Red Sonja (1985)

User Rating:

4.3/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Robert E. Howard (character)
Clive Exton (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

A woman and a warrior that became a legend.

Plot:

The tyrant Gedren seeks the total power in a world of barbarism. She raids the city Hablac and kills...

Plot Keywords:

Talisman | Sea Monster | Based On Comic Book | Psychotronic | Pulp Fiction

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Kalidor
Brigitte Nielsen	...	Red Sonja
Sandahl Bergman	...	Queen Gedren
Paul L. Smith	...	Falkon (as Paul Smith)
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Prince Tarn
Ronald Lacey	...	Ikol
Pat Roach	...	Brytag
Terry Richards	...	Djart
Janet Agren	...	Varna, Red Sonja's Sister
Donna Osterbuhr	...	Kendra the High Priestess
Lara Naszinsky	...	Gedren's Handmaid
Hans Meyer	...	Red Sonja's Father
Francesca Romana Coluzzi	...	Red Sonja's Mother
Stefano Maria Mioni	...	Barlok, Red Sonja's Brother (as Stafano Mioni)
Tutte Lemkow	...	Wizard
Kiyoshi Yamasaki	...	Kyobo
Tad Horino	...	Swordmaster

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Robert E. Howard		(character)
Clive Exton		(written by) and
George MacDonald Fraser		(written by)

Produced by
Christian Ferry	....	producer
A. Michael Lieberman	....	executive producer
José López Rodero	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Rotunno

Film Editing by
Frank J. Urioste

Production Design by
Danilo Donati

Art Direction by
Gianni Giovagnoni

Costume Design by
Danilo Donati

Makeup Department
Rino Carboni	....	creative makeup
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Laura Fattori	....	unit manager
Federico Tocci	....	unit manager
Lucio Trentini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vic Armstrong	....	action unit supervisor
Michel Ferry	....	assistant director
José López Rodero	....	first assistant director
Mauro Sacripante	....	assistant director

Art Department
Colin Arthur	....	fish machine and spider designer and builder
Alvaro Belsole	....	chief constructor
Giacomo Caló Carducci	....	set dresser (as Giacomo Carducci)
Boni Fraulo	....	property master
Carlo Maggi	....	chief plasterer
Giulio Tamassy	....	chief sculptor
Giuseppe Tortora	....	fish machine and spider designer and builder
Maurice Zuberano	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Derek Brechin	....	assistant sound editor
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Hochman	....	sound editor
Sergio Marcotulli	....	sound engineer
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ray O'Reilly	....	sound re-recording mixer
Franca Silvi	....	sound editor
Amelio Verona	....	sound mixer
Les Wiggins	....	supervising sound editor
Liberata Zocchi	....	assistant sound editor
Marty Church	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John K. Stirber	....	special effects
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects
Franco Galiano	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	matte department
Dennis Glouner	....	matte department
Barry Nolan	....	additional visual effects and titles
Emilio Ruiz del Río	....	foreground miniatures
Bill Taylor	....	matte department
Albert Whitlock	....	matte shots

Stunts
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua	....	stunts
Sergio Mioni	....	stunt coordinator
Stefano Maria Mioni	....	stunt double
Terry Richards	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sven-Ole Thorsen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cesare Allione	....	camera operator
Augusto Diamanti	....	key grip
Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci	....	camera operator (as Gianni Fiore Coltellacci)
Gino Pasqualini	....	chief lighting technician (as Giorgio Pasqualini)
Mario Tursi	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Francesco Cinieri	....	casting: Rome
Johanna Ray	....	casting: Los Angeles
Maude Spector	....	casting: London
Nina Axelrod	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emanuela Alteri	....	wardrobe painter
Franco Antonelli	....	wardrobe coordinator
Thomas Casterline	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Penelope Shaw	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Cesare D'Amico	....	music editor
Franco Tamponi	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Enrico Pini	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Vic Armstrong	....	action unit supervisor
Giuseppe Cancellara	....	armorer
Roberto de Laurentiis	....	location manager
Marina De Tiberiis	....	production office coordinator: Rome
Maria Federici	....	production secretary (as Maria Pia Federici)
Mario Francini	....	production assistant
Carlos López	....	action unit coordinator (as Juan Carlos Lopez)
Golda Offenheim	....	production office coordinator: London
Ernie Reyes Sr.	....	martial arts consultant
Francesca Roberti	....	script supervisor
Mike Russell	....	unit publicist (as Michael Russell)
Stefano Spadoni	....	production assistant
Luciano Tartaglia	....	assistant accountant
Kiyoshi Yamasaki	....	martial arts
Marcello Lanza	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
William Stout	....	creature designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dino De Laurentiis Company
• Famous Films (II)

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Tobis Filmkunst (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cannon International (1988) (Portugal) (VHS)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Other Companies

• Arco  lighting
• Cinesound Effects Library Ltd.  archive
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting
• Forum Studio  soundtrack
• International Recording  sound post-production
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  sound re-recording
• Universal City Studios  special visual effects
• Van der Veer Photo Effects  titles and opticals

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Netherlands | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 (f) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

It is commonly believed that Robert E. Howard created the character of Red Sonja in one of his Conan short stories. In reality, he created a character with a similar name (Red Sonya) that appeared in a minor role in a non-fantasy work of historical fiction. "Red Sonja", the character popularized by the 1985 movie, actually first appeared in a Conan comic book written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Kalidor lifts Prince Tarn into the air with one arm, the wire attached to Tarn's back is visible.

Quotes:

Swordmaster: Hatred of men in a lovely young woman... Such could be your downfall.
Red Sonja: I don't hate ALL men, Grandmaster.
Swordmaster: Those words would have brought music to my heart, thirty years ago.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#3.2)" (2004)

Inept sword 'n' sorcery flick which pretty much destroyed its own genre.

Red Sonja is a career-step-in-the-wrong-direction for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Having made a couple of sword 'n' sorcery films (as Conan) he had moved onto slightly more serious acting roles in films like The Terminator and Commando, only to make a mystifying return to the sword 'n' sorcery genre for this 1985 debacle. It's hard to figure out why he bothered, as this is weaker than both Conan films in every conceivable department. Allegedly, this was to have been the third Conan film, but for one reason or another the emphasis was shifted onto the leading female character, the titular red-head, leaving poor old Arnold to play an incredibly dull supporting role. Spare a thought, too, for director Richard Fleischer who had given the world classics like 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Fantastic Voyage, The Boston Strangler and 10 Rillington Place. In this - his penultimate film - Fleischer also has taken a gigantic career step backwards.

Evil queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) wants to rule the world, and she needs a priceless and powerful talisman to do so. She and her brutish army storm a keep populated by priestesses and steal the said talisman, massacring the helpless priestesses as they go. One of the dead priestesses has a sister named Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen), a fiery red-headed warrior, who upon hearing of her sister's death swears revenge upon the evil Gedren. Sonja rides across the land in search of Gedren's lair. Along the way she picks up travelling companions in the shape of a boy prince, Tarn (Ernie Reyes Jr) and his bodyguard Falkon (Paul Smith). She also meets the muscular warrior Conan - sorry, I mean Kalidor (!) - who offers to join her in her quest. Initially Sonja doesn't want the help of Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger), preferring instead to prove that she can confront and defeat her enemies alone, but eventually she warms to him and accepts his assistance.

Red Sonja is a staggeringly poor film, all the more so when one muses that it was made in 1985 when the sword 'n' sorcery genre was close to its end. It seems so simplistic and amateurish that one could easily mistake it for an early example of its kind. The performances are poor on the whole, ranging from Bergman's embarrassingly OTT villain to Reyes' unbelievably irritating spoilt brat to Schwarzenegger's wooden and unenthusiastic hero. Nielsen is slightly better as the heroine - presumably full of enthusiasm at the thought of being in her first starring role - but she is let down very badly by the stupidity of Clive Exton and George MacDonald Fraser's script. The film is riddled with goofs, including a scene where Schwarzenegger is seen in close-up hacking down bad guys but in a long-shot in the same sequence there isn't a corpse in sight. Technically it is very inept too, with sub-standard special effects and appallingly mechanical monsters. There are a few compensations, such as Ennio Morricone's enjoyable music (Morricone spent a great deal of the '80s providing good music for awful films, e.g The Island, Treasure of the Four Crowns and Hundra). Another compensation is Giuseppe Rotunno's lensing of the locations - in fact, much of the time it's a hell of a lot more gratifying to look at the lovely scenery than the actors standing in the foreground! There were very few sword 'n' sorcery films after Red Sonja, so in some ways it might go down in history as the film which destroyed its own genre.