| Calvera | |
|---|---|
| 250px Eli Wallach as Calvera in The Magnificent Seven (1960) | |
| Portrayed by | Eli Wallach |
| In-universe information | |
| Nickname | Calvera |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Bandit leader |
Calvera is the leader of a Mexican gang of bandits in the 1960 western film The Magnificent Seven. He is the main antagonist of the film, and he was portrayed by Eli Wallach.
Description
editAppearance
editCalvera was "the bandito with two gold-capped front teeth, a crazy beatnik beard and a flamboyant air"[1]. In the film, he is depicted with a wide brimmed hat, gunslinger's belt, pistol, and a leather vest and chaps.[2][3]
Characterization
editThe Magnificent Seven is based on Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, however, the characterization of Calvera is very different from Kurosawa's bandit chief, who is virtually an abstraction of evil ferocity[4][5]. Calvera is a brutal yet complex villain who acts like a bandit but speaks the language of paternal authority--"I am a father to these men: they depend on me"--to justify his actions.[4].
The villagers know Calvera well; his plundering is a yearly ritual. To Sotero, the village leader, Calvera bemoans the changing times: In earlier years, cattle and gold and fruit from the trees were there for the picking, but now, even the poor boxes that Calvera steals from big churches are empty.[6]
Role in The Magnificent Seven
editIn the film, Calvera's bandit gang is planning to invade and pillage a small village. However, due to previous raids on the same village having stripped it of resources, he decides to wait until the barley crop has matured. A villager overhears his plans and relays this news to the village leader Sotero, who in turn hires Chris (the main protagonist, portrayed by Steve McQueen) to defend the village.[citation needed]
Cultural references
edit- In an episode of Futurama entitled That's Lobstertainment!, Dr. Zoidberg is dressed as a parody of Calvera in the fictional film, The Magnificent Three.[citation needed]
- A Star Trek: Deep Space 9 character named Bernardo Calvera is a reference to Bernardo (Charles Bronson's character) and Calvera (Eli Wallach's character) from The Magnificent Seven.[citation needed]
- An isolated neutron star discovered in 2007 in Ursa Minor was nicknamed Calvera by scientists. The seven other previously discovered stars of this rare type are nicknamed The Magnificent Seven.[7]
- The 1980 science fiction film Battle Beyond the Stars was "intended as a 'Magnificent Seven in outer space.'"[8] The leader of the evil Malmori raiders, Sador, is similar to the character of Calvera and plays the same antagonist role.
References
edit- ^ "Hidden Drama High Lights Tale Of 'Magnificent Seven'". Ocala Star-Banner (newspaper). Retrieved 2010-03-12.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|publishdate=ignored (help) - ^ Photo 1
- ^ Photo 2
- ^ a b Richard Slotkin "Gunfighter nation: the myth of the frontier in twentieth-century America". Published by: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998 - 850 p. ISBN 0806130318, 9780806130316 (P.475,478)
- ^ Steven Mintz, Randy Roberts "Hollywood's America: United States history through its films". Brandywine Press, 1993 - 341 p. ISBN 188108910X, 9781881089100 (P.235)
- ^ Ralph Lamar Turner, Robert J. Higgs "The cowboy way: the western leader in film, 1945-1995". Published by: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999 - 244 p. ISBN 0313308713, 9780313308710 (P.45)
- ^ "Rare dead star found near Earth". BBC. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ^ Gray, Beverly (2004). Roger Corman: blood-sucking vampires, flesh-eating cockroaches, and driller killers. Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 147. ISBN 9781560255550.
External links
editThe Magnificent Seven (1960) IMDB Eli Wallach IMDB