Ballad of a Middle-Aged Gun

I’ve been watching a favorite movie, The Magnificent Seven, from 1960. The film is slowly paced by modern standards, but still well worth a periodic visit to the ol' DVD player. The other day, I noticed some things.

In one scene, Yul Brynner (Chris) places his gun carefully at hand when the Mexican farmers first come to talk to him. A little later, Brynner and Steve McQueen (Vin) approaches Charles Bronson (O‘Reilley) about a gunfighting job. O'Reilley is chopping wood to pay for his meal and, when the men arrive, he reaches to his holstered gun on a post and shifts it, presumably so he can reach it or draw attention to it. Much later, after he shot Calvera, Chris smartly slides his gun into his holster.

I realized the other day: I make similar kinds of movements with my Blackberry when I place it on a table or slip it into a pocket or case. Have I been channeling old Westerns without realizing? Do I have some unconscious desire to be a Western hero but, since I hate guns, I'm quick with a telephone?

(Then I wondered: what would a Western be like if you introduced modern networking?

Mexican farmers: “Could you help us find gunmen to drive Calvera from our village?”
Chris: “Sure, let me tweet my tweeps….”

But that definitely loses something… )