New movie 'The Magnificent Seven'

Regardless of age we may have seen the original version of the director John Sturges's film 'The Magniificent Seven' starring Yul Brynner in the lead role. The movie set in a Mexican village which is bedevilled by bandits sets out to recruit gunslingers to protect the village from the criminals.

The movie was based on Kurosawa's film 'Seven Samurai' about Samurai Warriors protecting a village from bandits with the American version featuring men with guns instead of swords but basically re - telling the story set in the era of the Western instead of the era of the Samurai in Japan.

Today's version has opened at the Toronto International Film and this time you have Denzel Washington in the lead role. Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt star also with Vincent D'onofrio, South Korean Byung - Hun Lee, Mexican actor Manuel Garcia - Rulfo and Native American actor Martin Sensmeier.

Much has been made of the diverse cast in the light of the pronouncement that Hollywood films are not diverse enough. Director Antoine Fuqua said when casting for the parts of the new film this was not on his mind how diverse the cast was he simply wanted to make a movie recalling the greatness of Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai'.

The new 'Magnificent Seven' opens in the US and UK this month.

When director Akira Kurosawa directed, co - wrote and edited his film 'Seven Samurai' before its release in 1954 I wonder if he had any idea it would be well received around the world and inspire a Western franchise.

The movie is set in 1586 in the warring states era in Japan and follows seven Ronin Samurai Warriors up for hire and they are hired by a village of simple farmers who protect them from bandits out to steal their crops at harvest time.

The film is regarded as a classic of 20 Century film making and since its release it has continued to receive praise from film critics.