In the early ‘90s,Wesley Snipespassed multiple tests to become a bona fide Hollywood leading man. Seminal hits of the period, includingNew Jack CityandWhite Men Can’t Jump, elevated his profile thanks to his natural charisma and relatable charm. Then,Passenger 57proved he could physically run circles around his action star peersJean-Claude Van DammeandSteven Seagal. But in 1993, Snipes faced his biggest test yet: Playing opposite the legendarySean ConneryinRising Sun.
Based on the 1992 novel byMichael Crichton(Jurassic Park) and adapted for screen by directorPhilip Kaufman(The Right Stuff), theneo-noir thrillerwas a unique mix of the American/Japanese cultural tensions ofBlack Rain, the intense crime of passion theme ofBasic Instinct, and the dark buddy movie element of the originalLethal Weapon.The film proved controversial at the time of releasedue to its negative depictions of the Asian community, mostly portrayed as corrupt businessmen and misogynistic criminals. Critics were not too kind toRising Suneither, scoring a 32% rotten score onRotten Tomatoes. Despite the intriguing but sensitive nature of the cultural subject matter,Rising Sunwas a defining moment in Snipes' career as he held his own with the originalJames Bond.
What Is ‘Rising Sun’ About?
When an American sex worker is found strangled to death on the boardroom table of the Los Angeles-based headquarters of the Japanese corporation Nakamoto, LAPD cop Web Smith (Snipes) is called in to investigate the homicide. Due to his lack of knowledge of Japanese affairs, Smith is forced to partner with veteran police Captain John Connor (Connery) to act as an intermediary while solving the case. A cover-up is initially suspected as the detectives discover that one of the discs containing surveillance footage is nowhere to be found.
Smith and Connor link the dead call-girl to boyfriend Eddie Sakamura (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who happens to be associated with a competitor of Nakamoto. Eddie’s culpability in the case grows stronger when the detectives find the missing disk, revealing him as the killer. But after Eddie refuses to turn himself in, further evidence of a second cover-up puts Smith and Connor into a massive web of deception tying business and politics with murder.
Rising Suncame at a time when race relations in America were front-page news, especially in L.A. County. There was the black and white divide stemming from theRodney Kingincident and the1992 riotsthat followed, which are touched upon through Snipes' portrayal of a cop caught between duty and the ethnic inequality in his job. Similarly, the anxiety surrounding Japanese influence on American business was becoming more prominent, with film studios and automobile manufacturers taken over by Eastern mega-corporations. In this sense, Snipes is constantly the outsider facing resistance and miscommunication, while only Connery can cut through without being marginalized. As much as a murder mystery drives the story,Rising Sun’s commentary on race tends to overshadow the entertainment value with no subtlety.
Sean Connery Channeled an Older James Bond in This Epic ’90s Action Movie With Nicolas Cage
Sean Connery played a gruff ex-British intelligence agent very similar to his star-making superspy.
How Wesley Snipes Holds His Own Opposite Sean Connery
In terms of action,Rising Sunis not the typical summer blockbuster. There are a few stylish gunfights, car chases, and massive explosions like a testosterone-heavy action picture. It plays as a cerebral thriller with the intrigue as Connery’s Capt. Connor navigates Japanese culture, while Snipes serves as the audience, struggling to piece together the story and navigate police politics within his squad, led by Lt. Graham (Harvey Keitel). For most of the film,Snipes is restrained in the action as Connery gets to lightly revert to his Bond years, from attacking a large bouncer with his thumb to a shootout in an apartment raid. But Snipes ultimately gets to showcase his fast martial arts moves alongside Connery in a fight sequence with Japanese security.
For Snipes to act alongside James Bond himself, he restrains the martial arts and his typically cool persona to allow Connery to be the man of wisdom and mystery. But instead of coming off too soft,Snipes gets to push back against Connery’s gravitas by giving a more assertive streetwise attitude that complements the distinguished policeman, making for a powerful dynamic far different from the comedic chemistry of lead characters seen in48 HRS.andLethal Weapon. UponConnery’s passing in 2020, Snipes posted a moving tribute to the icon onFacebook, having “Challenged me to keep my SUN Rising and each day thereafter was GLORIOUS”. To that end, the work with Connery onRising Sunresulted in Snipes’ growth as a commanding presence who could stand toe-to-toe with other legends such asSylvester Stallone,Robert De Niro, andEddie Murphy.
Rising Sun
