Soleil rouge (1971)

In 1870, a gang robs a train and steals a ceremonial Japanese sword meant as a gift from Japan to the U.S. President, prompting a manhunt to retrieve it.

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

Laird Koenig (story), Denne Bart Petitclerc (adaptation)

Stars:

Charles Bronson, Toshirô Mifune, Alain Delon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charles Bronson	...	Link Stuart
Ursula Andress	...	Cristina
Toshirô Mifune	...	Kuroda Jubei (as Toshiro Mifune)
Alain Delon	...	Gotch 'Gauche' Kink
Capucine	...	Pepita
Barta Barri	...	Paco (as Bart Barry)
Guido Lollobrigida	...	Mace (as Lee Burton)
Anthony Dawson	...	Hyatt (as Tony Dawson)
Gianni Medici	...	Miguel (as John Hamilton)
Georges Lycan	...	Sheriff Stone (as George W. Lycan)
Luc Merenda	...	Chato (as Luke Merenda)
Tetsu Nakamura	...	Japanese Ambassador (as Satoshi Nakamura)
José Nieto	...	Murdered Mexican farmer (as Jo Nieto)
Julio Peña	...	Peppie (as Jules Pena)
Mónica Randall	...	Maria (as Monica Randall)

Storyline

The Japanese ambassador is traveling through the Wild West by train, when gangsters hold up the train, to rob a gold shipment. They also carry an ancient Japanese sword the ambassador was carrying as a present for the US president. The ambassador's bodyguard (Toshiro Mifune) will go after them, with the aid of one of the gang's leaders betrayed by his pals...

---

Plot Keywords:

battle | blood | arizona territory | new mexico | new mexico territory | 

---

Taglines:

2 Desperados ... 1 Hellcat ... and a Samurai ... the greatest fighting force the West has ever known!

---

Genres:

Action | Western

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

France Italy Spain

Language:

English Spanish Japanese

Release Date:

9 June 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Red Sun

Filming Locations:

Adra, Almería, Spain

Box Office

Gross USA:

$4,840,000, 31 December 1972

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films Corona,Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche,Producciones Balcázar S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor and Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Huston considered this, Red River (1948) and Stagecoach (1939) to be among the three best westerns ever made.

---

Goofs

This story takes place around 1870. During the train robbery, several calvary soldiers are shown with foreign type bolt action rifles. The US calvary troops were not issued bolt action rifles during this period, but were equipped with either lever-action Spencer carbines or single-shot Sharps carbines, with single-shot "trap-door" Springield carbines being introduced in 1873.

---

Quotes

Kuroda Jubie: Give me my clothes!
Link Stuart: I'll give you your clothes, but first I want your word of honor that you won't kill Gauche on sight.
Kuroda Jubie: My clothes!
Link Stuart: Your word.
Kuroda Jubie: [angrily speaks Japanese]
Link Stuart: Don't know what the hell that's all about, but it sounds like it's comin' from the heart. Well?
Kuroda Jubie: Give me five minutes with him.
Link Stuart: Not enough.
Kuroda Jubie: One hour. Give me one full hour.
Link Stuart: I need one full day. Kuroda, I need the time to make Gauche take me to the cash. I wanna be sure it's there.
[...]

---

Connections

Spoofed in Shanghai Noon (2000)

User Reviews

Comment on the main actors.

Toshiro Mifune showed why he was the personification of THE samurai Japanese culture/history wants us to see. He was excellent in this role. Charles Bronson's performance was as we expected from other characters he portrayed during this period along with some comedy which he really isn't known for(the fight scene with Mifune's character early on). Ursula Andress in her part goes beyond her glamorous looks to portray a woman who is truly out for her own best interests at everyone's expense. She has no problem shifting interests from Delon's character to Bronson's in order to get ahead. The model of the scheming/conniving female or vamp.