Red Sun

Red Sun
Directed by Terence Young
Produced by Robert Dorfmann
Ted Richmond
Screenplay by Denne Bart Petitclerc
William Roberts
Lawrence Roman
Story by Laird Koenig
Starring Charles Bronson
Ursula Andress
Toshirō Mifune
Alain Delon
Capucine
Music by Maurice Jarre
Cinematography Henri Alekan
Edited by Johnny Dwyre
Production
company
Les Films Corona
Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche
Producciones Balcázar S.A.
Distributed by Les Films Corona (France)
National General Pictures (US)
Release date
 15 September 1971 (France)
9 June 1972 (United States)
Running time
 112 minutes
Country France
Italy
Spain[1]
Language English[1]
Box office $3,300,488 admissions (France)[2]

Red Sun (French: Soleil rouge) is a 1971 French-Italian-Spanish Western film directed by Terence Young. The international cast stars American-born actor Charles Bronson, Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune, French actor Alain Delon and Swiss actress Ursula Andress.[3] It was filmed in Spain by the British director Young and released in the United States in 1972.

Plot

Link Stuart (Bronson) is a ruthless outlaw, and co-leader along with Gauche (Delon) of a gang of bandits. Link and Gauche lead their gang on a successful train robbery, and discover that one of its cars carries a Japanese ambassador, who is bringing a ceremonial katana (sword) as a gift for President Ulysses S. Grant. Gauche takes the sword, and kills one of the two samurai guards, while members of his gang betray and attempt to murder Link by throwing dynamite into the train car he occupies, then leaving him for dead.

The surviving Japanese delegation rescues Link, and the ambassador instructs him to assist the surviving samurai guard, Kuroda (Mifune), in tracking down Gauche so that he may kill him and recover the sword and his honor. Kuroda is given one week to fulfill this task, or commit seppuku at the same time as the ambassador, if he fails. Link reluctantly agrees, but he realizes that Kuroda will kill Gauche immediately, preventing him to extract the location of the stolen loot from his former partner in crime. Knowing this, Link repeatedly attempts to elude Kuroda, only to be thwarted by the irrepressible samurai.

While tracking Gauche's gang, Kuroda eventually reveals that his samurai values are disappearing as his countrymen no longer value the customs of old. Being sure that the country is changing forever and that the samurais will soon be gone, Kuroda explains that the only way to honor his ancestors and his own way of life is to bring back the ceremonial sword. Link gains a measure of respect for the strict bushido code Kuroda follows, and eventually comes to an agreement with Kuroda when the samurai gives Link his word that Gauche will not be killed before he reveals the location of the stolen money first. The duo arrive to a brothel in the town of San Lucas and abduct Gauche's woman, Cristina (Andress), who leads the men to Gauche and his gang.

On the way to Gauche, however, the three run afoul of a group of Comanches, and Cristina is forced to kill one of them in self-defense, compelling the band's enraged chief into chasing after them. When Link and Kuroda finally find Gauche, the Indians attack, forcing the two unlikely friends to join forces with the bandits against their common enemy. In the ensuing fight, the Comanches are repelled. Kuroda appears behind Gauche's back and is about to kill him when he sees Link and remembers his promise, stopping himself. Gauche turns and shoots Kuroda, mortally wounding him before he can fulfill his revenge. Wounded and disarmed by Link, Gauche tries to appeal to Link's greed, but Link decides that the dying samurai's honor is more important to him than learning the location of the stolen money, so he kills Gauche. Just before Kuroda expires, Link promises him that he will return the katana to the Japanese ambassador. Link rejects Cristina's offer to become lovers and look for the gold in the place she believes it might be hidden, and takes her back to San Lucas. Soon after, Link hangs the sword in front of the train station where the Japanese ambassador is arriving, thus eluding capture and preserving Kuroda's honor at the same time.

Cast

Cast notes

Bronson starred in The Magnificent Seven, an American remake of Seven Samurai which featured Mifune.

Production

The project was announced in 1968 with Toshiro Mifune attached early on. Ted Richmond Productions were going to make it for Warner Bros-Seven Arts.[4] Clint Eastwood was mentioned as a possible early co-star.[5] The film was eventually made by France's Corona Films, headed by Robert Dorfman and Ted Richmond.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Soleil Rouge". British Film Institute. London. Retrieved November 11, 2012.
  2. ↑ Box office information for film at Box Office Story
  3. ↑ "Movie Reviews". 26 April 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ↑ Mike Witney Changes Wars Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif] 09 Oct 1968: c20.
  5. ↑ Tate Case Chatter Goes On--and On Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 22 Sep 1969: e19.
  6. ↑ MOVIE CALL SHEET: Wendell Burton to Star Martin, Betty. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 23 Oct 1970: d17.
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