Red Sun: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1970
Director: Rudolf Thome
Writer: Max Zihlmann
Cast: Uschi Obermaier, Marquard Bohm, Sylvia Kekulé, Gaby Go, Diana Körner, Peter Moland, Don Wahl, Hark Bohm, Henry van Lyck

Release Date: June 19th, 2023 (UK), June 20th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $34.95 (USA)

"Thomas (Marquard Bohm, Kings of the Road) gets a ride to Munich where he finds his ex-girlfriend Peggy (counter culture activist and model Uschi Obermaier) who takes him in. In her flat he finds Peggy and her roommates have a commune-like lifestyle where they kill the men in their lives after five days, but will Thomas realize in time?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Red Sun was restored in 2K from the original camera negative and overseen by Rudolf Thome at Cinegrell Postfactory in Berlin, Germany. Additional restoration was ubdertaken by Radiance Films in 2022 to remove instances of dirt and scratches at Silver Salt, London."

Red Sun comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.1 GB

Feature: 24.6 GB

The source used is in great shape, though there are a few very minor imperfections that are never intrusive. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, contrast, image clarity, and black levels are solid, and the image always looks organic. That said, it is difficult to imagine Red Sun looking any better than this transfer.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. The audio is in excellent shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and ambient sounds are well-represented. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include a visual essay by scholar Johannes von Moltke titled Rote Sonne between Pop Sensibility and Social Critique (20 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a visual essay by academic and programmer Margaret Deriaz tracing the development of the New German Cinema from the Oberhausen Manifesto to the fall of the Berlin wall titled From Oberhausen to the Fall of the Wall (49 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital Stereo English with removable English subtitles for German film excerpts), eleven scene commentary with director Rudolf Thome and filmmaker Rainer Langhans, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 52-page booklet (limited to 2000 copies) cast & crew information with an essay titled Guerilla Girls: Radical Politics in Rudolf Thome’s Red Sun written by Samm Deighan, an interview with Rudolf Thome from 1995, newly translated archival letters by filmmaker Wim Wenders, and film critic Enno Patalas titled Letters to the German Film Evaluation Office, review extracts (1970-1991), and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Though Red Sun has most of the elements that are synonymous with the thriller genre, the way in which it uses these elements is not always conventional. That said, the result is a riveting experience that quickly draws you in and lingers in your mind long after its final haunting image.

The narrative revolves around four women who have made a pact when it comes to the men in their lives. They are only allowed five days of enjoyment with a man before they kill him. This arrangement was going smoothly until a young man named Thomas entered their lives. Will he face a similar fate as the other men, or will he outsmart them at their own game?

Red Sun is director Rudolf Thome's second feature film. His other notable films include Tagebuch, Berlin Chamissoplatz, Tarot, and The Philosopher. And though he rose to prominence in German cinema during a time that gave us Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders, his films have not achieved the same success outside of Germany that these three contemporaries have.

When it comes to performances, the entire cast rises to the occasion, with no performance lacking. With the standout performances being Uschi Obermaier in the role of Peggy, one of the four women who lure in men and kill them, and Marquard Bohm in the role of Thomas, a layabout who has no ambition.

Despite a lack of backstory, Red Sun’s narrative does a remarkable job holding your attention. The minimal information that is provided about the characters is almost an afterthought since the cast creates engaging characters. That said, there is a briskness to the story at hand that ensures there is never a dull moment.

Though most of the score is made of pop music that was in vogue in the late 1960s, bands like Small Faces and The Nice It is the use of Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor that strikes the deepest emotional connection.

Another area where Red Sun is exemplary is in its visuals, which are stylish, notably in regards to color choices. Also, the visuals are filled with interesting compositions that are not always conventional. Ultimately, Red Sun is a perfect fusion of arthouse and pop art cinema that, at times, is reminiscent of the cinema of Jean-Luc Godard.

Red Sun gets a definitive release from Radiance Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer