The death of the gunslinger is looming in this film, "the victory belongs to the farmers" echoes throught both films. The western always echoes death but not many show diversity and imperialisim in a light like this. The characters protect the Mexicans from banditos. exept that not only are all of the characters outsiders in there own right, they belive in justice and freedom.
Like The Seven Samurai, The Magnificent Seven all have various figures in the film some directly translated some brand new. Yul Brynner (Chris Larabee Adams) is the exact same as Kambei Shimada (the first recruited by the farmers who are old and battle wise). Chico is the same as Katsushirō Okamoto and Kikuchiyo mixed together. Brit is the same knife toting badass as Kyūzō at first declining the role but eventually giving in and helping. Bernardo O'Reilly is the same as Heihachi Hayashida even down to the wood chopping scene. Yet you can not call this film simply a carbon copy it is far from it. There are original and fascinating characters. Lee is a traumatised gun-slinger who fears that anyone of his 'enemies' will kill him at a random time. Vin Tanner is a drifter who thinks about beginning to settle down. And Harry Luck a man in search for treasure. But these characters are not what make the two films stand out from one another. It's the ideals behind the film. In the seven samurai there is always an undertone of dread or tragedy even in scenes of happiness. The death of the Samurai is coming. Whereas the theme in the magnificent 7 is the will for freedom of oppression in the face of adversity. The American ideal. This is shown throughout the film, like when the men are defeated and have to leave the village. Instead of running away they fight for freedom from oppression on the behalf of the scared farmers who as the old man puts it only know fear.
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