Movie Night

Red Sun

Stars: Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, Capucine

Wild West meets Samurai Bushido. Bronson's gang stops and robs a train, which just happens to be carrying the Japanese ambassador to Washington to present a fabulous sword to the U.S. president (U.S. Grant). During the robbery, the gang's second-in-command betrays Bronson, leaving him for dead and taking the sword. The ambassador gives Mifune the sacred mission of retrieving the sword in one week and sends him off with Bronson. A fair amount of hilarity ensues as Bronson attempts to overpower or thwart the "man in a skirt" but, of course, Mifune outwits him easily.

During a fight, after Bronson challenges Mifune to put down his "hardware," TM throws CB all over the landscape. Eventually, the exhausted CB rolls over, looks at TM, and says, "You look like you're getting tired. Why don't we call it a draw?"

Anyhow, CB eventually forces TM to give his word he won't kill Delon ("Gauche") asap because CB needs to know the location of the stolen gold from the train. They kidnap Andress (Delon's girlfriend) and force her to take them to Delon's hideout but wind up in an ruined church instead, where they are surprised by Delon's gang. Unfortunately, some Comanches are also pissed at all these foreigners wandering around in their territory. So there's a battle in the church, and then the remaining four (CB, TM, AD, UA) get out into the canebrake and pick off the Indians from cover.

When it's over, CB, TM, and AD face off. AD shoots TM and CB decides that the samurai's honor is worth not knowing where the gold is. Beside, AD is just too bad to live. In the last scene, the ambassador's train returns to the depot and the sword is hanging from the telegraph wires, waiting to finish its journey.

One of my favorite westerns. Mifune as a samurai? Of course. Bronson at his stalwart best, and funny to boot? Yes. Alain Delon (in his U.S. debut) for pretty? What's not to like. And of course, the horses. Filming was in different parts of Spain and the horses all have that Spanish action; UA's horses was very obviously Andalucian. Gorgeous.

Neither Bruce nor Amy had seen this one, so it was a big hit.

Next week: Circle of Iron, a martial artist's journey, original story by Bruce Lee.