Remaking a classic among classic films is where most directors should fear to tread. In remaking The Magnificent Seven, one of the most recognized American Westerns and is itself a reimagining of one of the greatest films in all of cinema, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, Antoine Fuqua proves his fearlessness.
Photos Courtesy MGM
The Magnificent Seven shares the same storyline as the previous “Sevens” where a town of hapless, ill equipped farmers hires a band of misfit but supremely talented outlaws to help them stand and fight for their town against a mercenary army of thugs and villains. 
Denzel Washington stars as Sam Chisolm, a legendary bounty hunter with a past, who agrees to accept the pleas of town spokesperson and newest widow, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) when he hears the notoriously vicious industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) was the murderer and leader. As a bounty hunter Chisolm knows who’s who among the territory’s criminals and gunfighters and recruits six others to join the against all odds endeavor. While they are promised “everything” by the town’s people, it’s either the challenge or the opportunity for redemption that calls them.
While not a faith film, God is referenced throughout The Magnificent Seven. As has become somewhat commonplace in film in recent years, much of the violence occurs in and around the church. In what has to be the most juxtaposed homage in film history, The Magnificent Seven opens with the townspeople of Rose Creek debating the fate of their town against the onslaught of 
Bartholomew Bogue and his gang, not unlike the townspeople of Rock Ridge lamenting the demise of their fair town in Blazing Saddles. Unlike Rock Ridge, however, there are no Johnsons, or “Revry,” in Rose Creek, but there is danger, greed, and evil that descends upon the meeting with deadly consequences. The film concludes in and around the town’s church. In between there are references to God’s will, strength, and fecklessness.
Following in the steps of Pale Rider, The Searchers, High Plains Drifter, among others, The Magnificent Seven shows the uneasy place faith and the Church had in the West and has in much of society today. While the Emmanuel Church occupies the center of the town, the presentation of Church, and God, throughout much of The Magnificent Seven is anything but central to life in the West. In contrast to the meaning of name of the church, God is not believed by many townspeople to be “with us,” and is most often presented as either vacant and or out of date and place.
As is often the case, films reflect societal beliefs, ways of being, and ways of living. As is so often encountered today among persons in and outside of faith, there is a lot of bad theology in The Magnificent Seven. There is the typical “If God had intended…”, and “It is God’s will…” Some of such statements and like actions in the film are mocking God, others just misunderstand God.
When trying to convince Chisolm to accept their offer and plea, Emma Cullen states why and what she is seeking,” I seek righteousness. But I’ll take revenge.” Whether or not recognized, such is the sentiment of many persons of faith today. Christ calls to love one’s enemy and to resist returning evil for evil. Christ teaches that it is better to suffer than retaliate. Yet such teaching is hard to follow when put to the test in the “real world” as constructed by society. In a time when a prominent evangelical pastor states, in order to support a political candidate, that one who follows the Sermon on the Mount is unfit to serve as President of the United States, one sees how hard it is to follow the teachings of Christ. While this statement is more explicit than most recognize and would admit, it is a sentiment many if not most in society and perhaps the church accept. When seeing this reflection of our society in this film, one has to realize how close our society, including the faithful, is to the setting of the film, when the church and teaching of her Lord was centrally located in the town, but not truly central in life of the Town’s people.
Yet, there are in the film, as in the world and in the community of faith, glimpses of the grace and hope that are central to the life and teaching of Christ. And, as is often the case with the followers of Christ, it is the community where such is often experienced when characters face their crises of faith and character. Although Emma was willing if not wanting to take revenge, she becomes, if not an instrument of righteousness, a protector of another from a profane and ultimate act of revenge that likely would have led to the death of the character’s soul if not body.
Chisolm, in what is a guiding principal in his life, states on several occasions, “what was lost in the fire is found in the ashes.” In The Magnificent Seven, as in life, much is lost. But, for those who accept the Gospel and follow the teachings and life of Christ, there is also grace, redemption, life, and hope found in the cross.
The Magnificent Seven is rated PG-13 for violence
The process and findings of the investigation, though condensed in the film, were similar to the actual investigation. In addition, the effect of the event on Sullenberger, though perhaps overly dramatic as presented in the film, does indicate power of traumatic events even when they are short-lived and have positive outcomes.
In what is another masterful performance by one of films most accomplished and versatile actors, Tom Hanks quickly disappears into the role of Sully Sullenberger. In playing someone so unassuming and so familiar with audience, Hanks conveys the subtle complexity of the unassuming Sully’s life during the time following the crash when he was being both hailed as a hero as well as investigated for endangering the 155 lives for which he was responsible. Cast into a limelight he does not desire, Sully does what he does best as a pilot, manages the situation, including his emotions and his reticence to accept the notoriety and moniker of hero.
All of these experiences were called upon during the 200 plus seconds of flight 1549. While considered miraculous, the landing was anything but a miracle. It was instead the product of instinct, training, steady nerves, and decisive action.
Katrina game the Saints played in the Superdome. It is called the most important play in the history of the Saints as it led to them winning the game and was a symbolic turnaround for the entire region. As big and significant as this play was in his career, the biggest play in Steve’s life began with the snap that was a diagnosis of ALS, the disease that is named after another athlete stricken in the prime of his life, Lou Gehrig. As with most other ALS patients, Steve was given from 2-5 years to live. As the disease progressed, he would lose the ability to move, speak, and without assistance from a ventilator, breathe.
In addition to the hundreds of hours of video being a gift of Steve and Michel to Rivers, the film is a gift to all who watch it. Although grief is present like an uncredited character throughout the entire film, joy is also present. While the grief brings a silent weight to the viewer, there is also joy that sounds a greater hope that lightens the weight of grief even in the midst of the loss of bodily function that is continuously revealed throughout the film.
Michel. There is joy in seeing their joy in living their lives. While theirs is not the life they thought they would live when they married, they do not surrender living life to ALS. Rather than focusing on Steve’s limitations, on what ALS has taken, they focus on the lives they can have. As such they travel, they go, and they do as much as they can rather than sitting, grieving and waiting. They live out the challenge presented on the film’s poster. Steve and Michel “live with a purpose, “and they “love with a purpose.”
As Steve Gleason’s body is as inadequate and challenging as the tents the heroes of Israel lived in, he, and us like them, can see through faith that assured land of promise. Steve and Michel and others whose spirit overpowers human frailty and brokenness, are examples of faith that sees, experiences, and lives lives of, assured hope.
In contrast to many previous depictions of Jesus on screen, Rodrigo’s conception and McGregor’s depiction of Jesus is earthy, intuitively wise but without full understanding, and kind but not campy. One feels an intimacy with this Jesus that has often been lacking in the grander, larger than life accounts so often depicted in the past. Much of this closeness comes through witnessing Jesus interact with a family he comes across as he is leaving the desert and with whom he spends time with and learns life lessons from. The intimacy is also established as the viewer is privy to Jesus’s encounters with Satan. As with the presentation of Jesus, the film’s depiction of Satan differs from most film accounts. In Last Days, Satan is understated and psychological, more subtlety cunning than demonstratively evil.
Using McGregor for both parts correctly identifies and presents the truth that Satan’s power, temptation, lies within oneself rather than from outside physical forces. Last Day’s depiction of Satan echoes that in The Rolling Stone’s epic song, “Sympathy for the Devil.” Confusing Jesus is the nature of this tempter’s game. Through confusion and manipulation, McGregor’s Satan casts seeds of doubt into McGregor’s Jesus.
While superficially acknowledging the humanity and divinity of Jesus, the depiction of Jesus in most previous films has often been at an arm’s length, and effectively presented him as more of a superhuman than a fully human being who knows what it is to struggle, wonder, and question. Such a depiction creates distance that makes it harder for some to connect in ways that can be transformative. By presenting Jesus as truly human, someone who has known our vulnerabilities, struggles, and lack of full understanding, Last Days in the Desert can appeal to persons within and outside the faith. This Jesus does not know all the answers, but he has faith in His Father to wait for revelation. Such faith is a challenge even the most faithful often struggle with. Last Days presentation of the fully human Jesus does not deny the divinity of Jesus, they instead provide a model of faith and discipleship that build and sustain hope for all of us who struggle with the challenges of life.
Set in the desert around Judea and filmed in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, one could describe the film’s look and feel as, in the words of Buzz Aldrin’s description of the moon, “beautiful, magnificent desolation.” Technically the film presents light touch direction from Rodrigo Garcia, top notch cinematography from three time consecutive Oscar winner (Gravity, Birdman, The Revenant) 
