Cheap Red Sun (DVD) (Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Alain Delon) (Terence Young) Price

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Customer Reviews of Red Sun

Underappreciated Spaghetti Western Classic
Upon its original release this movie was far more successful in overseas market than in the United States (not surprisingly, as two of its stars, Ursula Andress and Toshiro Mifune, were bigger stars in their respective home markets than pre-"Death Wish" Charles Bronson was in the States). But I would say that "Red Sun"'s reputation as an "Art House" favorite still shouldn't keep American Western fans from giving it a look, even those casual fans of the genre who believe that a Western requires either the presence of Clint Eastwood or John Wayne for a Western to be considered any good.
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As a point-of-reference for those whose tastes in Westerns (or movies in general) run along more contemporary lines, I would categorize "Red Sun" as an "Old School" variation of "Shanghai Noon" (that takes itself far more seriously). The obvious hook for the movie is the "East Meets West" theme, as well as the "discipline vs. lawlessness" and "faith vs. betrayal" conflicts that provide additional energy to the story. If the multiple subplots aren't enough, there is a brief frontal nude shot of Ursula Andress that makes it easy to remember why she was cast in "Dr. No" (and was thus subsequently identified in "Trainspotting" as "THE quintessential 'Bond girl'") in the first place.
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Now, the quality of the DVD itself isn't that good, I'm afraid. Yes, it is formatted, which for a Spaghetti Western qualifies as a crime against humanity. The transfer itself is as good as can be expected, going on the questionable quality of the original print. There aren't any additional features (a documentary piece regarding the international quality of the cast would have been interesting at the least, but the movie likely wasn't considered worthy of such pretention at the time it was made).
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In truth, if I hadn't found the DVD used (I'm not even sure if they're actively being printed anymore), I probably wouldn't've bought it at full price. I'm hoping that its "limited availability" at this time means that someone (hopefully the folks who re-issued "Repo Man" and "The Wicker Man") will put together a proper re-issue package for this film. Surely Charles Bronson fans alone at least deserve that much.
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In conclusion, I do recommend this movie to anyone who has a soft spot for Westerns and/or abstract productions...it's not one of Mifune's best works, but it is (all things considered) one his more interesting efforts as an actor. I just wish this DVD included a better presentation.

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East meets West!
Red Sun has Bronson and Mifune, two great action stars, journeying out in the Old West, trying to retrieve a jeweled sword that was suppose to be a gift for the President of the United States from the Emperor of Japan. Bronson, Ursula and Mifune all are at their peak (Playing themselves). Mifune who never learned to speak English, spoke his own lines. Just to watch Mifune's samurai tactics vs. Bronson's gun fighting skills is worth the whole movie. And of course this movie is a must for anyone who loved either The Magnificent Seven or the Seven Samuari.

The Magnificent Seven was the American was a ripoff of Akira Kurosawa's classic, The Seven Samurai. Here we have Charles Bronson, who played the skilled rifleman, Bernardo O'Reilly, in the Magnificent Seven, paired up with Toshiro Mifune, who played Kikuchiyo in the Seven Samurai. This is a must see...... If quality was better of tape, I would have rated it 5.

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Great Movie
I thorougly enjoyed this movie. The combination of Toshiro Mifune and Charles Bronson was exactly what the doctor ordered.Enough humor and action to keep you watching.