Red Sun - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Red Sun



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


AV NIRVANA is member and reader-supported. When you purchase an item using our links, we might earn an affiliate commission.
​

Movie
1971’s Red Sun is one of the few Charles Bronson movies that I don’t think I’ve seen since I was a kid. And while I love Asian cinema as probably my most loved niche genre, classic 60s and 70s westerns are a close second. Especially the cheesy spaghetti westerns and various European western clones. So what better way to indulge in all variants and genres simultaneously than a western starring the American Charles Bronson, French actor Alain Delon as the villain, Japanese samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, German actress Ursula Andress, all shot over in the very parched plains of Spain, and dubbed in English due to the multicultural cast. And to make matters even sweeter, this is the very first time the film has been released domestically in HD or UHD, and Arrow has delivered a very sweet-looking disc for us fans.

1971’s Red Sun didn’t light the box offices on fire, but it became a solid staple in Bronson’s lineup of films. Add in Toshiro Mifune, and this was the equivalent of Clint Eastwood and Jackie Chan starring in a film during the 80s or 90s. Amust-seee genre bender that borrowed heavily from both genres, and infused it with a Euro aesthetic that fits right in with the spaghetti westerns that were so popular at the time. The film is a blast to watch some 55 years later, and while I have to fully admit that it drags in the middle arc, some of the action sequences aren’t as amazing as they could be. But at the end of the day, Red Sun manages to be a fun genre mashup with some great performances across the board. At least when taken in the time period they were, and the genre they were indulging in.

We’re in the late 1860s after the Civil War, and somewhere in the Great West a band of robbers led by Gauche Kink (French actor Alain Delon) holds up a train carrying more than just valuables. There,e they decide to rob the Japanese ambassador, who is carrying a golden sword as tribute to our President from their emperor. But after Gauche decides to double-cross his second in command, Link (Charles Bronson), Japanese samurai Kuroda Jubei (Toshiro Mifune) utilizes the help of the assumed dead Link in order to track down Gauche….and kill him.

The story is about as simple as they come for a western. It’s a revenge tale told from the perspective of two wronged individuals. One from the west, who wants to see his ex “boss” put down like a rabid dog for attempting to take his life, and his gold. And the other from the East, honor-bound to get back what was taken from him or die trying. And this is really where the film shines. An abrasive rivalry/comraderie between a low-down western outlaw and a Japanese samurai who lives on his honor. As you can probably guess, their relationship is more than a bit rocky. But as their quest to retrieve the sword and gold progresses, the two men find mutual respect for each other. Sure, there’s some stopping off at whore houses, a sassy prostitute (played by Ursula Andress) as leverage against Gouche, and some Spaniards playing dress up as Native American Comanche warriors, but it’s certainly a heck of a ride.

Red Sun feels like the most “spaghetti western” of all of Bronson’s works (some of which were ACTUAL Italian westerns), but the addition of Toshiro Mifune was a fantastic addition. The man was a legend of the Samurai world, pumping out hundreds of flicks over his long and storied career. And to make it even more fun, while most of the audio mix was shot using native dialects and then ADR’d in post-production with a dub, Toshiro actually refused to let someone else dub his voice. Instead asked to be coached on what to say and how to put the emphasis on each word in order to have his OWN voice in the film. Something which adds a layer of authenticity and depth to what could have been seen as just another foreign collaboration film.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

Released overseas in 2015, and then in 2024 on both Blu-ray and 4K UHD, we’ve long been waiting for that Studio Canal remaster from 2024 to make it over stateside, as I had heard quite a few good things about the transfer. And while I don’t have the Studio Canal 4K UHD to compare against, it certainly looks great. According to Arrow’s information, the film was restored with a native 4K UHD master via Studio Canal, with color grading by R3Store Studios, and released in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio.

The results are quite stunning, with appealing fine details across the board, and a lovely grain structure that looks as organic as you get for the 1970s. I find no problems with compression as we saw with Bronson’s Once Upon a Time in the West, and fine details are superb. I did notice a few shots where the very outer edge of the show looked a LITTLE bit hazy and out of focus, but that is me being nitpicky. Colors are warm and rich, with a heavy emphasis on dusty browns and maroon reds. Skin tones look nice, with a lightly ruddy push and really inky black levels. There’s some very minor aage-relatedwear and tear on the film print, but VERY minor ones at that. Overall this is a fantastic looking transfer that should please most everyone.






Audio:

Red Sun only features a singular LPCM 1.0 Mono track, and while it will never exactly rival surround mixes, the audio mix is more than capable. Dialog is rendered cleanly and clearly up front, with no major distortion or tearing on the treble end of the spectrum. Ambient background noises in the desert crop up frequently, and gunshots ring out with authority. There’s not a whole lot of scoring going on, but what does come through comes through cleanly. Simply put, this is a stellar 1.0 Mono mix that really doesn’t sound like it was left in a vault for 55 years either. Well done,

.




Extras:

• Brand new audio commentary by critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke
• A Global Western, a brand new appreciation of the film by scholar Jose Arroyo
• The Ghosts of the Samurai, a brand new visual essay by Daisuke Miyao
• The Man with the Gold Tooth, a new appreciation of Alain Delon by Mark Gallagher
• Pour le Cinéma, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the film
• Un Journal du Cinéma, an archival television interview with Terence Young and Toshiro Mifune
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Paul Talbot and Moya Luckett
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned art by Robert Sammelin

Final Score: ​

Red Sun has been released several times over the years in Europe, but this is the first time the United States has had access to an HD or UHD copy of the film. And the new transfer from Studio Canal is a lot better than many of the other masters they give Arrow to put out. Combine that with a healthy array of extras, and this is a pleasing package for fans. I will caution newbies that this is DISTINCTLY going to feel a bit weird if you’ve never seen a Spaghetti Western due to the ADR dubbing and obviously European actors/acrtresses, but it is still a fantastic bit of pulp 70s western, and Arrow’s release is worth checking out if you’re even remotely interested.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Charles Bronson, Toshiro Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, Capucine
Directed by: Terence Young
Written by: Laird Koenig, Lawrence Roman, William Roberts
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 HEVC
Audio: English: LPCM 1.0 Mono
Subtitles: English, SDH
Studio: Arrow
Rated: PG
Runtime: 115 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: July 14th, 2026

Recommendation: Fun Watch