Directed by Terence Young
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Encore)
Japanese samurai films often resemble the Hollywood western, only instead of guns they use swords. This film does nothing more than make that connection obvious by bringing together two legends from each genre. Mifune is the "fish out of water" in the old west. He is part of a diplomatic mission traveling cross country by train when it is robbed by Alain Delon and his henchmen, including partner Bronson. Delon steals a Japanese sword intended as a gift for the president and kills one of its guards. Mifune vows to get the sword back and take revenge for the death, and ends up an unwilling partner with Bronson who is left for dead. They trade a few quips back and forth on their trek across the wilderness, but neither man is exactly known for his eloquence. They pick up Ursula Andress along the way to be bait for Delon. Some Comanches are thrown in the mix, but it lacks narrative focus and is often episodic. It's really a wasted opportunity in what should have been a much more interesting film.
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