Seven Misfits In The Film 'The Magnificent Seven'

A group of seven misfits comes together to save a town from an evil, money seeking man in the film The Magnificent Seven directed by Antoine Fuqua. James Horner and Simon Franglen’s film score in The Magnificent Seven transported me back to the old west. Horner and Franglen effectively utilized the unique timbres of select instruments, texture, and foreshadowing making the audience feel as if they are riding along side the misfits, a character in the story experiencing all that unfolds on the screen.
The first scene in the movie unfolds as a crowd of angry farmers gather in a church house. The men are furious that they are losing their land and they want to fight to get it back. A man walks in, and nothing is said about who the man is, his character, or his intentions. Everyone in the room is silent, the only sounds you can hear are the man’s boots and spurs click against the floor as he paces. The unusual sound of sharply plucking strings and an eerie timbre of strange violin chords subtly creep in and create an uncomfortable feeling for the audience. The tone set by the score suggests that the man is evil and that he should not be trusted. The music in this scene left me feeling disturbed and uneasy. As the film advances the audience learns that the man indeed is a crooked, evil man. The foreshadowing presented by the music in …show more content…
There was merely a drone bass held under the dialogue or a very soft melody was played. The music played during these scenes did not distract from the dialogue, It merely created a tone for the discussion taking place. During fighting scenes, the texture was very thick. There were loud violin sections and brass instruments being played along with bullets flying and men screaming. These thick textured scenes added to the suspense, chaos, and lively nature of the scene. By using thin and thick textures, Horner and Franglen were able to effectively enhance the tone of each