Red Sun (1971): The Ultimate western where East meets West
Red Sun (1971) 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, a 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.
