6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
Starring: Charles Bronson, Toshirô Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, Capucine (I)Western | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
French: LPCM 2.0
English SDH, French, French SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Terence Young's "Red Sun" (1971) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the release include new program with documentary filmmaker Steven Okazaki; excerpt from the French TV program Pour le cinema; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH, French, and French SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Not so fast.
StudioCanal's release of Red Sun is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-B "locked".
The release introduces a new 4K restoration of Red Sun sourced from its original camera negative and completed at TransPerfect Media in France on behalf of StudioCanal. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with HDR and Dolby Vision grades. I chose to view it with HDR. Also, I spent time with the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.
Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.
Screencaptures #1-29 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #35-38 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
Currently, I have two other home video releases of Red Sun in my library. The first is this Region-B release that StudioCanal produced in 2015. The second is this R2 DVD release that StudioCanal produced in 2010. As far as I can tell, both are sourced from the same old master and share very similar limitations.
The 4K makeover produces visuals with superior delineation, sharpness, clarity, and depth. The large panoramic shots reveal the biggest improvements, but there are plenty of close-ups that look notably better as well. Density levels are superior too, so the larger your screen is, the easier it becomes to appreciate the strength of the 4K makeover. After comparing various areas on the 4K makeover and the older 1080p presentation, I would say that stability is better on the former as well. The difference is not big. However, with the improved fluidity of the visuals, the minor improvements are quite easy to spot. Colors are stable. Unfortunately, there are alterations that are problematic. What do I mean? The previous Blu-ray release was sourced from an older master with obvious limitations, and some of the most obvious limitations were in the area of color saturation. For example, blues were not sufficiently lush and in some areas were missing hues. Pretty much the same can be said about yellow and brown, in some areas even gray. On the 4K makeover, there are some improvements in terms of saturation, but at the same time there are changes that push primaries and supporting nuances away from where they need to be. For example, blues are replaced with teal, while yellows are desaturated and pushed toward pale gray. You can see how instead of improving the saturation level on primary blue, the 4K makeover replaces it with teal if you compare this screencapture from the previous Blu-ray release and this screencapture from the combo pack. In some areas the changes are more subtle, but in many areas they have an undeniable effect on the overall color temperature of the visuals, which now tend to look significantly cooler than they need to be. The old master has odd fluctuations and also isn't convincing. However, instead of improving saturation while moving in the right direction, the 4K makeover moves further away. Consider this: at one point, Ursula Andress is left to suffer under the scorching sun, but the entire segment looks very cool. (See here). Also, the red sun should have vastly improved, well, red in it, but it has more of a pale brown now. (See here). All this is very frustrating because it is essentially one big tradeoff -- you get superior detail and healthier visuals, but color balance is shifted further away from where it needs to be.
The HDR grade is quite good. On my system, darker areas did not reveal distracting flatness or crush. On the contrary, background information was almost rather impressive. Highlights look good too as well. However, because of the cooling of select primaries and supporting nuances, I could easily tell that a lot of different sequences should have looked much more impressive in native 4K.
The 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray felt similarly frustrating. In many areas, the superiority of the visuals was undeniable. Delineation, clarity, sharpness, and depth are more satisfying. However, The color shifts are again very obvious, with the blue to teal being the most prominent one.
There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English LPCM 2.0 and French LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH, French, and French SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The original English track is very nice. It has a wonderful fullness that I think is not always present on the previous lossless track from the first Blu-ray release of Red Sun. Also, even when the volume is turned up quite a bit, the upper register remains very solid, very healthy. However, there are still some small yet noticeable unevenness that is inherited from the original soundtrack. The first Blu-ray release did not have optional English SDH subtitles, but on this release they are included.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
Red Sun is a lot like the various westerns Bud Spencer and Terence Hill made, which means that it does not take itself seriously and has leads that enjoy themselves as much as they could. It is a different western because its leads are four very big international stars. It could have been much better, but I like it and frequently revisit it, usually during Christmas season. StudioCanal's combo pack introduces a new 4K restoration of Red Sun that can best be described as a mixed bag. It offers improvements in some areas, but elsewhere it introduces issues that should have been avoided.
Un dollaro a testa / The Italian Collection #41
1966
¿Quien sabe?
1967
Rang Zi Dan Fei
2010
Il grande duello
1972
Una ragione per vivere e una per morire / Massacre at Fort Holman
1972
Return of the Magnificent Seven
1966
È tornato Sabata...hai chiuso un'altra volta / Eureka Classics
1971
Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di... / Eureka Classics
1971
좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
2008
Chino | Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1973
Une corde, un Colt...
1969
La resa dei conti | Indicator Series | Standard Edition
1966
Corri uomo corri / Masters of Cinema
1968
Django, prepare ton cercueil / Preparati la bara!
1968
Limited Collector's Edition
1966
Per 100.000 dollari t'ammazzo / One Hundred Thousand Dollars Per Killing
1967
Una nuvola di polvere... un grido di morte... arriva Sartana / Gunman in Town
1970
10.000 dollari per un massacro / Guns of Violence / Ten Thousand Dollars for a Massacre
1967
Kill Him / ¡Mátalo!
1970
Santo contra los jinetes del terror | Indicator Series | Limited Edition
1970