The whole premise of the movie was that the villagers were wothless cowards but Bronson goes off his head proclaiming how brave they are because they’re dirt scratching farmers. The 40 banditos ride into the village and the hired guns(the seven) expose themselves in positions where they could easily be shot by less than half of 40 banditos.

The banditos get the drop on the seven when the seven return to the village and the ultimate in movie absurdity happens. The banditos let the seven go on their merry way AND give them their guns back. Any self respecting Mexican bandito would have slit their throats, but not in this fantasy universe. This is truly one of the worst westerns I’ve ever seen. I just don’t understand why this movie has gotten the hype that it has. Probably simply because it had Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen in it.
Rating: 1 / 5

The original Seven Samaurai is so far and away superior to this all-male revue, which as in all Sturges’s film features his unknown beefcake of the week, here a German kid forced to grimace and grunt as the Hollywood stereotype Mexican gunfighter, here poorly stealing the role of the young want-to-be young Samurai in the original. Sturges failed to make the very real and human message of the orignial part of his plastic production. Both do or do not get the girl in the end, but in which one do you care?

A great tragedy occured when Anthony Quinn who originally had the idea to make Seven Samurai into a Western did not get the backing in time to do somethnig decent with it. Instead we have this absolutely ridiculous and racist dog, in which Jewish Brooklyn’s best Eli Wallch is forced to sweat and grunt and grimace as if a stereotypical Mexican bandit. Sergio Leone used him to much greater effect later. Same actor; better job.

Don’t waste your time and money on nothnig but a magnificent soundtrack. Get the original Seven Samurai. Way better, and you will be spared the embarrassment which is this Sturges mess. For a further example, compare Bronson’s woodcutting warrior scene stolen from the original with Kurasawa’s scene, and tell me which tells far more of a story. Even cheat by leaving on the commentator. Which one seems more real, and more funny?

And once again it wasn’t Bronson’s fault that Sturges is an idiot. Look at what Sergio Leone did with Bronson, telling his whole life’s story with a stare in Once Upon a Time in the West, a far more interesting western than any of Sturge’s all-male fantasies.

Get the Kurasawa original Seven Samurai and you will never stop replaying it and always learn something new each time. The running commentary by some American guy isn’t all that obnoxious after all. Then get Throne of Blood and you will never see Technicolor again.

But skip Sturges at all costs.

Rating: 1 / 5