Some of the shots and camera work are reminiscent of cinematographer Charles Lang’s work in director John Sturges’ film as well as cinematographer Dean Semler’s work in director Kevin Costner’s Western epic Dances with Wolves.
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“What I didn’t realize at the time”, he said, “was that they were taking on serious matters”.
As for Sarsgaard, it’s disheartening to see this fine actor saddled with such a ridiculous role, a one-note villain who nearly makes Hannibal Lecter look like Mahatma Gandhi. Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Haley Bennett and Peter Sarsgaard, among many others, this film has quite a few changes from the original, yet still manages to create a fun, shoot ’em up western style thriller that has much to offer. While you may wish Fuqua had been more decisive when it comes to balancing the film’s grit and humor – though which direction you wish he landed in will depend on the person – the result is a solid argument that the Western genre shouldn’t stay completely dead. Washington makes an appealing cowboy, while Ethan Hawke (sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux, sans Cajun accent) and South Korean superstar Byung-Hun Lee (knife-wielding assassin Billy Rocks) make their brooding presence count even when the screenplay fails them.
“He read the script, he said ‘I’ll do it, ‘” Fuqua said of D’Onofrio. The action sequences are choreographed with finesse, especially the long climax that had a surprising casualty I didn’t see coming.
I remember, the one amusing thing is that [Denzel] was not being clear about where he wanted to shoot me.
Fuqua also loves capturing some lovely landscapes with some excellent cinematography on display. The characters are too thinly drawn to generate much interest despite the best efforts of a capable cast. Nearly nobody: He had that charm and wit and drive and we also needed the levity to pull it off – and he also has to be wholesome all-American boy. “And I heard he loved Westerns”.
Fuqua’s cast has differing attitudes about their movie’s legacy. He’s a man with a past that haunts him, who will step in when he sees a wrong to right, hoping to quiet the ghosts.
“We had a lot of lightning, thunder issues where we had to shut (production) down, but the heat was just constant”, Denzel Washington, who plays bounty hunter Sam Chisholm, told Reuters. Pratt even says some of the exact same lines McQueen did in the original movie which makes it impossible not to compare him to McQueen. It’s a story that I found interesting that takes place in 1874. Magnificent Seven was one of the starts of a glorious Wild west milieu and somehow the essence seem to have dropped these days. “The meaning of “samurai” is to serve – people think of samurai as warriors, but it means ‘to serve” and I thought that was an important statement.
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The two men set out to find other men who can handle themselves with weapons to join them in their quest.
