The Magnificent Sevenwas truly one of the best Western films ever made, and it’s surely left plenty of viewers looking for more team-up movies that scratch the same itch. While the original film, which was based onAkira Kurosawa’s 1954 Japanese classicThe Seven Samurai, had a unique appeal, plenty more Western releases recapture the magic of John Sturges’ 1960 film. Although the excitement of witnessing the likes of Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen sharing the screen was a tough act to follow, the history of Western cinema boasts endless classic releases.
Many ofthe best Westerns evermade echo the appeal ofThe Magnificent Sevenand feature outlaws reluctantly teaming up or lawmen forced to come together to achieve a common goal. While these were classic topics for Westerns from times past, some ofthe best directorsworking today have also tried their hands at telling stories of bandits, cowboys, and outlaws. It’s true thatThe Magnificent Sevenwas one of a kind, but those looking to fill their watch list with similar releases are not short of options.
Tombstone
Cast
Tombstone chronicles legendary marshal Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they seek fortune in a prosperous mining town. Forced to confront a gang threatening the community, Earp joins forces with the infamous Doc Holliday, highlighting a tense battle between lawmen and outlaws in the American West.
WhileThe Magnificent Sevenhas always stood out as one of the all-time great Western team-up movies, the fact thatTombstonewas based on a true story made it even more compelling. As a film loosely based on the real events that took place in the 1880s in Southeast Arizona,Tombstonecast Kurt Russell as the lawman Wyatt EarpandVal Kilmer as his close friend and associate Doc Holliday. Featuring real events like the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the Earp Vendetta Ride, this was a fascinating insight into real happenings of life in the Wild West.
Viewers connected withTombstoneas it became a box office hit and has gained a reputation as one of the best Westerns of the 1990s. With style to spare and a career-best performance from Kilmer, the success ofTombstonefar outweighed Kevin Costner’s role in the epic biographical dramaWyatt Earp, released just one year later. The success ofTombstoneproved there was still an aptitude for classic Westerns during the 1990s, and the appeal of outlaws teaming up had not diminished at all since the release ofThe Magnificent Sevenback in 1960.
The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 Western incorporates elements of the mystery and thriller genres. Set in 1877, The Hateful Eight follows eight strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in an isolated stagecoach stopover. Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and Channing Tatum, The Hateful Eight was inspired by the Western TV shows of 1960s.
Quentin Tarantino has always worn his filmmaking influences on his sleeve and used his status as one of the most prominent directors working today to pay homage to the movies that he loves. From the Blaxploitation tribute that wasJackie Brownto his love letter to Kung Fu withKill Bill, part of the appeal of Tarantino is that he himself is a major cinephile. With this in mind, Tarantino’s love for Western team-ups shone through withThe Hateful Eight, a star-studded Western drama that brought eight dubious strangers together as they sought refuge from a heavy blizzard.
Even the name itself recallsThe Magnificent Seven, asThe Hateful Eightleaned into Western movie tropesof untrustworthy outlaws and high-stakes violence. With a blend of action, humor, and violent excess, TheHateful Eightwas an epic whodunnit and almost theatrical endeavor that blended genres with profound maturity. With well-rounded characters and plenty of riveting twists,The Hateful Eightstood as one of the most accomplished Western movies in recent film history.
Unforgiven
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission, seeking justice with his old partner and a young outlaw called The Schofield Kid.
There are few names as intrinsically linked with the Western genre as Clint Eastwood, a major star who got his breakthrough role as The Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’sDollars Trilogy. While Eastwood starred in many more Westerns throughout the years,Unforgivenwould be his definitive statement on the genre. Featuring an aging former outlaw coming out of retirement for one last job, part of the appeal ofUnforgivenwas the way it referenced and subverted the tropes and cliches of the genre and became a thoughtful commentary on the nature of violence and revenge in Western cinema.
Eastwood starred as William Munny, a retired killer whose past was filled with untold violence, and was joined by his former partner Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman. It was a thrill to watch these two old-timers come together with the help of a younger bandit named the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett) on a mission of vengeance. With Gene Hackman as the sheriff on their tail,Unforgivenwas a powerful statement on the romanticization of the Wild West and was one of the few Western movies to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
True Grit
True Grit, directed by Henry Hathaway and released in 1969, stars John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshal tasked with helping a determined young girl, played by Kim Darby, track down her father’s murderer. The film is based on Charles Portis' novel of the same name and features Glen Campbell in a supporting role. True Grit is a Western that explores themes of justice and moral ambiguity in the 1870s American frontier.
Acting legend John Wayne was no stranger to a good Western team-up movie, and one of his very best came later in his career as Rooster Cogburn inTrue Grit. This epic story saw the eyepatch-wearing Marshal Cogburn teaming up with a 14-year-old girl named Mattie Ross and a Texas ranger known as La Boeuf to help the teenager track down her father’s killer. This unconventional team-up made for thrilling viewing asTrue Gritunpacked the nature of courage, justice, and revenge.
As one of Wayne’s defining film roles,True Gritalso received an equally impressive remake in 2010 as directors Joel and Ethan Coen imbued the story with their unique sense of style. WhileTrue Gritoffered a compelling coming-of-age storyas Mattie confronted the harsh realities of life in the Wild West, it was also a touching story of loyalty and redemption as she broke through Cogburn’s tough, uncaring exterior. As one of the all-time great Western movies,True Gritwas a must-watch film.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 Western film directed by John Ford. Starring James Stewart as an idealistic senator and John Wayne as a rugged rancher, the story explores themes of justice and legend as they confront the outlaw Liberty Valance, played by Lee Marvin. The film examines the conflicts between law, order, and personal morality in the American West.
The icon of Western cinema, John Ford, truly revolutionized the genre and was responsible for several masterpieces, includingStagecoachandThe Searchers. While Ford’s heyday was during the 1930s and 1940s, it was a testament to his timeless appeal that he released one of his greatest movies in 1962 with a Western team-up that featured major stars like James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and Lee Van Cleef. As an impressively modern film,The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancetook a reflective look at life and legacy in the Wild West.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valancewas a unique Western for the way it peeled back the curtain on mythmaking and explored how the legends of the Old West were created in the first place. As a more contemplative and thoughtful story on the nature of American legends, Ford was pointing toward the more self-referential style that Western movies would take on as the 1960s progressed into the 1970s.
The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch is a Western drama film by director Sam Peckinpah, released in 1969. A group of aging outlaws decides to take on one last heist before retiring from their lives of crime. However, Pike Bishop, the head of the gang, discovers that they’ve been betrayed by a former partner, forcing them into a final standoff.
The heightening reality of the gang of gunfighters inThe Magnificent Sevenwas traded for the brutal realism and intense violence ofThe Wild Bunchin Sam Peckinpah’s classic revisionist Western. This story about a gang of aging outlaws adapting to the encroachment of modernity on the United States-Mexican border in 1913 was known for its gritty depiction of trying to survive by any means necessary. With the use of slow-motion, fast-moving, multi-angle images,The Wild Bunchwas also incredibly modern in its stylistic presentation.
WhileThe Wild Bunchaddressed themes of betrayal and the end of the gunfighting era, it also signaled a new direction in Hollywood filmmaking. The incredible style on display paved the way for directors like Peckinpah to be given more creative freedom in Hollywood. This loosening of the Hollywood Studio System laid the groundwork for visionaries like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola to make some of the most enduring films of all time. It’s interesting to notice howThe Magnificent Sevenled toThe Wild Bunch, which helped inform a new era of creative expression in Hollywood.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid follows the exploits of two notorious outlaws as they navigate the challenges of a changing American West. Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, the film combines elements of adventure and buddy comedy, capturing their attempts to evade capture while maintaining camaraderie. Directed by George Roy Hill, it explores themes of friendship and survival against the backdrop of early 20th-century societal shifts.
WhileThe Magnificent Sevenfeatured some of the biggest Western stars at the dawning of the 1960s,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidwas an important showcase of new stars making a name for themselves at the decade’s end. WithPaul Newman and Robert Redfordas the real-life bandits that gave the film its title, this was a true classic of the Western genre.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidwas not only a defining moment in the history of Western movies but, much likeThe Wild Bunchthe same year, helped pave the way for the New Hollywood era.
As an auteur-driven film, director George Roy Hill imbued this film with his unique sense of style that helped redefine what Western movies could achieve as the 1960s gave way to the more modern aesthetics of the 1970s.Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidhad a contemporary appeal as it told the story of two bank-robbing outlaws on the run from the law. With equal parts action and humor,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidoffered a glimpse into the future of filmmaking.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In the United States, a mysterious gunfighter tries to work together with a bandit and a bounty hunter to find a hidden treasure. The men are forced to forge a difficult alliance as each knows only part of the location. The big problem is that none of them has any intention of sharing the wealth once they’ve found it.
While many great Western team-up movies feature lawmen and outlaws coming together willingly, the reluctance with which allegiances were made in Sergio Leone’sThe Good, the Bad and the Uglywas part of its appeal. As perhaps the defining director of the spaghetti Western subgenre, Leone, along with Clint Eastwood as The Man with No Name, helped make theDollars Trilogyone of the all-time great Western series. This third installment cast Eastwood as “the Good,” Lee Van Cleef as “the Bad,” and Eli Wallach as “the Ugly.”
While this story of three gunslingers searching for buried gold left behind in the chaos of the American Civil War, by its conclusion, all those who had come together had once again come apart. This led tothe iconic three-way Mexican standoff inThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which, paired with Ennio Morricone’s classic score, made this a true piece of cinema history.
Return of the Seven
Return of the Seven, directed by Burt Kennedy, is a 1966 Western film that follows Chris, a leader of the original Magnificent Seven, as he reunites with fellow gunslinger Vin to rescue Chico and other men captured by bandits, with help from four new recruits.
Viewers who can’t get enough of the originalThe Magnificent Sevenare in luck because this was just the beginning of this Western series. Coming six years after the original,Return of the Sevenpicked up on this story, although Yul Brynner as Chris Adams was the sole returning cast member in this much-maligned sequel. While it certainly didn’t live up to the hype of the original,Return of the Sevenhad enjoyable moments, and to see Brynner return to his most famous role was certainly a treat.
Return of the Sevensaw Chris and Vin Tanner (Robert Fuller replacing Steve McQueen) attempting to reform their old gang with new recruits to defend several Mexican villages from dangerous bandits. IfReturn of the Sevenwasn’t enough to keep Western viewers entertained, the series also continued with the sequelsGuns of the Magnificent SevenandThe Magnificent Seven Ride!Taken together, all these films were enjoyable trips down memory lane, although none of them managed to truly recapture the magic of the original.
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven, released in 2016, follows bounty hunter Sam Chisolm as he gathers a diverse team of gunslingers to help the residents of Rose Creek, who are threatened by the tyrannical industrialist Bartholomew Bogue. As tensions escalate, the seven mercenaries engage in a fierce battle, defending the town’s inhabitants.
The originalThe Magnificent Sevenfrom 1960 was one of the most enduring and beloved Western movies ever made, to the point that attempting to remake it felt sacrilegious. However, this was exactly what Antoine Fuqua decided to do in 2016 with surprisingly positive results. This remake of a true classic repeated the original’s endeavor to gather together some of the biggest names of its era in one film, asFuqua’s version featured major stars like Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke all sharing the screen together.
This version ofThe Magnificent Sevenhad a lot to live up to and actually managed to pull it off with an effective and entertaining film. From its stellar cast, engaging action sequences, and powerful score, whileThe Magnificent Sevendidn’t break down any creative boundaries and won’t win any awards for originality, it felt like a worthy homage to the original that helped introduce a whole new generation of viewers to this story. For those looking to watch something similar to the 1960 version, checking out this updated adaptation would be a no-brainer.
