Product Details

• Actors: Charles Bronson, Ursula Andress, ToshirÃ' Mifune
• Directors: Terence Young
• Format: NTSC, Dolby, Widescreen, Import
• Language: English
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Evergreen Entertainment RSP
• DVD Release Date: July 17, 2007
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000ROAPTA
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,718 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gunslinger and Samurai, July 9, 2008

By 

Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Red Sun (DVD)

I am amazed that I have lived so much of my life without even knowing this flick existed. This is the sort of thing I should have seen years ago, and watched over and over again. Think about it. A Western staring Charles Bronson (The Magnificent Seven) and Mifune Toshiro (Seven Samurai), facing off against Alain Delon (Le Samourai). As a little icing we get Ursula Andress (Dr. No). Bliss.

Getting these four international actors together in the same plot isn't as strange as you think. Mifune is Kuroda Jubie, a guard for the Ambassador from Japan who is currently en-route to Washington D.C. where he is to deliver a magnificent sword as a present from the Emperor of Japan to the President of the US. Their train is robbed by Bronson, playing outlaw Link Stuart, but he is betrayed mid-robbery by his partner Gauche (Alain Delon) who takes the gold-encrusted sword. Joining together in a wary truce, Mifune and Bronson hunt Delon to recover their lost honor and stolen treasures. Andress is Delon's woman, but someone who can easily be convinced to switch her loyalties if the price is right.

What is so amazing about this film is that, aside from its impressive international cast, is that is just a really good movie. What could have been played for laughs, as happened in the much later Shanghai Noon, is instead treated entirely straight, and a subtle story of honor and revenge is laid out with patience and perfection. Although technically a "Spaghetti Western", none of the tropes are brought into play, and everything is handled with respect and intention. Mifune is not Bronson's wacky sidekick, and Delon is no French buffoon.

As an interesting note, this is the first film I have seen where Mifune speaks English. It was quite a surprise, and he does an able job with his lines, although they are not flawless. His character here is a straight-laced servant to his lord rather than the dangerous rouge from Yojimbo, and the scenes between him and Bronson are fantastic.

This DVD presentation is a little lacking. It is strictly bare-bones, and the video looks to be a PAL transfer. It would be nice to see this gem get a deluxe Region 1 release, but until then I am just happy to have it in any format.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Red Sun Region 0 (All Region) Version, March 17, 2010

By 

A.D. (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Sun (DVD)

This review is for the Red Sun Region 0 (All Region) version, and the low rating is for this DVD version, not for the great movie. Not mentioned in the Amazon information, and by only one reviewer, is that this DVD is from Hong Kong, and a disclaimer on the back of the case says "for sale in Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR only". This DVD has a big problem, and to my surprise, no reviewer has mentioned it. The problem is a hard, harsh, screechy sound track that makes the DVD almost as difficult to listen to as finger nails scraping a black board. It sounds like the treble was turned way up and the bass way down, and then distortion added. I can only speculate as to the reason. Maybe it's an asian compatibility problem with U.S. equipment, or maybe the sound track was remixed to appeal to asian listening preferences. Whatever the case, the sound is so nasty that I had to return the DVD. Before I did that, I tried it on 2 different DVD player/TV setups. The DVD sounded awful on both. Finally, I tried it on my computer -- a Dell Media Center with excellent 5.1 surround sound. The DVD sounded as bad as on my two DVD player/TV setups.

It's really a shame. Red Sun is a 5 star western, and ranks among the best westerns ever made. It the second best western Bronson made, falling slightly below his amazing Sergio Leone spaghetti western "Once Upon A Time In The West." Red Sun is so good that I can't figure out why there is not an excellent Region 1 remastered widescreen version available.

Unlike the previously released full screen Region 1 version of Red Sun, this Hong Kong Region 0 DVD does have very good picture quality in widescreen with the original aspect ratio. That makes this DVD all the more sad -- it's beautiful to look at but horrible to listen to.

The musical score on Red Sun is beautiful in the tradition of the best westerns ever made. It is right up there with films like the Magnificent Seven and the Ennio Morricone scores for the great spaghetti westerns. It is tragic that such a musical masterpiece would be butchered with bad sound mastering. Please, will somebody release an excellent remastered Region 1 widescreen version of Red Sun with good sound? This is a classic western that should be preserved.

Conclusion: Red Sun is a fabulous movie, but stay away from the Region 0 (All Region) version due to the harsh, screechy sound track.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perfect version!, April 10, 2008

By 

alex ricky "ricky24" (nyc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Sun (DVD)

Finally we get a remastered and unedited version of Red Sun. Ever since
i had this on VHS, the quality had been mediocre. This is the way to see
the film; next to the big screen.