'Red Sun' directed by Terence Young is a western about a group of outlaws who rob a train of gold coins but complications ensue when one outlaw is double crossed and also a ceremonial sword is stolen from a Japanese ambassador who happens to be on the train too. Two men find themselves bound together in search of the double crosser who has the gold coins and the sword so essentially it is a chase movie and apart from being a bit too long it is an exciting film. To see Toshiro Mifune from 'The Seven Samurai' and Charles Bronson from 'The Magnificent Seven' riding side by side as if they were in some kind of movie time warp is quite entertaining and the east-west contrast is done well. They both play against each other nicely with humour and feeling.Apart from Mifune and Bronson there is good support from Ursula Andress, Capucine and in a minor role the always welcome Anthony Dawson. Alain Delon is good as the main villain too but isn't in it enough. Mifune steals the film even when he isn't saying anything. He lifts the film whenever he is on screen.Praise also must go to the music score by Maurice Jarre, particularly in the action sequences and Henri Alekan's cinematography of the landscape is beautiful and adds greatly to the film. A fine western that entertains all the way.

Red Sun has a great cast, good story, but it seems they spent the budget on the actors and left little for the rest. I cannot help comparing to "Escape From Fort Bravo" where the Indian attack scenes had all the expertise of MGM. In this western made in Spain you feel the distance from Hollywood, specially in the well planned,but otherwise lacking Indian combat scenes, with the exception of that wonderful confrontation between a Samurai (Toshiro Mifune) and a Native American. Alain Delon is an excellent villain and the relationship between Toshiro Mifune and Charles Bronson is the best reason for seeing this film.

In the late 1800's, Arizona. Two desperadoes Link and Gauche with the help of some professional bandits and Mexican outlaws, rob a train which was carrying gold guarded by union soldiers, but also on board is the Japanese ambassador who is heading to Washington D.C. In the process Gauche takes their sacred gold sword, which is a gift from their Emperor to the U.S. president. Also Gauche back-stabs Link by attempting to kill him, so he keeps the cash for himself. Unknowingly to Gauche, Link survives. The ambassador's bodyguard Kuroda, plans to get that sword back and kill him straight away for honour, but Link needs him alive, so he can find out where he hid the stolen loot. The two unwillingly pair up with the same goal, but Kuroda has only got seven days to do so, or he and Link will die by his sword.Terrance Young's multinational (Spain, Italy and France) production of "Red Sun" is a boldly unusual western in the shape of the odd couple (west meets east) set on the old-western frontier, which has a nicely balanced out comic vein and stupendous lead performances. You could call it an experiment and it's an interesting blend, even though the story seems familiar, it does keep to its strengths and never wanders off onto pointless sub-plots. What goes on is elaborately important to the story. A snappily eventful script comes through with the witty humour being drawn upon the pair's bumpy relationship, involving their differences and actions. Charles Bronson is at his charismatic best with a lively turn as the rascally equipped gunfighter Link and the legendary Toshiro Mifune authentically emits classy grace with ace determination and stubbornness as samurai bodyguard Kuroda. They excel together and make a real good pairing. This is what sells the film from the get-go. Alain Delon makes for an formidable villain figure, as the deviously suave Gauche and beautiful bombshell Ursula Andress (who offers a brief topless scene) is terrifically dynamic as Gauche's robust firebrand girlfriend Cristina. Anthnoy Dawson and the wonderful Capucine also show up in minor parts. Young's direction can stumble in some shapeless touches, but mainly he keeps a busy pace and engineers some excitingly biting passages of raw action; like the suspenseful dying half with a bit of splatter on show. Editing is smoothly tailored. Maurice Jarre's uncannily saucy music score is less than grand, but atmospheric enough to the period. Henri Alekan's spaciously scenic cinematography, is kind of lost on the small screen and in full frame. This is sad as the picturesque locations are important to the feel of certain scenes. An assiduously engrossing display of swords and guns, which is far from a masterpiece, but chiefly entertains and makes suitable use of a flavoured international cast.

One of the frequent occurrences in movie industry is when a studio is desperate for a hit and hires several big name actors and then gives them a hopeless script and an uninspired director to work with. Such is the case with "Soleil rouge". A cheap French/Spanish/Italian production starring Charles Bronson in the part of a "charming" outlaw and thief Link, Toshiro Mifune in a near-ridiculous incarnation of a Samurai that is on his quest to avenge the killing of his samurai buddy by the French thief Gauche played by Alain Delon in his probably dumbest and poorest role ever and finally the Swiss diva Ursula Andress, the only real thrill in this movie, but not because of her acting skills.The chemistry between Bronson and Mifune doesn't work so well and they fail to impress and save this film.Somehow it all seemed so promising to the producers;hire Terence Young, the director of the three best Bond films and three cool macho heroes, one from the East to make it interesting and with Ursula Andress the mega babe of the 60's, how can it fail? The worst thing is that it also is very misleading to the average man who thinks he's in for a real treat the moment he spots the film in his video store. By the time the uninspired and dull showdown is over, one can only comfort himself that it could have been worse. And indeed, there are worse films, specially from that time and in Italian/French/Spanish production. I don't mean to be disrespectful to those countries and their film industry, but the horrible dubbing and making movies just for money was a usual thing back then, not just in those countries.In the end, one can just wish this affair never happened. And I fail to understand why so many like this movie. To me it's just a great waste of such fine talents. Even Ursula Andress has done better films and I bet she doesn't exactly brag about being in this film. Oh, and it also features Maurice Jarre's worst score.5 out of 10.