Vengeance-driven films, such as Taken and John Wick, create memorable characters through raw emotions and thrilling action sequences. Similarly, Seven Men From Now stands out in the Western genre with complex characters and a riveting tale of revenge and redemption. The film’s perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes is well-deserved, highlighting its straightforward plot, charming performances, and intense storytelling.
The primal human thirst for vengeance has fueled some of cinema’s most unforgettable stories ever. Once you’ve seen Taken, you’ll always remember Liam Neeson’s character and his “particular set of skills” after his daughter gets kidnapped. When Keanu Reeves as the titular character in John Wick goes bloodthirsty-berserk over the killing of his wife-gifted dog, we empathize with him. Because of this connection they create with us, they go straight into our cinematic legends’ book. The Western genre, where justice on the dusty frontier is often a bullet away, also thrives on vengeance narratives.
In Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, where the stakes are high with multiple layers of revenge among the characters, the reward is particularly satisfying to the viewer, elevating the film to one of the greatest ever made. Clint Eastwood, who turned down a leading role in Once Upon a Time in the West, cemented his iconic status partly by playing vengeance-seeking characters in the Man With No Name trilogy, with his character Blondie standing out in the trilogy’s third outing, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Among the list of great Westerns themed around grim revenge is Budd Boetticher’s 1956 classic Seven Men From Now, which boasts a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Still From Seven Men From Now (Photo: Seven Men From Now)
Seven Men From Now tells the story of a former sheriff, Ben Stride, who blames himself for his wife’s death during a Wells Fargo robbery and vows to track down and kill the seven men responsible. Starring Randolph Scott, Gail Russell, and Lee Marvin, this 78-minute film is a raw, gut-punch revenge thriller disguised in a cowboy hat. Taking the classic Western structure, the film’s narrative is straightforward. It steers clear of a jumbled presentation that could appear either underdeveloped or with lackluster directing and performances. From the outset, its protagonist’s goal is set – Stride seeks revenge for his dead wife. Like all films that set out this way, along the way, we expect him to either garner support or face obstacles in his quest, and Seven Men From Now generously serves these.
What Is ‘Seven Men From Now’ About?
The film opens with Stride in a nighttime rainstorm in the Wild West desert. He encounters two men warming themselves by the fire in a cave encampment. Stride notices the unease between the men as he gets to know them over coffee and discerns that the two men are among the robbers who shot dead his wife. When Stride reveals that he hails from Silver Springs, the place where his wife was murdered, the two men try to kill him, but he outdraws them and shoots them both. This opening suggests a subtle psychological underpinning that the film intends to play – a game of wits and combat.
Stride gos on his grim pilgrimage, trawling the desert and its neighboring towns to hunt down the remaining culprits. Along the way, he comes across husband and wife John and Annie Greer (played by Walter Reed and Gail Russell respectively), whose wagon is stuck, and offers to help them get it out of the mud. Stride and Annie take a liking to each other, but Stride’s principles prevent him from making a move. As they journey together, they meet two of Stride’s former nemeses, the audacious Bill Masters (Lee Marvin) and his obedient crime partner Cleet (Don “Red” Barry). The three sets of people are further entangled as Stride pursues his revenge mission. The end game is
