Chris Adams is a fictional character in the 1960

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

film ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay by William Roberts is a remake – in an Old West–style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself initially ...

'' and its sequels. Originally played by

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the ...

, he is the functional equivalent of Kambei Shimada, the character portrayed by

Takashi Shimura was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 200 films between 1934 and 1981. He appeared in 21 of Akira Kurosawa's 30 films (more than any other actor), including as a lead actor in '' Drunken Angel'' (1948), ''Rashomon'' (1950), '' Ikiru'' (1952) ...

in the 1954 film ''

Seven Samurai is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...

''.

Description

Chris Adams, a

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

, is the laconic leader of a band of seven

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the te ...

s. He always wears black, smokes cigars, and shoots sharp. He is a man of principle, incorruptible and sturdy.

Character analysis

Chris, and to a lesser extent the others of the Seven, are examples of the "western hero"-archetype who is resolute, "single minded", "independent", "strong", "loyal", and "honorable" as well as having various other positive characteristics. "The key lesson that Chris teaches is the distinction between

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...

and

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ...

, laid out in 1924 by the British jurist

Lord Moulton John Fletcher Moulton, Baron Moulton, (18 November 1844 – 9 March 1921) was an English mathematician, barrister, judge and Liberal politician. He was a Cambridge Apostle. Early life Moulton was born in Madeley, Shropshire, England, ...

, who distinguished between the realms of law and of ethics. Law requires obedience to the enforceable, while ethics requires 'obedience to the unenforceable'". Hence, Chris and the other members of the Seven "help the locals focus on the survival skills they will need" and their "leadership is necessary", even though it is essentially transient. They are "desperate for money, but equally in need of self-esteem, of belonging and a sense of worth." Chris is not as cruel as Calvera, but like Calvera represents a way of life that is antithetical to humane civilization. Nevertheless, Chris and Calvera are morally equivalent and Calvera is in some ways preferable or at least, seems to be the more powerful and inescapable of the two. As a result, Chris has been called "a black-clad Shane".

Portrayal

Yul Brynner originally played Adams in ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960) and reprised the role in the ''

Return of the Seven ''Return of the Seven'', later marketed as ''Return of the Magnificent Seven'', is a 1966 American-Spanish Western film, and the first sequel to ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960). Yul Brynner, who reprises his role as Chris Adams, is the sole ...

'' (1966). Brynner's character in the 1973

science fiction Western The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly refe ...

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' Westworld'' is visually based on Adams.

George Kennedy George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...

played Adams in the '' Guns of the Magnificent Seven'' (1969), while

Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, parti ...

portrayed the character in the fourth film, '' The Magnificent Seven Ride!'' (1972).

Chris Larabee

Portrayed by

Michael Biehn Michael Connell Biehn ( ; born July 31, 1956) is an American actor, primarily known for his roles in science fiction films directed by James Cameron; as Sgt. Kyle Reese in '' The Terminator'' (1984), Cpl. Dwayne Hicks in ''Aliens'' (1986), and ...

, Larabee is loosely based on the "Chris Adams" character from the original films. His wife and son were murdered before the start of the series, turning him into a reserved but deadly individual. His quest for vengeance is a recurring theme through several episodes of the series.

Sam Chisolm

Sam Chisolm, a warrant officer from

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

, and leader of the Seven, is Adams' counterpart in the 2016 remake. He is played by

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

Appearances

* ''

'' (1960) * ''

'' (1966) * '' Guns of the Magnificent Seven'' (1969) * '' The Magnificent Seven Ride!'' (1972)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Chris (Character) Fictional Cajuns Western (genre) peace officers Fictional characters from Kansas Fictional gunfighters Fictional mercenaries Fictional warrant officers Film characters introduced in 1960