This spaghetti western, filmed entirely in various Spanish locations, rather reminds me of the interracial reluctant buddy association in the prior "The Scalphunters", between the trapper played by Burt Lancaster and an escaped slave bartered to him in exchange for his years' worth of furs, against his will. They alternatively fight and cooperate for the remainder of the film, rather like a battling married couple.
In the present film, Charles Bronson's train robbing character: Link unexpectedly forms a rather similar relationship with the Samuri guard Kuroda(Toshiro Milfune) of the Japanese ambassador, taking the train across the West, to Washington. Unfortunately, they are on the train that Link's gang wants to hold up. Then, the other highwaymen take off with the gold, leaving Link presumably dead, he being nurtured back to health by the Japanese. It's then decided that Link and Kuroda will walk toward where they think the gang went, looking especially for Gauche: leader of the bandits. Link wants a share of the gold, and the samurai wants to recover the special Samurai sword that was supposed to be a gift to the President. At first, they don't get along well, Link periodically trying to ditch his reluctant buddy. But, eventually, they learn to respect each other, and that they need each other in their several battles with enemies, and become more friends. Eventually, they obtain horses, as a result of a fight with some of the bandits, and stop at a brothel, strangely, out in the middle of nowhere? After some R&R, Christina, played by the European 'sex kitten' Ursula Andress, joins them, as she also wants to find the handsome, charismatic, Gauche(Alain Delon). Meanwhile, Link and Kuroda have different ideas of what they should do with Gauche, should they capture him, which they periodically argue about. How are these 3 differing ambitions relating to Gauche going to play out if they should meet him? That's for you to discover. This film is available for free at You Tube, and also has a DVD release. I also recommend that you see "The Scalphunters", free at tubi.
Historically, we can assume this story likely happened around late 1869 or '70. From conversations by the Japanese, we can assume that the the Meiji Restoration of the emperor in Japan, which happed in 1868, had occurred rather recently. The new government was in the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the US. The transcontinental railroad wasn't completed until mid-1869.
In the present film, Charles Bronson's train robbing character: Link unexpectedly forms a rather similar relationship with the Samuri guard Kuroda(Toshiro Milfune) of the Japanese ambassador, taking the train across the West, to Washington. Unfortunately, they are on the train that Link's gang wants to hold up. Then, the other highwaymen take off with the gold, leaving Link presumably dead, he being nurtured back to health by the Japanese. It's then decided that Link and Kuroda will walk toward where they think the gang went, looking especially for Gauche: leader of the bandits. Link wants a share of the gold, and the samurai wants to recover the special Samurai sword that was supposed to be a gift to the President. At first, they don't get along well, Link periodically trying to ditch his reluctant buddy. But, eventually, they learn to respect each other, and that they need each other in their several battles with enemies, and become more friends. Eventually, they obtain horses, as a result of a fight with some of the bandits, and stop at a brothel, strangely, out in the middle of nowhere? After some R&R, Christina, played by the European 'sex kitten' Ursula Andress, joins them, as she also wants to find the handsome, charismatic, Gauche(Alain Delon). Meanwhile, Link and Kuroda have different ideas of what they should do with Gauche, should they capture him, which they periodically argue about. How are these 3 differing ambitions relating to Gauche going to play out if they should meet him? That's for you to discover. This film is available for free at You Tube, and also has a DVD release. I also recommend that you see "The Scalphunters", free at tubi.
Historically, we can assume this story likely happened around late 1869 or '70. From conversations by the Japanese, we can assume that the the Meiji Restoration of the emperor in Japan, which happed in 1868, had occurred rather recently. The new government was in the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the US. The transcontinental railroad wasn't completed until mid-1869.