THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

A commentary by Linda S. Barth
April, 1998

"Where is my John Wayne?
Where is my prairie son?
Where is my happy ending?
Where have all the cowboys gone?"*

If we're to believe CBS-TV, they've gone out to right the wrongs of the Old West, risking their lives for the sake of justice every Saturday night as "The Magnificent Seven." A made-for-television version of the popular 1960 film, the new production offers an entertaining melange of intriguing characters, good-natured humor, the occasional nod toward politically correct historic issues, and much of the heart and action anyone might hope to find in the traditional style of classic Westerns. Played partly tongue in cheek and at times perfectly straight, the premiere episode gave us the anti-hero dressed all in black, more than one gun fight, daring rescues, a cowboy's kiss to his horse's head, and even the evocative ride into the sunset at the closing credits. Right now the series is a work in progress, but it has all the right components to become something very special. No matter how you feel about westerns in general, how can you resist giving this one a chance?

The series opened in the U.S. on January 3 with a two-hour movie, followed by four additional one-hour episodes aired through January 31.

One of the stars of the new series is Ron Perlman. Most of the recent reviews and articles in various magazines have cited Mr. Perlman as the most recognizable individual in the series, surely something new for this gifted actor whose physical appearance often has been greatly altered from one unique character part to the next. This time, however, Mr. Perlman looks very much his own distinctively handsome self as he strides smoothly into the guise of a cowboy, fighting, riding, and taming the Old West with the best of them!

Perlman and his fellow actors play as diverse a group of cowboys as one might imagine. We have Josiah, an ex-priest (played by Mr. Perlman); Ezra, a con man (Anthony Starke); Vin, a bounty hunter (Eric Close); Nathan, a doctor of sorts (Rick Worthy); Chris, a gunslinger and the somewhat reluctant leader of the pack (Michael Biehn of "Terminator"); Buck, a "ladies' man" with no other apparent occupation (Dale Midkiff); and J.D., a teenage boy (Andrew Kavoit) out for as much coming-of-age adventure as he can handle.

CBS might claim they were courting male viewers in the 20-50 age range with this series, but I think they had someone else in mind when they cast this show. We've all seen those faded sepia portraits of post-Civil War American cowboys. Trust me, those men did not serve as models for this group! The word "Magnificent" is used advisedly - very advisedly - so even if you have absolutely no interest in the genre, you might take a few minutes and head out West when the series returns. Even if it's for nothing but the most superficial of reasons - a sheer visual treat - you won't be disappointed!

The premise of "The Magnificent Seven" is that several disparate individuals have found themselves banding together to rescue the helpless and avenge the victimized in a small Texas town that's struggling to hold onto a sense of community and civilization. We soon learn that each of the seven men harbors a secret that has compelled him to take on the role of defender of justice. The "man behind the mask" is one of the most compelling elements of the series, and it's one I hope will be explored and expanded in the future, incorporating the back-stories of the various characters as a means of discovering and understanding the people they have become.

While there have been hints dropped about the characters' backgrounds since the beginning, the third, fourth, and fifth episodes in particular addressed this aspect to varying degrees and added a much-needed depth to the story lines. For example, we learned that Josiah left his religious vocation when he discovered a darker side to himself, one that could not be reconciled with the restrictions of the Church; and Ezra, the con man, had a childhood destroyed by his mother's periodic abandonment of him in favor of her own long history of gambling and running scams.

In my opinion, Ron Perlman and Anthony Starke, who portray Josiah and Ezra, are by far the most talented actors in the cast. They bring to their roles a depth and shading that, so far, has been only hinted at in the others. Josiah and Ezra are multi-dimensional human beings, not entirely good, not entirely bad, with vulnerabilities that make us care about them, even while we question some of their actions. Of course, I began to watch the series because of Ron Perlman's presence in it, but I might not have stayed with it for that reason alone. I've continued to watch the show because these two actors have held my attention from the beginning, making me want to know what will happen to the two characters who are far more than what their veneers of struggling ex-priest and destined con man might suggest.

A recent issue of "Starlog Magazine" (#247, Feb. 1998) features a fascinating and extensive interview with Mr. Perlman. In it he discusses many of the roles he has played, and he has this to say about Josiah. "Anyway, my character on Magnificent Seven is based very loosely on Bernardo O'Reilly, Charles Bronson's character in the original film. He was half-Irish and half-Mexican. My character is as well, though we haven't begun to deal with his ethnic lineage. I am a defrocked minister who's searching for some higher meaning in the universe and I will do anything, including peyote rituals and sweat lodges, in order to go to a higher ground and perhaps discover the meaning of life. I have this curiosity about whether the answer to life is in death, so I put myself in these death-defying situations with my compadres, half expecting that each one will be my last, that I'll then go to the great beyond and seek the undiscovered country from where no traveler returns."

As always, Ron Perlman conveys an amazing ability to reveal the layers of his character's psyche bit by bit, employing to perfection a subtle facial gesture, a particular tone of voice, a measured timing in the delivery of his lines. In the many roles I've seen him play, he has never failed to draw me in until I have no choice but to be mesmerized by the complexities of the characters he invariably brings to such compelling and haunting life. As Josiah Sanchez, he has convinced the viewers that the former priest's pain lies just beneath a calm and controlled surface. He speaks of symbols and imagery, always looking at the commonplace - a flock of crows, the grain in a piece of wood - as if he expects to find in them the answers to mysteries that consume him. He hints at suffering and secrets, stemming from an unwelcome discovery of the inner violence that has belied his priestly intentions. With the "Magnificent Seven," Josiah has joined a new band of avenging angels, apparently hoping to serve out a penance for some as yet unrevealed sins of his past. This is a back-story I hope will definitely be played out before the series comes to a close, and I can think of no actor other than Ron Perlman who could do the part justice.

Two of the episodes, "Working Girls" and "Witness," both written by the very talented Melissa Rosenberg, bring us closer to the secrets in Josiah's past. I'm not familiar with her other work, but in "The Magnificent Seven," Melissa Rosenberg shows that she has a wonderful skill for weaving humor and emotional depth into this genre's requisite action/adventure scenarios, giving her stories a very welcome character-driven focus. (In addition - and on a purely selfish note on behalf of all of us -- there is another reason for hoping Ms. Rosenberg becomes a key staff writer if the series goes forward. Ron Perlman has had more on-screen time and more lines in her episodes than in any others, making me wonder - and hope - that there might be an ulterior motive in her writing that we can all enjoy.)

As an example of Ms. Rosenberg's talent for developing additional and very believable attributes in previously established characters, we learn in her episodes that Josiah has a very open and enthusiastic - albeit not very "priestly" -- attitude toward women and sex. In one terrific scene Buck and Josiah relentlessly tease J.D. about his infatuation with Emily, a young prostitute. Finally losing his temper, J.D. says, "What do you know, preacher? Women never meant nothing to you!" Without missing a beat, Josiah growls, "What I don't know about women ain't worth knowing." Whether it has a basis in fact or it's sheer bravado, the unexpected retort surprises us into believing him, at least a little bit.

Then in that wonderful way Perlman has of expanding and transforming our view of his characters, as if by the slightest turning of a kaleidoscope, he allows us to see something more, something new. Josiah continues speaking to J.D., drawling out the line in a suggestive way that just might contradict his words: "Anyway, the important thing to remember is that the act of love should be a spiritual experience."

J.D., wide-eyed with surprise, "Spiritual?"

Josiah eventually glances up from a shirt cuff he has been struggling to tie, as if the following comment might be the most careless, casual thing he has ever said or, on the other hand, a pronouncement of the utmost solemnity. Yet before we can even wonder which it will be, he shows us, with a slight narrowing of those blue eyes and a gravelly rasp to his voice, that J.D.'s amazement at the former priest's words is decidedly well-founded. "See, Adam and Eve, they got thrown out of Paradise for doing it, so when we do it, it'd better be right so their loss wasn't in vain."

Later in the episode, J.D. - with Emily's eager assistance - manages to get his revenge for all the teasing and unwanted advice Josiah and Buck have forced on him. I don't want to spoil the scene for anyone by providing too much information, but just picture Ron Perlman framed in the open window of an old barn, peering into the darkness as straw cascades from the hayloft accompanied by extremely enthusiastic moans, groans, and giggles. Eyes widening in amazement beneath an old Stetson hat, Josiah turns to his accomplice, Buck, and asks, "Was that a howl?" The toothy knowing grin with which he answers his own question was absolutely priceless. After all the hints of pain and torment in the other episodes, this side to Josiah Sanchez must have been tremendous fun to play, and Perlman looks like he's having a great time "doing it."

Of additional interest to B&B fans, Katy Boyer, who played Lena in "God Bless the Child," guest stars in the episode "Working Girls." I would recommend this one if you have an opportunity to catch only one episode when they're rebroadcast, or if you can find someone who will loan tapes of the show.

Another episode, "Safecracker" has a lovely vignette with Josiah taking a turn as guardian to a very streetwise but vulnerable little girl named Olivia. In a scene reminiscent both of One and Miette in "The City of Lost Children," and Vincent and Samantha in "B&B," Josiah enthralls Olivia with tales of India (making us wonder if perhaps he'd been a missionary in that country), distracting the child from her troubles with his enchanting words and very Vincent-like voice. When he ultimately falls asleep instead of watching over the child, who then wanders off, he sets in motion a potentially very dangerous situation. This is an extremely un-Vincent-like behavior if I ever saw one, but it's one which shows the viewer even more about Josiah, a man who is kind and caring yet often self-absorbed, whose intentions are very good, but whose actions do not always reflect the best judgment.

In addition to his talent for conveying the affectionate and sometimes bawdy sense of humor in Josiah's otherwise somewhat reserved and secretive nature, Ron Perlman easily carries off the more serious dialogue that would sound trite coming from actors with lesser ability. In the premiere episode when we first meet Josiah, he is repairing an old stone mission on the edge of town. As he works, several of his soon-to-be brothers in arms arrive, hoping to convince him to join them in defending a Seminole Indian village from attack by a band of deranged soldiers who evidently haven't been informed that the Civil War has ended.

Vin, the bounty hunter, tells Josiah, "We can use another good man." To which Josiah replies, "I'm not so good, but I can fight." Sensing victory, Vin continues, "Well, we can promise you a hell of a fight!" Josiah: "Hell? I've already been there."

Now this dialogue sounds like something straight out of "How to Write a Western 101," but somehow when we hear Perlman's Josiah say the lines, they sound perfectly appropriate and believable. This cannot be an easy task, yet Mr. Perlman rarely fails to meet the standards of artistry he has set for himself and the high level of performance we have come to expect from such an extremely talented actor.

"The Magnificent Seven" clearly is a show that is still finding its way, but that's to be expected at the beginning of any new television production. It might not rise above the level it has already attained, that of a show that is entertaining and enjoyable, and yet lacking a certain depth and substance it might have had. Then again, it might become far more than it has in its early weeks. There is a tremendous amount of potential here; we'll just have to wait and see what becomes of it.

"Where is my Marlboro Man?
Where is his shiny gun?
Where is my Lone-ly Ranger?
Where have all the cowboys gone?"*

With any luck at all, they'll be out on the CBS range for a long time to come, personifying the heroes we all secretly long for now and then.

(* "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" by Paula Cole; Warner Brothers Records.*)