Voila! Finally, the Magnificent Seven
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie starring Steve McQueen,
Charles Bronson, Yul Brynner, etc. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Magnificent Seven. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
Hilario.
Papa!
Sotero! My good friend.
How are ya?
You have a drink?
l canīt tell you what a pleasure
it is to see a village like this.
Santos!
So much restlessness
and change in the outside world.
People no longer content
with their station in life.
Womenīs fashions? Shameless.
Cigar.
!Mire! Religion!
Youīd weep if you saw how true religion
is now a thing of the past.
Last month we were in San Juan -
a rich town. Sit down.
Rich town, much blessed by God.
Big church.
Not like here - little church,
priest comes twice a year. Big one!
You think we find gold candlesticks,
poor box filled to overflowing?
You know what we found?
Brass candlesticks,
almost nothing in the poor box.
But we took it anyway.
l know we took it anyway.
līm trying to show him how little religion
some people now have.
That l could see for myself.
Donīt see!
What if you had to carry my load, huh?
The need to provide food, like a father,
to fill the mouths of his hungry men.
Guns. Ammunition.
You know how much money
that costs? Huh? Huh?!
No.
The days of good hunting are over.
Once there was horses, cattle,
gold, fruit from the trees. No more.
Now l must hunt with a price
on my head, rurales at my heels.
līll be back.
Enough!
Weīll get the rest when we come back.
l love this village.
- l know you have your problems...
- Murderer! Thief!
Rafael!
Stupid!
Stupid!
We have to have
another discussion very soon.
ltīs always a pleasure to hear
the views of my good friend Sotero.
Maybe when l come back, hm?
!Adiós!
Letīs go!
Help me bring him in.
lf he steals our harvest again,
we might as well
cut our throats and be done with it!
Leave the valley. Thatīs what we must do.
- Live somewhere else?
- Take our homes with us? Our farms?
We could hide some food.
From Calvera?
He never steals all our food.
- He leaves us enough to go on with.
- Thatīs something.
We could beg him to leave us more.
No, no. That would make him more angry.
l donīt think we should do anything.
We must do something!
Like Rafael? Talk sense.
We break our backs in the fields,
and our bellies stay empty.
- We must do something!
- We must do something.
But what?
l donīt know.
Weīll ask the old man.
Heīll know.
Fight.
You must fight. Fight!
With machetes and bare hands
against guns?!
- Buy guns.
- Buy?
Go to the border. Guns are plentiful there.
But what are we going to use for money?
Sell that.
And anything else you can collect.
Even if we had the guns,
we know how to plant and grow -
we donīt know how to kill.
Then learn.
Or die.
Hey! līve been waitinī for you.
Oh, you did a wonderful job.
- līm sorry, but thereīll be no funeral.
- What?!
The graveīs dug, and the defunct is as
ready as the embalmer can make him,
- but thereīll be no funeral.
- Didnīt l pay you enough?
ltīs not a question of money. For $ līd
plant anybody with a whoop and a holler.
But the funeralīs off.
Well, how dīya like that?!
l want him buried. You want him buried.
lf he could talk, heīd second the motion.
- Thatīs as unanimous as you can get.
- Youīve behaved like a Christian, but...
Now, look. līm not lookinī for any praise.
līm a travelling salesman - ladiesī corsets.
līm walking down the street
and a man drops dead.
For two hours people stepped over him,
without lifting a finger.
līm doing what any decent man would.
- Come on, Henry...
- No! This man has to be buried.
- Soon. Heīs not turning into a nosegay.
- l know. l would if l could, but
- thereīs an element in town that objects.
- Objects? To what?
- They say he isnīt fit to be buried there.
- What? ln Boot Hill?
Thereīs nothing there but murderers,
cutthroats and barflies.
And if they ever felt exclusive,
theyīre past it now.
They happen to be white, friend.
And old Sam...
Well, old Sam was an lndian.
Well, līll be damned!
l never knew you had to be anything
but a corpse to get into Boot Hill.
- How longīs this been going on?
- Since the town got civilised.
ltīs not my doinī, boys.
l donīt like it. No, sir.
līve always treated every man
as another future customer.
- ln that case, get that hearse rollinī.
- My driverīs quit.
- Heīs prejudiced too, huh?
- lf it comes to gettinī his head blown off.
- Well, get somebody else.
- Nobody else will drive it! So here.
Oh, hell! lf thatīs all thatīs
holding things up, līll drive the rig.
Can l borrow that scatter-gun?
Youīre more than welcome.
Hey! Wait a minute there. This hearse cost
me $ . ltīs the only one in the county.
- līll be darned if l let it be shot at.
- līll pay for the damages.
- l wanna see this.
- Me, too!
Never rode shotgun on a hearse before.
Let her buck.
- New in town?
- Yeah.
- Where are you from?
- Dodge. You?
Tombstone. See any action up there?
- Tombstone?
- Same. People all settled down, like.
- Same all over.
- lnjun lovers!
Easy. Just wind.
- Weīll get there.
- ltīs not gettinī up there that bothers me.
ltīs stayinī up there that l mind.
Cominī up behind us on the left.
l donīt think so.
Second-storey window. Curtain moved.
līm not in a good position.
Let him stick his neck out.
- You elected?
- No.
l got nominated real good.
Boys, why donīt you just turn around
now - save yourselves a lot of trouble?
Soon, huh?
The reception committee is forming.
Hold it.
Hold it right there.
Anything wrong?
Turn that rig around
and get it down the hill.
l need six men up here.
Boys, the drinks are on me!
līd like to buy you a drink.
And your friend, too.
Thanks.
Where are you from?
Oh, yeah. Where are you goinī?
- Thanks for the free show.
- Youīre more than welcome.
Boy, that was really something.
l wonīt forget that if l live to be a hundred.
- Henry, the stage is leavinī!
- All right, all right!
Wait till Flora hears about this.
Yīknow, she wonīt believe one word of it.
Henry! The stage! Come on!
You keep this.
- Where are you headed?
- līm drifting south, more or less.
You?
Just driftinī.
- Any action here?
- Yeah.
Grocery clerk and bouncer in one of those
bars across the street, if thatīs your taste.
Yeah.
Well, see ya.
Say, whatīs your name?
Make it Vin.
- Whatīs yours?
- Chris.
Yes?
We think you are a man we can trust.
- Thank you very much.
- We wish you to help us.
- Thereīs this man, Calvera.
- A thief. A murderer.
He and his men, they steal our food,
and then they leave us to starve.
- Not only that, but our women...
- Wait, wait. Just a minute.
- lf you need protection, go to the rurales.
- We did. Twice.
But they canīt station men in a small
village for... who knows how long?
So they left.
And when they left, he came again -
Calvera - and every year since.
He will do so until he is stopped.
Sit down.
- We need help.
- We must buy guns.
We know nothing about them.
Will you buy guns for us?
Guns are very expensive and hard to get.
- Why donīt you hire men?
- Men?
Gunmen. Nowadays men
are cheaper than guns.
- Will you go?
- lt will be a blessing if you help us.
- Sorry, līm not in the blessing business.
- No, no. We offer more than that.
- We could feed you every day.
- And we have this.
Whatīs that?
We can sell this for gold.
Everything we own.
Everything of value in the village.
līve been offered a lot for my work,
but never everything.
Will it be enough?
You see, if we could
drive the bandits away,
life could be very good in our village.
But as it is, we ourselves
could stand it a little longer,
but the children,
they cry because theyīre hungry.
Do you understand what it means
when you start something like this?
We will fight, too. Every one of us.
When Calvera comes,
the church bell will ring the alarm.
Weīll fight with guns, if we have them.
lf we donīt, with machetes,
axes, clubs, anything!
Once you begin,
you have to be prepared
for killing and more killing.
And still more killing -
until the reason for it has gone.
- We understand.
- Weīve considered that.
Does every man in the village
feel the same?
Every man.
- līll see what l can do for you.
- Gracias. You know...
Now, wait. l didnīt say līll go.
līll pass the word around
that youīre looking for men.
lt wonīt be hard to find men here.
Everyone wears a gun.
Sure - same as they wear pants.
Thatīs expected.
But good men?
Thatīs something else again.
How can you tell they are good?
There are ways.
Come in.
The word is out youīre looking for men.
Thatīs right. Men who are good with that.
- līm good with it.
- Fast?
- Try me.
- l aim to. Step in closer.
Now, hold your hands like that.
Now, clap.
Faster.
Now, as fast as you can.
Now you try it.
Very young and... and very proud.
The graveyards are full of boys
who were very young and very proud.
Come in.
- No tricks now, Chris.
- Harry! ltīs good to see you again.
- Chris.
- What are you doing in this dump?
- l heard youīve got a contract open.
- Not for a high-stepper like you.
A dollar bill always looks
as big to me as a bedspread.
ltīs just eating money.
A gold eagle, room and board.
Six weeks gunning for some farmers.
You old Cajun! You donīt talk so good,
but you always know whatīs goinī on.
Oh, Harry.
With your permission.
All right. All thatīs on top.
Whatīs underneath?
- Only what l told you.
- Gold? Cattle? Payroll?
- Only what l told you.
- Sure, never mind. Tell me when you can.
Harry, please donīt understand me so fast!
l said never mind. līm in.
You dirty dog!
Place your bets.
Five.
Five.
Eight.
Eights again. Ten at the point.
The cowpoke that just walked in
in the stovepipe chaps,
- līd like to buy him a drink.
- Yes, sir!
Válgame Dios. Thereīs one.
Look at the scars on his face.
The man for us
is the one who gave him that face.
Hey, you learn fast.
Next bet cominī up.
Crap.
Next man.
Gent over there wants to buy you a drink.
- Vin.
- Howdy.
- līd like to buy you a drink.
- Whisky.
Have you anything lined up?
Yeah. līm gonna take a job
in a grocery store.
Fella says līm gonna
make a crackerjack clerk.
Crackerjack.
lf thatīs your taste...
l heard of a job shooinī some flies away
from a village, but l donīt know the pay.
$ .
- A week?
- Six weeks: the whole job.
Well, thatīs ridiculous.
- You heard of anything?
- Yeah.
Shooing some flies away
from a little village.
Their village.
lt pays $ ?
līm looking for men right now.
- No, it wouldnīt even pay for my bullets.
- Ours is a poor village.
We understand. You could get
much more in a grocery store,
and itīs good, steady work.
Yep.
How many you got?
Looking for OīReilly.
Donīt know his name, but thereīs a fella
in back choppinī wood for his breakfast.
Morninī.
līm a friend of Harry Luckīs.
He tells me youīre broke.
Nah, līm doing this because
līm an eccentric millionaire!
Thereīs a job for six men, watching over
a village, south of the border.
How bigīs the opposition?
Thirty guns.
l admire your notion of fair odds, mister.
Harry tells me you faced bigger odds
in the Travis County war.
Well, they paid me $ for that one.
He said you got that Salinas thing
cleared up.
They paid me $ for that one.
- You cost a lot.
- Yeah...
Thatīs right, l cost a lot.
The offer is $ .
$ ?
Right now, thatīs a lot.
- Where can l reach you?
- Right here.
- l still say he canīt.
- And l tell you he can.
- lf he claims that, heīs a liar.
- Not so loud. He might hear you.
l donīt give a damn if he hears me or not.
l got two monthsī salary cominī.
līll bet it all it ainīt so.
- Well, you ainīt bettinī with me.
- Me either.
l told you what he said, and l believe him.
- Well, one of us is a fathead.
- You can get good odds on which.
Britt. Britt, wake up.
līm talkinī to ya! Look at me!
Filene told me what you said.
l say youīre wrong. What dīyou say?
Whatīs the matter? You afraid?
Afraid to tell me līm wrong?!
Call it.
Well, you see, l won.
Well, how about it?
Well?
- Filene, how about it?
- l donīt know. lt was mighty close.
Close? What dīyou mean, close? You all
got eyes. You saw what happened. l won!
You tell īem. l won, didnīt l?
You lost.
Youīre a liar.
l said youīre a liar!
l said youīre a coward and a liar!
Get up. Letīs do it for real.
Get up!
Get up, l said!
So help me, līll let you have it
right where you are.
- Call it!
- l want nothinī to do with this.
- Call it!
- Drop it, Wallace. Forget it.
Get away from me.
Call it.
- Britt.
- Chris.
Can l have a word with you?
Did you have any luck?
Found a man
who would have been perfect.
Gun or knife, you couldnīt
want any better. Wasnīt interested.
The money? lt wasnīt enough?
He doesnīt care a hoot about money.
A man in this line of work
who doesnīt care about money?!
Men in this line of work are not all alike.
Some care about nothing but money.
Others, for reasons of their own,
enjoy only the danger.
And the competition.
lf heīs the best with a knife and a gun,
with whom does he compete?
Himself.
You.
- līve been looking for you!
- What have we got here?
Never mind.
He knows.
Clap hands, he says.
Clap your hands,
and letīs see how fast you are.
Clap hands!
A man comes to him cos he respects him,
cos heīd be proud to work with him.
He makes me look like two cents
with some damned kidsī game!
- Hey, kid, thatīs enough of that!
- You stay away from me, will ya?
Come on, now,
and letīs see how fast you are.
And no games, huh?
No clapping hands - none of that stuff!
Just draw.
Come on. Come on, draw!
- Campesino. Come on!
- You say campesino to me?!
You get out of my way, you dirt farmer!
You donīt think l mean it, huh?
You think līm just talking, huh?
Hey, get up.
Do you hear me?
Get up and face me!
Do you hear?!
Hey,
give him my gun, huh?
Sorry this happened, friend.
Let him sleep it off.
When he wakes up,
let him have his gun back.
And give him a drink.
l changed my mind.
Thereīs a man waiting in your room.
Said he was a friend of yours.
Remember me?
Yep.
You need men to do a job in Mexico.
- Thatīs right.
- How long?
Four, six weeks.
That ought to do it.
How much does the job pay?
l thought you were looking
for the Johnson brothers.
l found them.
- How much does the job pay?
- . We leave tomorrow.
līll have the money before l leave.
ltīll just take care of
my last two daysī rent.
$ ? You must be livinī in style.
Yes.
l have the most stylish corner
of the filthy storeroom out back.
That, and one plate of beans:
$ a day.
Yeah, things do get high when
they find out youīre on the run.
Thereīs a dry wash south of town.
Pick me up there.
Heīs a good gun.
And we arenīt heading for a church social.
Chris.
Yeah. He picked us up at dawn.
- Any idea who it is?
- Yeah. That kid from the saloon.
- Wonīt take no for an answer.
- Doesnīt show much sense, does he?
līm getting a stiff neck
keepinī track of him.
lf you canīt forget him,
why donīt you ride side-saddle?
Ah, well, he wonīt last much longer.
That so?
Ridinī out there in all that dust and heat -
what a chucklehead!
Yeah. Not smart like us!
Yep.
Suppose our friend over there
has got anything to eat?
- How about l bring him some?
- lt isnīt food heīs hungry for.
Then let me tie a can to his tail.
Right now, heīs like an itch l canīt scratch.
Leave him alone. ltīs a free country.
And itīs his.
You know, itīs funny.
Now that heīs gone, l kinda miss him.
Where is everybody?
- Where are they, Tomas?
- Luis! Asunción! Demetrio!
Emilio! Sotero!
What kind of a reception is this?
Come out! Come out and make them
welcome, before we die of shame.
Hilario, stop your shouting.
Do they call this a welcome?
What are they thinking of?!
Come in. You must be thirsty.
You must excuse them.
They are farmers here.
They are afraid of everyone
and everything.
They are afraid of rain, and no rain...
The summer may be too hot,
the winter - too cold.
The sow has no pigs,
the farmer is afraid he may starve.
She has too many,
heīs afraid she may starve.
Thereīs no need to apologise.
We didnīt expect flowers and speeches.
Tomorrow is the anniversary
of the founding of the village.
They will be celebrating -
then, you will see them in a better light.
Who sounded the alarm?
Who sounded the alarm?!
l did.
Thank you, amigos,
for coming out to greet us.
Thank you for letting us see
your beautiful faces!
Thank you, thank you, you chickens!
You come running out like chickens!
We ride to this middle of nowhere.
Weīre ready to risk our lives to help you.
And you?
You hide from us!
Hide from us!
But itīs a different story
when youīre in danger, huh?
You might lose your precious crops.
Then you flock to us. Huh?
Well, weīre here, my compadres and l.
And here we stay.
And you?
You prove to us
that youīre worth fighting for.
Now get back to your houses,
back to work. Go on! Go back.
Weīll let you know when to fight and how
to fight. Go back! All of you, go back!
Go back!
Now weīre seven.
You know, līve been in some towns
where the girls arenīt very pretty.
As a matter of fact, līve been in some
towns where they were downright ugly.
But this is the first time līve been
in a town where thereīs no girls at all.
Except little ones.
lf weīre not careful,
we can have quite a social life here!
ltīs not so bad. l fell in with a fast crowd
that hangs out near the fountain.
We got to predictinī the weather for today
and didnīt break up till twilight.
Stop the music! Bring out the other bull!
Hilario!
Britt.
The boy saw three of Calveraīs men.
The horses are in the arroyo.
Lee.
- Get one alive.
- Yes.
līll show you where.
Rico, he knows where the arroyo is.
- līm sorry, Britt. l didnīt mean to spoil it.
- Shut up!
That was the greatest shot līve ever seen.
The worst.
l was aiming at the horse.
Three men were sent by Calvera to spy.
ltīs almost certain they saw us.
Whatever they learned
will be buried with them.
!Válgame Dios! lf he comes now...
Heīd never send men ahead
if he was near enough to see for himself.
So we have time to get ready.
And we have something else - surprise.
lf he rides in with no idea of
the reception we can prepare for him,
l promise you, weīll all teach him
something about the price of corn.
Aim,
squeeze,
cock.
Aim,
squeeze,
cock.
Settle down. Now, you miss the first
chance, you may not get a second.
Get that butt tight in your shoulder.
lf you donīt, two things will happen.
One: youīll waste a bullet.
Two: youīll break your arm.
Now, close your eye.
Aim from here, to here, to the target.
Fire.
That rock?
No, that man youīre gonna kill.
Good!
lf only we had more guns,
think what we could do!
- Youīll get more guns.
- How?
The same way you got these.
Calveraīs men.
The ones who spied on us brought them.
Like three kings bearing gifts.
lf Calvera does not come now,
after all of this,
what a waste!
A pretty foxy fellow, this Calvera, eh?
Seōor, not a fox. A coyote!
How did he ever find out
about the gold mine?
Gold mine?
- What gold mine, seōor?
- You know, the one in the mountains.
- ln our mountains?
- We never had a gold mine around here.
Say, come to think of it,
it was a silver mine.
- Whatever happened to it?
- We have no silver mine either.
- l mean in the old days.
- Not at any time.
Where did you hear
of this gold and silver, hm?
All right, come on, boys.
More work, less talk, huh?
Toro.
Come on, little bull!
You do anything to me
and līll kill you while you are doing it.
- You almost took my eye out!
- Let me go. Let me go!
You bite me and līll bite you!
l got a good mind
to throw you in the water.
Smash you with a rock!
Cut your head off!
Shut up. Shut up!
- Where are the others? Huh?
- līll never tell you.
Look what l found.
- Who is she?
- From our village.
So thatīs where they were. You hid them.
Sure they hid them.
But she wonīt tell where.
Theyīre afraid.
Sheīs afraid of me, you, him - all of us.
Farmers! Their families
told them weīd rape them.
Well, we might.
ln my opinion, though, you might have
given us the benefit of the doubt.
But... just as you please.
As long as you were out there,
why didnīt you bring īem all in?
What for? Leave them out there.
Let Calvera find them.
Heīll take good care of them.
Bring them in.
Show him the way.
Maīam.
Come on, little angel!
Gently, boy.
Gently.
l canīt tell you how wonderful it was
for you seōoritas to fix dinner for us.
- Howīs the food?
- Great.
Chicken enchiladas, carne asada
and Spanish rice. Looks good.
These people really know how to cook.
Dig in, thereīs tons of it.
Do you know what the villagers
have been eating since we got here?
Tortillas and a few beans, thatīs all.
- Thank you.
- Youīre welcome.
- Thank you.
- Youīre welcome.
- Thank you.
- Youīre welcome.
Do you have an older,
grateful sister at home?
- No, sir. Many thanks.
- Youīre welcome.
Many thanks.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
One, two,
three, four.
One, two, three, four.
Squeeze.
Miguel, didnīt l tell you to squeeze? Hm?
Just like when
youīre milking a goat, Miguel.
- ltīs that l get excited.
- Well, donīt get excited!
Now, this time, squeeze.
Slowly, but squeeze.
All right, squeeze.
Squeeze!
līll tell you what. Donīt shoot the gun.
You take the gun like this
and you use it like a club. All right?
Right.
Flaco!
Muchas gracias.
Good afternoon.
Howdy.
Weīve come to move you into the village.
- Move into the village?! Me?!
- Everybody who lives outside.
Oh, no.
We canīt protect you out here.
Rojas is makinī room for you in his home.
Rojas?! His conversation
would bore me to death!
Yeah, well,
- maybe somebody else, huh?
- They are all farmers.
Farmers talk of nothing
but fertiliser and women.
līve never shared
their enthusiasm for fertiliser.
As for women,
l became indifferent when l was .
l am staying here.
Yeah, well, what are you gonna do
when Calvera comes?
At my age, a little excitement is welcome.
Donīt worry. Why would he kill me?
Bullets cost money.
All right. Have it your way.
You worry about yourself.
Are you ready for him?
What if he comes now, eh?
ltīs like that fella
who fell off a ten-storey building.
What about him?
As he was falling, people on each floor
heard him say īīSo far, so good.īī
So far, so good!
First of all, theyīll see that ditch.
More water for the corn.
- Awful lot of new walls.
- Civic improvements.
Hey, Chris,
what about that net, eh?
Well, if heīs not looking for it...
lf he rides in unsuspecting.
lf, brother!
lf!
Yeah.
Yeah!
l should have guessed. When my men
didnīt come back, l should have guessed.
- How many of you did they hire?
- Enough.
New wall!
There are lots of new walls. All around.
They wonīt keep me out.
They were built to keep you in.
Did you hear that? Weīre trapped!
All forty of us! By these three.
Or is it four? They couldnīt afford
to hire more than that.
We come cheaper by the bunch.
Five!
Even five wonīt give us too much trouble.
There wonīt be any trouble -
if you ride on.
Ride on?
līm going into the hills for the winter.
Where am l going to get food for my men?
Buy it or grow it.
Or maybe even work for it!
Seven!
Somehow,
l donīt think youīve solved my problem.
Solving your problems isnīt our line.
We deal in lead, friend.
So do l. Weīre in the same business, huh?
- Only as competitors.
- Why not as partners?
Suppose l offer you equal shares?
- ln what?
- Everything. To the last grain.
And the people in the village?
What about them?
l leave it to you.
Can men of our profession
worry about things like that?
May even be sacrilegious.
lf God didnīt want them sheared,
he would not have made them sheep.
- What do you say?
- Ride on.
You hear that, Sotero?
You hear what he said?
Ride on.
To me!
You tell him to ride on
before l become angry.
Him, and the others!
Because, if l leave with empty hands,
everybody in this village
will answer to me - when l come back!
- You wonīt come back.
- Why not?
You wonīt have any guns.
Take them off right now and drop them.
Generosity. That was my first mistake!
l leave these people a little bit extra
and they hire these men to make trouble.
lt shows you: sooner or later,
you must answer for every good deed.
You were safe.
l was face to face with them as they
rode toward me. Ten of them, screaming.
- The last time you told it, it was five!
- They multiply like rabbits!
Ten. Ten!
- They got a good kick in the behind.
- lf they try it again, theyīll get another!
- Weīll tear them to pieces.
- Weīll bury them all. Calvera too, huh?!
Any sign of īem?
- No.
- That is bad luck.
Can you imagine? l knew him
when he was a mouse!
l was never so frightened in my life.
My knees were like jelly.
- l would never have guessed it.
- Well, heīll leave us alone from now on.
- You think so?
- Of course.
Heīll go away. There are other villages -
other villages that donīt sting
the way we do.
Seōor!
Neighbours, l drink to our friends.
They armed us, fought at our sides,
and will forever live in our hearts.
They havenīt gone, then.
- See the gun flashinī?
- No.
- l make it two of them.
- Three.
Fool kidīs gonna get his head blown off.
Chico! Stay put.
- Three?
- Three.
OīReilly? Do you see them?
No. Theyīre too far back in the trees.
- Chris.
- Yeah?
Try and make it up to those rocks.
līll cover you.
Chico, cover the back door.
Get back!
Get back! Go on!
Whatīs the matter?
Donīt you hear so good?
Get down. Now stay down!
Crazy kids! You might have been hurt.
- So might you.
- ltīs not the same thing.
- This is my work.
- ltīs our work, too.
Everyone tells us
īīHide! Get back! Stay out of sight!īī
- But weīre not afraid.
- Heīs very brave. ltīs the truth.
So is he.
We all are - every boy in the village.
We had a meeting
and we drew straws and we got you.
You got me?
What dīyou mean, you got me?
lf you get killed, we avenge you.
And we see to it that thereīs always
fresh flowers on your grave.
Thatīs a mighty big comfort!
l told you he would appreciate that.
Donīt you kids be too disappointed
if your plans donīt work out.
We wonīt. lf you stay alive,
weīll be just as happy.
Maybe even happier.
Maybe.
Can you see them?
No.
Do your hands sweat before a fight?
- Every time.
- Mine are sweatinī now.
Funny...
Hands sweat,
mouth is dry.
Youīd think it would be
the other way around.
Does my talking annoy you?
ltīs because līm...
līm frightened, you know?
Yeah. l guess you kinda wish
youīd given your crops to Calvera, huh?
Yes
and no.
Both at the same time.
Yes, when l think of,
of what he might do.
No, when l remember the feeling
in my chest this morning
as l saw him run away.
From us.
Man,
thatīs a feeling worth dying for!
Have you ever felt something like that?
Not for a long, long time.
l envy you.
- What are you doing here?
- You shouldnīt do things like you did.
- Go back.
- You mustnīt take foolish chances.
All right, l wonīt. But go back.
- Does it hurt?
- What?
No.
līm sorry l did it, but l thought...
- You know what l thought.
- Yes, yes. l know.
l wasnīt afraid of you. ltīs my father.
He says īīStay away from those men.īī
īīThey are brutes. They are cruel.īī
Heīs right. Do you know that? Heīs right.
Well, go back home now.
He is wrong.
Well, go home anyway,
before he finds out youīre here.
He already knows.
He said heīd punish me
for being so shameless.
But l donīt care.
They got them. They got them all!
- Result.
- Do you think theyīll try that again?
l doubt it. For all they know,
weīre still out there ready to jump them.
He didnīt go. Calvera didnīt go?
Did you think it would be that easy?
- What do we do now?
- Well, what do you say?
- Me?
- We work for you, you know.
What else is there to do but wait?
- ltīs Calveraīs move.
- Right.
Now youīd better replace the guards.
They must be tired.
- lf you were Calvera,
- Yes?
youīd go away, wouldnīt you?
lf youīd paid the price we make him pay.
- Yes, l would, only...
- Only what?
Only līm not Calvera.
Take the rifles and the bandoleras
and pass īem out.
Now, letīs get out there on duty.
Food, woman.
Theyīll be hungry.
That was... that was the greatest...
New hat for you, sonny.
- How do l look? Huh?
- Big improvement.
You know what? Theyīll make up a song
about you and this hat.
Villages like this make up a song about
every big thing. They sing them for years.
- Do you think itīs worth it?
- Donīt you?
ltīs only a matter of knowing how
to shoot a gun. Nothing big about that.
Hey, how can you talk like this?
Your gun has got you
everything you have. lsnīt that true?
- Well, isnīt that true?
- Yeah, sure. Everything.
After a while you can call bartenders
by their first name. Maybe of īem.
Rented rooms you live in: .
Meals you eat in hash houses: , .
Home: none. Wife: none. Kids:
none.
Prospects: zero.
- Suppose l left anything out?
- Yeah.
Places you are tied down to: none.
People with a hold on you: none.
Men you step aside for: none.
lnsults swallowed:
none.
Enemies: none.
No enemies?
Alive.
Well! This is the kind of arithmetic l like!
Yeah, so did l at your age.
Give these to someone
who knows how to use them.
Yeah.
Why donīt you ask Calvera
what he has in mind for tonight?
Yes, do that.
And līll write a song for you myself.
Andrés,
Lorenzo and Felipe never came back.
Thatīs three.
- Armando in the plaza.
- Thatīs four.
And Jorge and Memo in the pass, where
they were caught by that cursed net.
Damn them!
Five and six.
Emilio going over the wall.
Seven.
José near the fountain.
Eight.
Gregorio near the fountain.
Thatīs nine.
Nine.
Fortuno by the water ditch.
Rico in the fields,
where they slashed him to pieces!
Thatīs and .
Go on.
Talk.
Talk! Talk!
Theyīre all dead anyway.
Forget about them.
Thereīs still plenty of us here
to make them pay.
Our friends down below.
Please, no!
ltīs all right. Youīre all right.
You had a dream. Just a bad dream.
Have no fear.
īīHave no fearīī?
My very words.
times a day.
Seōor, donīt punish yourself.
A man who has fought so many times...
You must have great courage.
Until the day you lose your nerve.
You feel it.
And then you wait,
for the bullet in the gun
that is faster than yours.
- Seōor, donīt.
- And the lies you tell, to fool yourself.
No enemies:
alive.
l have lost count of my enemies.
- But youīre with friends now.
- Yes.
The final, supreme idiocy:
cominī here to hide.
The deserter, hidinī out
in the middle of a battlefield.
One.
There was a time
when l woulda caught all three.
We know what fear is.
We live with it all our lives.
Only the dead are without fear.
Rico!
Rico!
One minute, Mother!
Ten minutes to pretend weīre asleep,
and then weīll be back on duty.
- All right, Bernardo?
- Yes, but not you, Juan.
Youīre too young. Come on.
Bernardo OīReilly!
Youīve been adopted.
Yeah, itīs my real name.
Mexican on one side, lrish on the other,
and me in the middle.
Now, watch carefully. Here we go.
See? All three, right side up.
- Think you can do it?
- Of course. Thatīs very easy.
Would you care to make
a friendly wager? A little bet?
- You know we have no money.
- lt doesnīt have to be money.
Whatever you have hidden away,
buried out where Calvera canīt find it.
- Like jewels.
- Jewels?!
Yeah. They tell me a lotta precious stones
have been dug out of the mountains.
Opals, emeralds, sapphires.
- Oh, yes. Yes, thatīs very true.
- Thereīs no denyinī it.
Well, then!
No! When youīre finished,
they should all be right side up.
Let me try it again, eh?
About those precious stones...
Where are they found?
As you say, seōor, in the mountains.
- Where in the mountains?
- That l couldnīt tell you.
There! l got it!
Never mind that. Why canīt you tell me?
Because l never have found
any precious stones.
Wait. You mean Aztec treasure buried in
the hills, from when the Spaniards came?
Thatīs exactly what l mean.
Aztec treasure. Have you found some?
Would to God we had!
l would not be sitting here.
līd be living in a big city, in a palace.
Then tell me this - how come Calvera
keeps hanginī around here?
Calvera... Weīve seen the end of him.
Heīll be gone in the morning.
No, he will not.
- He wonīt go anywhere.
- Why do you say that?
Calvera isnīt worried
about food for winter.
Heīs worried about the food his men
havenīt eaten for the last three days.
The price of corn is going up.
- Theyīre starving.
- How do you know?
- Starving and broke.
- How do you know?!
līve been up there.
Well, weīd better be ready for them.
- Because they gotta die or win.
- Válgame Dios if they do win.
- They wonīt win.
- Are you God, that you can say for sure?
Weīre surrounded.
Outnumbered. What are we to do?
Keep on fighting.
Do you want to see us
killed off one by one?
That is not what you were hired for.
- Once you start, thereīs no stopping.
- You understood that, and l told him!
l donīt care.
Go away. All of you.
Get on your horses and go.
- Let Calvera have the food.
- Give him what he wants.
- At least weīll be alive.
- Quiet! And listen to me!
No! lt is easy for them to say fight.
They have no sons,
no daughters, no wives.
Go. Now, before itīs too late.
ls that what you want?
Answer me!
Whoīs for going on and whoīs for
giving up? l want to know now.
Donīt be fools! Youīll turn our village
into a graveyard.
Tell them to go.
ltīs the only thing for them to do.
līll tell you what l can do.
l can kill the first man who so much
as whispers a word about giving up.
The very first man,
so help me, līll blow his head off!
We started this fight,
and weīre gonna finish it!
With or without you.
līm not sayinī we bit off
more than we can chew,
but we oughta talk about
what weīre gonna do.
We start acting like
we had some good sense.
We figured to raise the ante just enough
to make Calvera play someplace else.
- We figured wrong.
- Weīre the only game in town.
- A man canīt call īem all.
- l didnīt say he could.
All līm saying is that sometimes
you bend with the breeze, or you break.
Dīyou wanna go?
There comes a time to get out. The village
will be no worse off than before we came.
You forget one thing. We took a contract.
- ltīs not the kind courts enforce.
- Thatīs just the kind youīve gotta keep.
A noble thought,
but the way things are right now,
- l donīt know.
- The odds are too high.
- Much too high.
- Then we go?
No.
We lower the odds.
Right up into the hills,
past the men on guard,
right into their camp.
l sat there, l smoked a cigarette
with them, we discussed a few things.
We, you know...
All of a sudden,
there was Calvera himself.
Right beside me.
When l brought back the news,
you should have seen the look l got
from Britt - and from Chris.
They have seen a thing or two
in their time, and done them too.
Theyīre not men
you can impress easily. Oh, no.
But when they looked at me,
l knew l was one of them at last.
Well,
youīd better take a look at me, too.
Am l the kind of man
whoīd live in a place like this? Hm?
Digging my life away out in the fields?
Me, a farmer - a peasant?
You know what līm saying, huh?
Wherever they go -
Chris, Vin, Britt, the others -
l go with them.
And if you think you, or anything you do,
could make me change my mind, forget it.
l want you to understand that.
l want you to understand that
this
will get you nothing but this.
Weīre going to hit Calvera,
maybe drive off some of his horses.
Then if he attacks, heīll be on foot.
līll go with you. l know every rock.
No, you stay. Youīre in charge here.
You can count on me.
l know l can.
- Theyīve left to hit the village.
- No.
Weīd have heard shots.
Theyīve gone.
Good evening.
Youīll be dead. All of you!
Like that!
lf thatīs what you want.
Do we have a choice?
Of course.
Sit down.
Letīs talk.
Things are turned around now, uh?
Youīre wondering how.
Your friends, they donīt like you
very much any more.
You force them
to make too many decisions.
With me, only one decision.
Do what l say.
You should not be surprised.
My good friend Sotero,
he arranged to let me come in.
Understand?
Well, anyway,
to business!
l could kill you all. You agree?
Well, you donīt disagree.
- Anyway, l donīt want to kill you.
- Why so generous?
Practical. They hear about it up north.
Maybe some friends of yours
make more trouble for me.
A man who never wants no trouble.
We have a saying here.
A thief who steals from a thief
is pardoned for years.
All right, what does that leave?
Only one thing. l pardon you.
- Ride on.
- Just like that?
Just like...
līll make it easy for you. You want food?
Give them food.
Water? All right. Water.
Horses? Saddled and waiting.
Guns?
The guns... the gun belts,
you take off and put here now.
What about these people?
What happens to these people will
happen whether l kill you first or not.
Just a little gesture, huh?
To show these people
who the real boss is.
You go, then l give you the guns back.
l know you wonīt
use those guns against me.
Only a crazy man
makes the same mistake twice.
l donīt understand why a man like you
took the job in the first place. Hm? Why?
- l wonder myself.
- No, come on. Come on, tell me why.
A fella l knew in El Paso took all
his clothes off and jumped on a cactus.
l asked him the same question: why?
And?
He said īīlt seemed to be
a good idea at the time.īī
Good!
Right.
Go get your clothes, your saddlebags.
Anything you want, take it.
Your friends in there
owe you at least that much.
Santos, pick up the carbines.
Cirillo, the guns.
You know, the first time
l took a job as a hired gun,
a fella told me
īīVin, you canīt afford to care.īī
Thereīs your problem.
One thing l donīt need
is somebody telling me my problem.
Like l said before, thatīs your problem.
You got involved in this village
and the people in it.
Do you ever get tired
of hearing yourself talk?
The reason l understand
your problem so well
is that l walked into the same trap myself.
Yeah.
The first day we got here,
l started thinking
maybe l could put my gun away
and settle down and get a little land,
raise some cattle.
The things that these people know
about me wouldnīt work against me.
l just didnīt want you to think
you were the only sucker in town.
- Can we go with you, Bernardo?
- No.
- You like us, donīt you?
- l guess so.
- Youīre one of us, arenīt you?
- Yeah, līm one of us all right.
- Take us with you! Please?!
- No!
Weīre ashamed to live here.
Our fathers are cowards.
Donīt ever say that again
about your fathers.
They are not cowards!
You think l am brave
because l carry a gun.
Your fathers are much braver
because they carry responsibility.
For you, your brothers,
your sisters and your mothers.
This responsibility
is like a big rock that weighs a ton.
lt bends and it twists them until finally
it buries them under the ground.
Nobody says they have to do it. They do it
because they love you and they want to.
l have never had this kind of courage.
Running a farm,
working like a mule, with no guarantee
what will become of it - this is bravery.
Thatīs why l never
even started anything like that.
Thatīs why l never will.
Youīll do much better
on the other side of the border.
There you can steal cattle, hold up trains.
All you have to face is a sheriff,
a marshal.
Once l rob a bank in Texas.
Your government got after me
with a whole army. A whole army!
One little bank. ltīs clear, the meaning?
ln Texas, only Texans can rob banks!
!Adiós!
!Adiós!
l could have told you theyīd sell us out.
Farmers...
Farmers!
No honour, no loyalty - nothinī.
All they care about is their precious crops
and the miserable dirt they dig in.
l hate īem.
- l hate īem all.
- Sure you hate them.
Because you come
from a village just like that one.
You yourself are a farmer.
Yes.
Yes, līm one of them.
But who made us the way we are? Hm?
Men with guns.
Men like Calvera and
men like you.
And now me.
So what dīyou expect us to be?
Nobody throws me my own guns
and says run. Nobody.
lt took me a long, long time
to learn my elbow from a hot rock.
Right now, l belong back in that
border town, sleepinī on white sheets.
l think līll ride back to that village.
Youīre crazy, all of ya! They wonīt lift
a finger to help. Think of the odds.
Harry, nobodyīs asking you to go back.
Ride on, Harry. ltīs all right.
Bet your sweet life, l will!
Come on, Lee.
They wanna get killed? Let īem.
Go ahead, Lee.
You donīt owe anything to anybody.
Except to myself.
Youīre crazy! All of ya!
Come on.
Hold on, Chris, līll get ya outta there!
- Chris...
- Yes, Harry?
līd hate to die a sucker.
We didnīt come here just to keep an eye
on a lotta corn and chilli peppers.
There was something else
all the time, wasnīt there?
Yes, Harry.
You had it pegged right all along.
l knew it.
What was it?
Gold.
- Sacks of it.
- Sounds beautiful!
- How much?
- At least a half a million.
- My cut woulda been what?
- About .
līll be damned!
Maybe you wonīt be.
You came back.
For a place like this.
Why?
A man like you?!
Why?
- Bernardo! Bernardo!
- No. No, get back. Go on! Get back.
We didnīt... We didnīt mean to do it.
We didnīt mean to do it.
You see?
l told you. You see your fathers?
Whatīs my name?
- Bernardo.
- Bernardo!
Youīre damn right.
You could stay, you know.
They wouldnīt be sorry to have you stay.
- They wonīt be sorry to see us go, either.
- Yes. The fighting is over.
Your work is done.
For them, each season has its tasks.
lf there were a season for gratitude,
theyīd show it more.
We didnīt get any more
than we expected, old man.
Only the farmers have won.
They remain for ever.
They are like the land itself.
You helped to rid them of Calvera,
the way a strong wind
helps rid them of locusts.
You are like the wind,
blowing over the land and passing on.
God be with you.
Adiós.
Adiós.
Adiós.
The old man was right.
Only the farmers won.
We lost.
We always lose.