Released
in 1971, ‘Red Sun’ is an enthralling Western starring Charles Bronson, Toshiro
Mifune, Alain Delon and Ursula Andress. Bronson and Delon lead a group of
bandits to rob a train, but get more than they bargained for as they discover
the train is transporting a Japanese delegation featuring Mifune, who is
guarding a priceless ceremonial sword, a gift from the Emperor of Japan meant
for the President of the United States. Delon steals the sword and leaves
co-conspirator Bronson for dead. Mifune and Bronson team up to make an unlikely
alliance in search of Delon and the stolen sword.
“For
the disgrace of failure, he will rip his abdomen and kill himself†roars the
Japanese ambassador as he tries to solder Link (Bronson) and Kuroda Jubei
(Mifune) into the unlikeliest good cop/bad cop routine you’re ever likely to
witness. “Well, that’s something I’d like to see!†retorts the eagled eyed,
moustached loner Link, who moments earlier had been left for dead after the
left-handed gun Gauche (Delon) fancied a bigger share of the riches from the
robbery.‘Red Sun’ may display many of
the conventional Western characteristics – robbery goes wrong and a manhunt
ensues – but its international flavour is unlike any other film of this genre
that’s been put on screen to date.
It’s
very rare that the co-lead of an American Western is a stoic Japanese sword and
sandal figure, but the very fact that Bronson and Mifune should appear on
screen together at all has more meaning than the average cinephile might think.
Mifune appeared in the 1954 classic ‘Seven Samurai’, directed by Akira Kurosawa
– and Bronson appeared in the Western remake ‘The Magnificent Seven’ directed
by John Sturges, who had recently enjoyed success with genre hits ‘Gunfight at
the O.K. Corral’, ‘The Law and Jake Wade’ and ‘Last Train from Gun Hill’. Both
Bronson and Mifune played their parts in two of the most influential films of
the era, so the fact that they appeared on screen together is significant. ‘Red
Sun’ is a totally original story that might have seemed too bizarre to succeed,
but given the two leads’ history, it’s a perfect film to showcase their
combined talents.
Director
Terence Young captures with ease the hostile and unforgiving landscape of the
tactile terrain (filmed in AndalucÃa, Spain), as Maurice Jarre’s musical score
transports you into the picture. Throughout Young’s filmography, ranging from
the early Bond films to his transition to Hollywood working with commanding
lead actors like Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn and Lee Marvin, he gives
lower-budget B movies gravitas. (He had collaborated with Charles Bronson a few
years earlier on ‘The Valachi Papers’.) The plot of ‘Red Sun’ feels
deliberately engineered for Bronson and Mifune and has something of a fantasy
cast list. However, it never feels detached from reality and the resulting
consequences of the characters’ actions feel meaningful, even though on the
printed page, the scenarios might have appeared to be ludicrous.
Link
and Jubei are chalk and cheese; Bronson is witty and Mifune is much more
strait- laced, amusingly so when trying to comprehend the comedic dialogue just
served to him on a plate by Bronson. The most memorable scenes of film occur
when Link and Jubei are reluctantly travelling together in search of the
Japanese ambassador’s ceremonial sword as they squabble like children and
engage in some comedic faux fighting. Bronson’s character Link accompanies Jubei
to retrieve the ceremonial sword with his own agenda in mind. After being left
for dead by Gauche (Delon) and his men, Link aims to find his share of the
train robbery proceeds, but in order to do that he needs to find Gauche and
take him alive.However, Jubei wants him
dead due to the dishonour and trouble he’s caused. All of this reaches a
boiling point in the film’s final act. If you know your Bronson movies, you
know it’s never a good idea to leave him for dead…it’s just not going to end
well for the antagonist.
Legendary
director and actor John Huston claimed that ‘Red Sun’ was among the three best
Westerns ever made, alongside 1948’s ‘Red River’ and John Ford’s ‘Stagecoach’.
Huston certainly has an interesting take. Would ‘Red Sun’ finish anywhere my
own personal list of the top 10 Westerns ever made, let alone top three? No. I
enjoy the film very much and find it particularly re-watchable, as there’s
simply nothing else like it. Huston’s choice of placing ‘Red Sun’ on such a
high pedestal isn’t completel unworthy, however. It’s an inclusive Western,
well-loved in the genre’s fandom, but its appeal outside of that isn’t
extensive.
The
three main players involved in the project – Young, Bronson and Mifune – had
already produced their best work inside their respective filmographies. That
being said, ‘Red Sun’ still has a unique appeal over 50 years after its
theatrical release. Bronson has the same low-key magnetism that he displays in
mostl of his films whilst Mifune is suitably memorable as a samurai who finds
himself in the Old West.All the more
impressive about his performance is the fact that ‘Red Sun’ was his first
feature film role in the English language. (Where he has dialogue, at any
rate.) As for the rest of the main cast, Ursula Andress is commanding as
Cristina in what is the only main female character in the film. Although
Andress receives second billing, she doesn’t appear until an hour into the
film. That being said, Andress is worth the wait. She displays a certain
exterior swagger that is reminiscent of her breakout role as Honey Ryder in
‘Dr. No’ more than a decade previous. Alain Delon is every inch the perfect
villain as Gauche in his black attire, a dress code that could be compared with
that of Henry Fonda in ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ or Jack Palance in
‘Shane’. Delon is just as likely to shoot someone down with his menacing blue
eyes as he is with his pistol, as he’s an outlaw with no ethical compass.
‘Red
Sun’ is the pinnacle of the Eastern/Western crossover and has to be seen to be
believed.