Speed 2 Month Day 8: Soleil Rouge

Three days off of A Leaf on the Wind and Speed 2 Month have given me great hope and positive reinforcement for the upcoming week. Since Speed 2 Month is really a vicious attack on a poorly designed, thought out and directed piece of film history (as well as full of negative extorting), I’ll attempt to temper it, this coming week at least, with a more upbeat spin. You be the judge as to how well I do.

I don’t recall exactly when I discovered RED SUN. I’m sure it was towards the end of my high school years, when movies of the sort were shown on the local television stations during weekend, non-prime time hours. I don’t believe I had cable at that time, my parents refusing to pay for television service. The Western genre hadn’t been a particular favorite of mine at the time, as most of the movies aired from the time I started watching television to that point were Westerns. Some were good, some my father loved and that I tolerated; some I loathed. It would be some further years before it became a beloved film category.

I know at the time that the DEATH WISH series that Charles Bronson starred in were still going strong, if not completely well thought of, and I was keen on seeing Bronson back in digs I knew him best. I know I missed the title sequence of the film, because I recall hunting for the television guide during a commercial break. I mean, there were Japanese Samurai in this picture! A sword is stolen by a pretty brutal thief (Alain Delon) and… Toshiro Mifune?!? I was hooked almost immediately. I had never heard of a Western that has mixed Japanese and American cultures of the late 19^th century. The David Carradine-driven television series KUNG FU did have a few episodes with Japanese characters, but I didn’t really find a heady interest in that show for many years (again, a program that seemed to bleed off every free moment of local programming… it was overwhelmingly dull to see the same episode every weekend). So here is this movie I’d never heard of, already with two names I’d appreciated in other movies or television features, Bronson and Mifune. The basic plot was simple, the setting bizarre in that there hadn’t been anything like it that I’d seen and I ate it up.

RED SUN was directed by Terence Young, famous for directing DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, the first two James Bond pictures. While RED SUN doesn’t have the same punch as those two films, the chemistry between Bronson and Mifune, who likely had a speech coach for his English, comes off on screen. I’d like to discover more about the creation of this oddball oater, since the personalities involved were quite strong and I’m sure there are some great tales from the set. You think that the story has played out at a point towards last quarter of the movie when the American Indians get involved, ramping up (in my eyes) the kitsch factor by another degree or five. First, the Indians are not well portrayed, so it’s sort of hackneyed. Then you have a big showdown with Bronson’s outlaw, Mifune’s samurai and the Indians that have such a quirky culture clash you have to just roll with it. I realize I’m not giving out too many story elements here, but come on. How much do you need? At least the horses don’t have to be kept under 12 knots or they’ll explode. Or whatever.

Another good thing about RED SUN is that there is no Jason Patric.

SOLEIL ROUGE, as it was known in Europe, was released in 1971. It hit the screens in the US in ’72 and quickly disappeared. I think the quirky tale, the dipping interest in the Western and possibly the unknown element of Mifune and the Japanese caused a relative malaise towards the picture. Then again, I don’t know the details of its release schedule or promotions. Someone else might recall as I wasn’t around at that point.

This site, http://fistfulofcult.blogspot.com/2009/09/film-red-sun-1971.html has a great review and some story details if you’re interested in more than I’m going to give. Also, YouTube has the full movie here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuVVskrIlg0 for your viewing pleasure. The opening titles and credits are not English, but you can deal. It’s also available on DVD or on Amazon Prime, you can go search out those yourself, if you’re that interested. I can say that your money and time are much better spent on this flick than anything having to do with SPEED 2 or Jan de Bont.

In review: Bronson. Mifune. Terence Young. Culture clash. Awesome, neglected fun. If SPEED 2 has a factor rating of Zero Knots, RED SUN would have a factor rating of 65. Again, your mileage may differ, but you know damned well which is better.

Next up, more positive vibes.