This week, a western considered one of the classics of the American seventh art is being broadcast on television. It features a huge movie star in one of his first major roles.
How about taking advantage of the weekend to sit down and watch a good spaghetti western? This week, one of the classics of the genre is being broadcast on television and is available to stream for free. This American film not only achieved considerable critical and public success, but also revealed some of the most important Hollywood stars of the time.
And yet, it is originally a remake! Released in 1960, The Magnificent Seven is actually largely inspired by the Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa, The Seven Samuraireleased six years earlier. But even the Japanese filmmaker endorsed the American version directed by John Sturges, which follows professional shooters hired by the inhabitants of a small Mexican village to protect themselves from a gang of bandits.
In the casting, The Magnificent Seven brings together big stars of the sixties in Hollywood. Yul Brynner plays the lead role, opposite Eli Wallach, Charles Bronson and Robert Vaughn. Already known on television thanks to his role in the series In the name of the lawSteve McQueen nevertheless managed to become an essential star of American cinema thanks to his role in John Sturges’ western, in 1960, despite tensions on the set with Yul Brynner. He was then able to play in classics, such as The Thomas Crown Affair, The Great Escape, The Towering Inferno or even The Cincinnati Kid.
The western The Magnificent Seven was a pretty good box office success for its time, as well as generally very positive reviews. However, it did not win any awards ceremonies, but that did not stop it from becoming a huge classic of the American seventh art. Moreover, the feature film had several sequels, but also a remake released in 2016.
The Magnificent Seven is broadcast on television this Sunday, September 8. It is on Arte that you must go to (re)watch this classic of American cinema at 8:50 p.m. It will then be broadcast again on the seventh channel on September 15 at 1:30 p.m. The film is already available in replay for free on the arte.tv platform.