Red Sun movie storyline. It’s 1870 in the American west. Outlaw Link Stuart and his bandits, which includes a suave Frenchman nicknamed Gauche, proceed to rob a train, taking the valuables from the passengers and looting the cargo. One of the passengers is the Japanese ambassador traveling to Washington to meet President Ulysses S. Grant, the Ambassador and his security detail of two samurai who are in their own private car.
As such, one of the unexpected treasures the bandits is able to obtain is a ceremonial Japanese sword which was meant as a gift from the Japanese government to the President. But in the bandits’ getaway, Link is double crossed by Gauche, who mistakenly assumes Link is killed in the ensuing melee. So Gauche now becomes the common enemy for both Link and the Ambassador, who is able to convince a reluctant Link to allow one of his samurai, Kuroda Jubie, to accompany him to locate Gauche and the loot.
Although Gauche is a common enemy, the missions for Link and Kuroda are somewhat incompatible, as Link knows the samurai solely wants to kill Gauche to retrieve the sword, while Link has to get the information of the location of the loot from Gauche before he is killed. Also Link and Kuroda are working on different motives and different sensibilities, Link’s motive which is largely monetary, while Kuroda’s is solely honor, not being able to retrieve the sword which would mean dishonor and needing to go through the ritual of harakiri for eternal redemption.
Red Sun (French: Soleil Rouge, Italian: Sole Rosso) is a 1971 Spaghetti Western film directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, and Capucine. It was filmed in Spain by the British director Young with a screenplay by Denne Bart Petitclerc, William Roberts, and Lawrence Roman, from a story by Laird Koenig. It was released in the United States on June 9, 1972.
About the Story
Link Stuart and Gauche are the ruthless co-leaders of a gang of bandits who rob a train of its $400,000 payload. On the train is the Japanese ambassador, on his way to Washington, who has with him a ceremonial tachi, a gift to the American president. Gauche steals the gold-handled sword and shoots dead one of the ambassador’s two samurai guards. At the same time, by Gauche’s order, other members of the gang double-cross Link by throwing dynamite into the train car he occupies and leaving him for dead. Before the gang departs, the surviving samurai guard, Kuroda, tells Gauche he intends to track him down and kill him, but Gauche is dismissive of the threat.
The Japanese ambassador instructs Link, who was not injured in the attempt to kill him but who has been disarmed, to assist Kuroda in tracking down Gauche. Kuroda is given one week to kill Gauche and recover the sword. If he fails both Kuroda and the ambassador will have to commit seppuku for having lost their honor in allowing the sword to be stolen and the samurai’s death to go unavenged. Link reluctantly agrees, but he realizes that Kuroda will kill Gauche immediately, which Link does not want because he knows Gauche will have hidden the loot. Once they set off in pursuit of the gang, Link repeatedly attempts to elude Kuroda, only to be thwarted by the irrepressible samurai.
Sure enough, Gauche and four gang members bury the loot, and then he kills them so only he knows the hiding place. Gauche pays off others, who go their own way, and the remaining gang members remain with him. While tracking Gauche’s gang, Link sees Kuroda’s hardiness and skills with a sword. He also discovers that Kuroda speaks English very well. Kuroda reveals that his samurai values are disappearing and his countrymen no longer value the customs of old.
Convinced that the country is changing forever and that the samurai spirit will soon be gone, Kuroda explains that the only way to honor his ancestors and his own way of life is to bring back the ceremonial sword. The two approach a ranch that has been taken over by some gang members, and in a brief battle kill them all. They take their horses, and Link teaches Kuroda how to ride.
Link, now armed with guns taken from the gang, can no longer be threatened into doing Kuroda’s bidding. He rides away from Kuroda, but has a change of heart and returns to him. Link has grown to respect the strict bushido code Kuroda lives by, however he warns Kuroda that he will kill him if he tries to kill Gauche before Link learns where the loot has been hidden.
Continuing the pursuit, they come across the dead bodies of gang members killed by Comanches. Link decides the best way to get to Gauche is through his girlfriend, Cristina. The duo travel to the brothel where she works in the town of San Lucas, and Link locks her in her room. Link resumes his pleasurable friendship with the brothel keeper, and Kuroda also takes a partner for the night.
The next morning four gang members arrive at the brothel. Link and Kuroda kill three of them in a firefight, and the fourth is sent back to Gauche with the message that the duo has abducted Cristina and will give her to Gauche in exchange for the stolen sword and Link’s share of the spoils from the train robbery. The exchange is to take place at an abandoned mission a day’s ride away.
Red Sun (1971)
Directed by: Terence Young
Starring: Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Capucine, Barta Barri, Guido Lollobrigida, Anthony Dawson, Gianni Medici, Georges Lycan, Luc Merenda, Mónica Randall
Screenplay by: Denne Bart Petitclerc, William Roberts, Lawrence Roman
Production Design by: Serge Lebeau, Julio Vallejo
Cinematography by: Henri Alekan
Film Editing by: Johnny Dwyre
Costume Design by: Tony Pueo
Set Decoration by: Enrique Alarcón
Music by: Maurice Jarre
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Les Films Corona (France), National General Pictures (United States)
Release Date: September 15, 1971 (France), October 26, 1971 (Italy)
December 20, 1971 (Spain), June 9, 1972 (United States)
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