Red Sun (1972)

Nice effects though.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

If nothing else, RED SUN is a very entertaining western. Sometime in the late 1800s, Charles Bronson tracks down turncoat ex-partner-in-crime Alain Delon while Toshiro Mifune tracks down the Japanese Ambassador's sword (stolen by Delon). That's the plot. Along the way, Bronson, Mifune and Ursula Andress (as Delon's girlfriend) run into Indians and battle each other (Andress call Bronson a bastard or son-of-a-bitch a lot). Mifune is so stolid he makes the usually stolid Bronson look relaxed and it's not easy to see Andress made-up like a fashion model trekking through the Rockies (actually the Spanish country-side) and still take any of this seriously. Delon, in a relatively small role, is terrific as the oily villain and the stunning Capucine appears as a madam. Directed, with very surprising finesse, by Terence Young and featuring some beautiful photography by Henri Alekan.

The things that had me on the edge of my seat during Brokeback Mountain was the amazing cinematography and the thrilling music. I just wanted to get as close as possible to the screen.Those two things were not as impressive in Soleil Rouge, but they were good enough that Oscar nominee Henri Alekan's (Roman Holiday, Wings of Desire) cinematography and three-time Oscar winner Maurice Jarre's (A Passage to India, Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia) music make this film worth watching all by itself.Directed by Terence Young (Dr. No, From Russia With Love), the film stars one of my favorites, Charles Bronson (Mr. Majestyk , Once Upon a Time in the West, Death Wish 1-5) and Japan's greatest actor, Toshirô Mifune. If that is not enough, it also starred Golden Globe winner Ursula Andress (Dr. No) and Alain Delon (Le Samouraï, The Leopard).Now, how in the world do you get Mifune in the old west, dressed as a Samurai, no less. He is accompanying the Japanese Ambassador on a train that is robbed by Bronson and Delon. A sword destined to be given to the President is stolen and he must serve his mater and retrieve it. Bronson is double-crossed by Delon and left for dead. Mifune and Bronson join together in a strange journey to retrieve the sword and Bronson's loot.Mifune is classic Samurai, and Bronson is the funniest I have seen him in the many films I have watched. he has that magic that made Mr. Majestic so fun to watch.Along the way, they stop in a whorehouse and pick up Andress as a hostage. She is Delon's girlfriend. She gives us a good view of her hootage as she changes a shirt while waiting with Bronson. Spanish actress Mónica Randall also gave us a skintastic display when in bed with Mifune.Lots of western action with shootouts between Bronson and the bay guys, and the whole gang against the Comanches. Mifune uses his sword to good effect as he adds the expected bright red to the screen.Eastern philosophy meets Western crudity in a classic.

This Franco-Italian "Eastern Western" has intrigued me since I read about it on a magazine, in view of its then-upcoming showing on Italian TV, when I was about 7 years old – but it literally seemed to vanish from the face of the earth in the interim! Given that fact and Leonard Maltin's unpromising ** rating, I had suspected that it was going to be a big disappointment when I eventually catch up with it – but, happily, it turned out not to be the case. It is actually a very enjoyable large-scale action film which, while perhaps lacking the touch of greatness, deserves to be re-evaluated more positively.The four international leads – Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress – are top-notch and the supporting cast also includes Capucine, Anthony Dawson and Luc (here billed as Luke) Merenda. The chemistry between betrayed outlaw Bronson and samurai warrior Mifune is especially successful and provides the film with some nice humorous touches (as well as a couple of good lines); their casting is all the more interesting for its pairing one of THE SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) with a member of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), that film's equally popular Americanization! Delon has a smaller part than I was expecting but he does well as Bronson's double-crossing partner-in-crime who, apart from the pre-requisite European sophistication, has a vicious streak about him. Andress adds the required eye-candy as his sluttish girlfriend and, along with Monica Randall (playing Mifune's inexperienced one night stand at Capucine's rundown brothel), provides the film with some unexpected – if very welcome – dashes of nudity.Besides, there's a fine if subdued score from Maurice Jarre; as befits the film's title, too, renowned cinematographer Henri Alekan often bathes the scenery in a warm golden hue and the use of remote locations throughout is inspired. Still, the film could probably do with a few trims here and there, as some scenes tend to go on too long – such as the afore-mentioned mid-section revolving around Bronson and Mifune, and the climactic Indian attack. The full-frame presentation is not too bad considering: I can only complain of excessive headroom on occasion and a general washed-out look to the print on the U.K. disc I watched.

In the late 1800's, Arizona. Two desperadoes Link and Gauche with the help of some professional bandits and Mexican outlaws, rob a train which was carrying gold guarded by union soldiers, but also on board is the Japanese ambassador who is heading to Washington D.C. In the process Gauche takes their sacred gold sword, which is a gift from their Emperor to the U.S. president. Also Gauche back-stabs Link by attempting to kill him, so he keeps the cash for himself. Unknowingly to Gauche, Link survives. The ambassador's bodyguard Kuroda, plans to get that sword back and kill him straight away for honour, but Link needs him alive, so he can find out where he hid the stolen loot. The two unwillingly pair up with the same goal, but Kuroda has only got seven days to do so, or he and Link will die by his sword.Terrance Young's multinational (Spain, Italy and France) production of "Red Sun" is a boldly unusual western in the shape of the odd couple (west meets east) set on the old-western frontier, which has a nicely balanced out comic vein and stupendous lead performances. You could call it an experiment and it's an interesting blend, even though the story seems familiar, it does keep to its strengths and never wanders off onto pointless sub-plots. What goes on is elaborately important to the story. A snappily eventful script comes through with the witty humour being drawn upon the pair's bumpy relationship, involving their differences and actions. Charles Bronson is at his charismatic best with a lively turn as the rascally equipped gunfighter Link and the legendary Toshiro Mifune authentically emits classy grace with ace determination and stubbornness as samurai bodyguard Kuroda. They excel together and make a real good pairing. This is what sells the film from the get-go. Alain Delon makes for an formidable villain figure, as the deviously suave Gauche and beautiful bombshell Ursula Andress (who offers a brief topless scene) is terrifically dynamic as Gauche's robust firebrand girlfriend Cristina. Anthnoy Dawson and the wonderful Capucine also show up in minor parts. Young's direction can stumble in some shapeless touches, but mainly he keeps a busy pace and engineers some excitingly biting passages of raw action; like the suspenseful dying half with a bit of splatter on show. Editing is smoothly tailored. Maurice Jarre's uncannily saucy music score is less than grand, but atmospheric enough to the period. Henri Alekan's spaciously scenic cinematography, is kind of lost on the small screen and in full frame. This is sad as the picturesque locations are important to the feel of certain scenes. An assiduously engrossing display of swords and guns, which is far from a masterpiece, but chiefly entertains and makes suitable use of a flavoured international cast.