the point, which is why when I first heard of this film, I was hesitant. But maybe something made me change my mind. Let's find out as we discuss The Magnificent Seven.
This 2016 film. directed by Antoine Fuqua, is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name. As I said, I was not sure about this, but after I got word on the cast, I started to think that, perhaps, there might be something to this venture. And all things considered, knowing what the original was about, I figured they might be able to update some things properly. I'll get into all that later, but first, let's talk plot. And I guess, a few spoilers will be there, but probably nothing you don't know already, or nothing that didn't happen in the first ten minutes or so.
Honestly, the plot is rather simple when you think about it. There's a bad guy villain named Bartholomew Bogue, played by Peter Sarsgaard, who wants to take over this mining town where a lot of good people live. And he will have it by any means necessary, even the worst you can think of. After losing her husband in an attack, Emma Cullen, played by Haley Bennett, seeks out anyone who can help the town defend themselves, alongside her friend, Teddy Q, played by Luke Grimes.
Eventually, a group of men is assembled to assist the town. You'll never guess how many! And these fine men are as follows: Sam Chisolm, played by Denzel Washington, a warrant officer from Kansas and also the leader; Josh Faraday, played by Chris Pratt, a gambler who likes to blow stuff up; Billy Rocks, played by Lee Byung-hun, the man with the knife moves, a lot of them; Vasquez, played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, an outlaw on the run, as they tend to be; Red Harvest, played by Martin Sensmeier, a Comanche warrior; Goodnight Robicheaux (LOVE that name, BTW!) played by Ethan Hawke, a Civil War vet who is a fantastic shot; and my personal favorite, Jack Horne, played Vincent D'Onofrio, an excellent tracker who also happens to be religious. You can tell by the way he quotes scriptures whilst going into battle. It's a thing we do. Good times. Oh, and yes, you read that correctly. Ethan Hawke and Vincent D'Onofrio have teamed up again for their 47th film together! Okay, it hasn't been that many, but I won't be happy until they hit 50!
So, as you can see, we have an amazing cast here, and like I said, it was why I decided to give this remake a chance. When it came to our "Seven", I was not disappointed at all, mostly because they had incredible chemistry with each other. I think it was wise on the part of whomever did this casting to get actors who have got some history with each other, as well as being great actors in their own right. It added to the onscreen comradery. And while chemistry matters in any film, it is certainly important in a film like this. So is a good villain and Sarsgaard did not disappoint there either. I totes wanted to punch him, so thumbs up where that's concerned.
Now let's talk about our female lead and how she and her character were probably the best update for this film. See, when it comes to writing updated female characters, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way. The wrong way pertains to when I hear people say that we need more women in film, but when they describe what they want, some (not all!) respond with attributes befitting to what we call a "Mary Sue". You know, some woman who is good at everything and loved by everyone, whose flaws aren't even really flaws, and who is ultimately some kind of unrealistic superwoman. No thank you! Fortunately, though, this film did it the right way. Emma Cullen is an active player in the story, as much as anyone else. She is a strong woman, but she is also a real woman. A real person. You can see what she is feeling all the time and what she is feeling is grief, fear, uncertainty, even weakness, and that is okay. It is okay, because, even though she feels all these things, she knows how to put them aside when it comes time for her to fight. Or if need be, to use them in that moment. She is a balanced and well-rounded character. She represents what everyone should be. Vulnerable when necessary and courageous when necessary. All of us can be all of these things, so long as we know when to be them. Excellent job with this character.
Okay, I've rambled enough. Do I recommend this film? Yeah, I do. I admit that, aside from a darker tone and the aforementioned character development, there aren't a ton of changes from the 1960 version. Still, maybe that was what was so appealing about it. It hearkened back to those old timey Westerns. And what with the great acting and the fact, overall, this movie is very entertaining, I say give it a shot. Get it? Shot! Anyway, I would say if you're into those enjoyable Westerns of yesteryear, with a tad more violence, this might be one for your movie night.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
