Review - Red Sun

 
June 19, 2021
 
Red Sun – U.S., 1971
 
Quick: Which movie am I describing? A rather pleasant, almost gentlemanly bandit and his gang of much less chiseled henchmen have just held up a passenger train when the leader of the gang comes across a group of Asian men on a mission. One of these men ends up dead at the hands of bandit’s cohort, prompting another to vow vengeance. The nice bandit is soon betrayed, and eventually he and one of the Asian men team up to find the man who wronged them. They are unwilling partners at first, but eventually they form a formidable – sometimes comic - team. Now, if you are of a particular age, namely under 50, the aforementioned description might make you recall the fun pairing of Jackie Chan and Own Wilson in the 2000 film Shanghai Noon; however, for older viewers, another film may come to mind – Terence Young’s 1972 Western Red Sun.
 
The difference between these two associations illustrates one of the challenges that order can present for moviegoers, mainly that our perception of one cinematic experience will always be influenced by what we have already seen, even if we acknowledge we did not see them in true chronological order. Just imagine seeing Play It Again, Sam before watching Casablanca or Hot Shots before Top Gun. Without the proper context, the viewing experience would certainly be diminished. It would be like getting the punchline before the set-up.
 
Right now, my mind is being inundated by phrases such as stepping into the Owen Wilson role and remarks about how much the film holds its own, neither of which are appropriate, given that Wilson stepped into Charles Bronson’s role and Shanghai Noon is a parody of Red Sun, and not the other way around. And then there’s the impulse to compare, or even worse, speak of variations between the two narratives as being indicative of quality and preference. However, to deny the presence of Shanghai Noon in my consciousness would be a deception. It was there, and yes, I did my fair share of comparing.
 
Red Sun begins with one of those beautiful Western images of a man emerging from a misty desert plain. It’s the kind of sight than never gets old; the only question is just what kind of person has emerged. This is soon answered by the man’s simple act of releasing his horse back into the wild. Soon he’s announcing to the good people on a train his intention to rob them, and wouldn’t you know it, he makes the experience sound downright romantic.  
 
After robbing the requisite safe containing a fortune, the sweet, comical ruffian, inexplicably named Link and played by Charles Bronson, stumble upon a car which is occupied by the first Japanese ambassador to the United States, and while Link is content with the occupants’ money, his partner Gauche (Alain Delon) insists on taking a jewel-encrusted sword intended as a gift for the U.S. President. The ensuing resistance results in one Samurai being shot dead and another, Toshiro Mifune in one of his few English-speaking roles, vowing both to retrieve the sword and avenge his fallen comrade. Oh, and Gauche makes a further enemy by trying to blow up Link and absconding with all the loot. Hence, the eventual team-up.
 
What follows is a rather fun adventure featuring two great performances. In truth, Link and Mifune’s character, Kuroda, makes a rather odd couple. Link is calm and smooth-talking, while Kuroda probably couldn’t tell a joke if his life depended on it. The first half of the film is primarily devoted to establishing their characters’ respect for the other, an endeavor that it has more success with than many other films of this sort. There are no heartfelt conversations or scenes in which one of them teaches the other an important phrase in his language. Rather, the bond comes as a result of a growing respect for the man each one is. Neither compromises, and while Link eventually gets the upper hand, he shows no great pleasure in doing so.
 
Their journey takes them across Texas to a bordello where Gauche’s lady-friend, Cristina (Ursula Andress), works. To give you a sense of this character’s personality, let me give you a sample of her sentiments. Early on, she says to Link, You know what I like about you? The older you get, the sweeter you get. However, before you get the wrong impression, I should add that she delivers those sentiments in the same tone as the one she uses when she calls him “a lousy broken down gunfighter.” It’s quite fun to watch, and Andress shows great comic timing.
 
Eventually, Gauche and his men come for Cristina, an act that would normally lead to a great confrontation replete with bullets flying and one-on-one clashes. Well, it does, and it doesn’t. Sure, we get the climactic clash, but it involves a third party, and it is here that the film feels dated. The attackers are nameless Comanche Indians whose only purpose for being in the film is to look bloodthirsty and lustful. More to the point, they disrupt a perfectly reasonable scene. You have the good guys squaring off against the bad guys; the viewer’s mind is scrambling with anticipation: How will our heroes get out of this? Will Cristina betray Gauche? Will we finally get to see what happens when Samurai sword meets gun? And then: “Comanche!” Thankfully, the film recovers, and its ending is quite touching.
 
Throughout the film, Bronson and Mifune are a marvel to behold, and their characters’ bonding feels natural and earned. If the film feels disjointed at time, it is because it never fully commits to its more dramatic elements, preferring instead an unnatural rhythm that I’d describe as joke, joke, drama. Cristina and Link fluctuate between comedy and seriousness, which seems appropriate, but Gauche never comes across as being as ruthless as he should until the very end. Mifune is masterful as usual, and the film benefits by allowing his character to maintain his rather serious demeanor throughout. However, it also allows him a few moments of unexpected tenderness. I won’t spoil the scene, but it involves a young woman who recognizes in Mifune a kinship and expresses it in the only way she knows how. It is a special moment in a mostly likeable film. (on DVD from Warner Bros. Archive Collection)
 
3 stars

Review – Chushingura: The Loyal 47 Samurai

September 13, 2008

Chushingura: The Loyal 47 Samurai – Japan, 1962

A samurai without a master was a man without a purpose. With a master, a samurai was guaranteed a place in society, a home, an income, and respect. A leaderless one had two choices: rely on the merchants, the very people the samurai had expected to both admire and fear them, for their livelihood or rent themselves out to a new master, preferably to a lord or a member of the ruling party. Neither fate was particularly desirable.

It is in this world of samurais, samurai codes of honor, and the horrible, yet respectful practice of hara-kiri that Hiroshi Inagaki’s 1962 film Chushingura takes place. The film is set in the beginning of the 18th century, a time of rampant corruption. And perhaps no one is more corrupt than Lord Kira. This is a man whose two loves are wealth and women and who fears above everything else death because it would rob him of the time he feels he deserves to pursue those two interests. He is a man who seethes with rage at the very suggestion that someone does show him the deference that he feels he deserves, and by deference, I am referring to bribes. The object of most of his scorn is a samurai named Lord Asano, who also holds the title of Head of Reception. While other lords send Lord Kira expensive goods to win his favor and further their own careers, Lord Asano refuses to bribe his way to success, reasoning that doing so would violate his family’s honor, as well as the honor and dignity that a samurai must uphold. This stance places him at odds with Kira, who would like nothing better than to humiliate and be rid of his noble adversary once and for all. Unfortunately for Asano, Lord Kira indeed gets his wish.

Chushingura is told in two parts. The first part of the film, “Blossoms,” centers around the fate of Lord Asano. He and his family are loved by the people they govern, and for good reason. He is possibly the only decent and earnest lord in Japan. After he loses his temper and attacks Lord Kira, he is ordered to commit hara-kiri, even though Lord Kira was the one who goaded Asano into assaulting him. Lord Asano’s death leaves over 50 samurai without a master, brings disgrace and a loss of prestige to his family, and puts a village into the hands of a leader who does not have the residents’ best interest in mind. The second half of Chushingura, “Snow,” details the events that follow. Just what will the Asano clan do? Will they accept a new, less prominent role in society, or will they seek revenge for the injustice that was done to their leader?

To say that Chushingura’s two halves are different would be an understatement. The first half is chiefly concerned establishing Lord Asano’s nobility and honor. The film achieves in this endeavor, and we feel genuinely sad when such a righteous man is ordered to end his own life. The movie makes this even more poignant by showing him refusing to attribute his actions to temporary insanity, a claim that if made would have removed his death sentence. The second half is less focused. The film details the actions of a number of characters, and I confess that at times I couldn’t remember who each of them was. That said, each of the characters’ stories is interesting and well told. I especially liked the role of the Chamberlain. He must weigh whether to avenge Lord Asano’s death or quietly slip into a life of farming and obscurity. The former option will most certainly bring about the deaths of all involved, even if they are successful. Choosing the other option would force him, as well as the rest of Lord Asano’s men, to spend a lifetime regretting that he had not lived up to the code he had sworn to abide by. In addition, many of the samurai have families and children, and some are just starting to discover love. Is the samurai code more important than the potential for personal happiness that love, marriage, and family offer? It is not as easy a question to answer as some samurai films have led us to believe. (on DVD from Image-Entertainment)

3 and a half stars

*Chushingura is in Japanese with English subtitles.