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Reviews
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Magnificent Movie
Cow Boys, guns, showdown and the lifestyle of the old west are strange to people of Eastern world. Yet, western movies are the favourite pastime for many like me. The extraordinary skills of the cow boys in handling fire arms, their dress and style, horse riding and gunfighting in amazing locations always thrill us.
' We think you are the man we can trust' not only the innocent villagers but also the viewers think of the great actor Yul Brynner. In the very first scene we are impressed by a fighter for justice. The inherent leadership qualities of Yul Brynner add to his acting skills. All the characters in the movie simply obey this born leader. He is a perfect specimen for a real leader. His eyes are so powerful that no one could even look at.
I have seen this movie for the first time in 1962 in India. Oh my God ! How many times in how many places I have seen this movie later. Now I have my own DVD and that gives me a feeling that all those magnificent heroes are always with me at home.
Simple story, true to life characters, excellent music and brilliant direction have made this movie an unforgettable one. The beginning of friendship between Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen when they join hands for a noble cause and their sustained team spirit even in risky situations strengthen the scenario.
The villain Eli Wallach is the perfect opponent for Yul Brynner. He lives not acts, an arrogant, crooked, ruthless and a clever villain every one is scared of. The way he justifies his unlawful life style is quite different. When he comes to know that his Privileges are refused in the village protected by unexpected gunmen, his inimitable expressions frighten everyone.
The building up of the seven men team, each member a champion gunslinger is an exciting outset. The knife thrower James Coburn, woodcutter Charles Bronson and all the other team members enter with a distinct and interesting introduction and prove that they are really magnificent.
The performance of Vladimir Sokoloff, the wise old peasant is outstanding. His facial expressions in response to the amusive lecture by Horst Bucholz is superb. Each time I view this movie, I wait for this particular scene to pay special attention and admire his acting skills.
It is hard to believe that this is the first movie for Horst Bucholz. With a highly suitable character, he wins the hearts of all the viewers just like that. It is interesting to learn that, clapping hands as fast as one can is a brilliant technique to assess how fast a fast gunner is.
Not only the innocent villagers in the movie but also the vower's are happy at the end for having seen a good movie in all aspects. It is a great success for Director John Sturges and his unit for making a movie to remain a favourite for many movie lovers even after 45 years even in far off countries.
The Train (1964)
The courageous railway men and their patriotism
I have seen The Train starring Burt Lancaster in 1964 along with some of my fellow Railway men in India. It was an exciting experience for us to witness our workspot ambiance on the silver screen. We used to discuss a lot on the features of this movie and recommend other friends also not to miss it. Now after some 40 years, i had the same experience when i got a DVD of this movie in USA. I have seen Burt Lancaster not as an actor, but as an engine driver.What a brilliant performance !
This movie brings back the working morale and life style of railwaymen and the railroad infrastructure of what all i was acquainted with some 40 years ago, alive.That was the time when steam locomotives were replaced by electric locomotives in my country. Steam locomotives and electric locomotives were simultaneously in service during the transition period.There is an old saying in India 'Elephant and Steam Locomotive will always look new to the onlookers'. Those majestic steam locomotives, their chikku bukku.....chikku bukku....cooooh........! and the smoke trails high in the air, no one can ever forget. The makers of this movie have studied the technical aspects of the Train working system thoroughly and not a single mistake is noticed throughout. The locomotives, loco shed, water columns, crew booking point, control room, lever cabins, shunting operations in the marshalling yards, collisions, derailments and restoration operations we see in the movie confirm that the director , Burt Lancaster and their team have not shot this film, instead lived this story of world war II. Being a railway man, even today, i enjoy every frame of this movie shot in the railway premises with utmost care and dedication. The patriotism and heroism shown by the railway men, which i am proud of, add to the merits of the movie.
The perseverance of the Nazi Colonel in taking the train loaded with the invaluable French art to Germany, and the strategy, adventures and sacrifices of the French railway men to bring back the train to their mother land are picturised in a perfect order. The stunt sequences performed by Burt Lancaster are fantastic. Speeding light engine -bullet showers from aeroplane - emergency brakes - sparking wheels - screeching hault inside a tunnel - aha ! what a calculated risk !!
If you observe closely, you will notice that all the characters who are smokers in the movie including Burt Lancaster, do not hold the cigarette between their fingers between puffs, instead leave it between their lips. Cigarette remains there through out the conversations and all activities until the last puff. This style was something unique and i have seen many drivers in our depot imitating Burt Lancaster's smoking style those days.
Superb black and white photography, spectacular locations, crisp dialogues and apt characters are some of the contributing factors to make this movie a remarkable success and register in the list of greatest movies ever made.
I wish the talented movie makers of the modern times to kindly note the simple formulae behind great movies - it should be believable.
The Young Savages (1961)
Courage is the ability to hide one's fear - justified
I have seen this movie some 40years ago in India.Now,when i enlisted this in My movies column of IMDb,i felt as if meeting an old friend after a long time.I think the effective story telling technique is the secret of making this movie unforgettable.
The story is based on the psychology of teenagers.It is true that some of our teenagers tend to act as if they are very brave and courageous though they are not actually.Unfortunately they have learned to think that criminal activities only can prove their brevity in the society.The hero is a good natured teenager from a decent family,but lies utterly that he is a criminal.This is a psychological disorder.This movie tells us how children brought up in good families remain good even when they are forced to commit criminal acts by their bad associates and at the same time expect the society to admire them as brave knights.Murder in the swimming pool,blind gangster playing harmonica before getting killed and the mother of the accused convincing Burt Lancaster that her son is innocent are some of the scenes i still remember.
This was the first BurtLancaster movie i have seen.A complicated psychological theory explained in an extraordinary manner.Burt Lancaster proves he is an outstanding artiste.This movie is an excellent example for high quality screenplay,direction and acting.