The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Can you pack more testosterone into one movie? This western sit between the classic westerns of the 50s with the more nuanced changes the genre will undergo in the 60s. While still clearly good guys and bad guys, Yul Brunner does wear a black hat, and the movie allows for more reflection on the cost of solving problems with guns. As greatly showcased with Bronson’s little speech about bravery to the kids.
For me it is clearly Yul Brunner and Eli Wallach that steals the show, with Steve McQueen a close second. The rest sort of mostly blend together though. The movie takes a little while to get going, but the recruiting phase was quite fun and the general flow throughout the story with who had the upper hand going back and forth keeps things interesting. Impressive gun fights all around with a bombastic score to go along.
Rating: 4