calvinnme
This film about the downfall of the Inca empire in sixteenth century Peru manages to be deadly dull for the first 35 minutes; even star Robert Shaw (as Pizarro) manages to be boring and glum. Then Atahualpa, King of the Incas (Christopher Plummer) appears and Plummer shocks the movie back to life. In the process, he gives a lesson on movie-stealing; hissing, prancing, yowling, sniffing, swooping, shrieking, he effectively makes the film His and everyone else is just annoying background noise. Plummer is in his own Universe and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. Even the anti- Vietnam War scene doesn't stop the laughter. It's so badly executed that characters fall before being hit, in two cases without being hit.As long as Plummer's on screen, this is amusing or, at the very least interesting: without him, it is pretty dull.
merklekranz
I wanted to like "The Royal Hunt of the Sun", but it begs comparison to a far superior film, and fails to entertain. Religious clap trap may have gone a long way towards sinking the movie. I have no problem with Robert Shaw or Christopher Plummer's acting. It is the lack of movement that drags the film down. There simply isn't enough meaningful dialog, unless you are into blasphemy, to maintain interest. Ultimately you will wish you had watched something else. "Aguirre the Wrath of God". had much the same theme, searching for gold, while spreading "God's word", and Aguirre is a far better film. I cannot recommend "The Royal Hunt of the Sun", but do recommend "Aguirre the Wrath of God". - MERK
Tarabud2
When I saw this film, I was blown away by Christopher Plummer's portrayal of the Incan leader, Atahualpa. I originally saw the film because of Leonard Whiting (Romeo in the Franco Zefferelli film "Romeo and Juliet," opposite Olivia Hussey as Juliet), who plays a young member of Pizarro's party. Plummer was able to accurately capture the essence of the Incan leader, with great pride and dignity, despite his fatal flaw of trusting the representative of a culture whose only goal was domination and oppression. This story was also brilliantly presented in the Newberry Award-winning children's novel, "The Secret of the Andes," by Ann Nolan Clark, about a young boy who is the last remaining pure Incan, living in the Andes with his spiritual guide and teacher, who goes on a journey of discovery into Cuzco, to find out what contributed to the eradication of his race. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find this film to either rent or buy, but if you are able to obtain a copy, it is well worth watching. The title of the film is tied to the Incans' worship of the sun (their monetary unit is the "sol," which is "sun" in Spanish).
the_running_paper_tiger
Now, watching this movie is like tasting a bottle of fine wine (or beer :)). You may not be satisfied at the beginning, but later... If it weren't for 'Midnight Cowboy' who knows..., then maybe 1969 would be the year of 'The Royal Hunt of the Sun'. Sensational film which depicts brutality, hypocrisy, greed. This awesome picture shows how one peaceful (in comparison with the spanish) world falls apart, shows how reality strikes and hits You real hard (e.g. - Young Martin). Robert Shaw and Christopher Plummer... well... They're absolutely fabulous!!! Christopher Plummer with his attitude and ... c'mon watch Him walking, dancing..., even asking about 'art of writing' ! His unbelievable way of acting goes strictly together as one with the way of thinking, moving, ranting... pointing His finger. Robert Shaw - angry, coping with His injured leg, unbeatable, bursting with force. One world dies, as the other one devours Its essence. In the name of god none gives a damn about that. Well maybe some of them do..., but when They have to choose...WARNING: It's strongly recommended to watch this Movie.
AD
