The most striking aspect of John Sturges’s iconic western is the marked contrast between the jaunty, uncomplicated story set up, and the dark, contemplative tone that comes to dominate the tale. Backed by a boisterous Elmer Bernstein score, the film begins with a village of poor farmers beset by ruthless outlaws. Next we meet a pair of guns for hire—two of the titular seven—as they stand up for the burial rights of a dead Indian. Soon enough, the farmers ask the men to protect their village. And though the pay is a pittance, a deal is struck: for these are men of valor, and injustice cannot be tolerated. It’s a tale of good versus evil, right versus wrong. Nothing could be simpler.
Defending the village against the outlaws doesn’t go as smoothly as planned, however, and soon enough, the lines of good and evil, right and wrong, even oppressed and oppressor, begin to blur. In line with an increasingly subdued soundtrack, the grim realities of life and death in a land of bullets take center stage. Gone are the easy black and white ideals from the story’s start, and with them any notion that this merely a mindless action movie. As the fighting slogs on, we realize that the heart of this film, as in Seven Samurai, is not the fate of the village, but the fate of the men; the true battle a confrontation with what it means to have honor, strength, and courage.
by Thomas Scalzo | Source: Comcast On Demand Feature
17 Aug 2007 4:16 PM | Submit Comment