Red Sun [Soleil rouge] *** (1971, Charles Bronson, Toshirô Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, Capucine) – Classic Movie Review 7778

Even with this alluring, extraordinary star cast of Charles Bronson, Toshirô Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress and Capucine, director Terence Young’s 1971 Red Sun [Soleil rouge] is a robust and sometimes exciting but slightly disappointing eastern Western as samurai Kuroda Jubei (Toshirô Mifune) teams up with outlaw Link Stuart (Charles Bronson) to retrieve a special ceremonial Japanese sword from a gang of thieves who have robbed a train and stolen it. It is 1870 and the sword was intended as a symbolic gift the US President from the Japanese.

Filming in Spain, Young directs the spaghetti Western with an eye to violent action rather than exploring the culture clash the yarn promises, but Red Sun does deliver in that department, and it remains worthwhile for the cast and the action.

The Spanish locations include La Calahorra, Granada, Andalucía (the railroad scenes); Adra, Almería, Andalucía; Manzanares el Real, Madrid; and Tabernas, Almería, Andalucía.

Alain Delon plays Gotch ‘Gauche’ Kink in Red Sun (1971).

Poor Alain Delon is saddled with the character name of Gotch ‘Gauche’ Kink.

Also in the cast are Anthony Dawson, Barta Barri [Bart Barry], Guido Lollobrigida [Lee Burton], Gianni Medici [John Hamilton], Georges Lycan [George W Lycan], Luc Merenda [Luke Merenda] and José Nieto [Jo Nieto], Tetsu Nakamura [Satoshi Nakamura], Julio Peña [Jules Pena] and Mónica Randall.

Young and Bronson next made The Valachi Papers (1972) together.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7778

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