johnnyboyz Just how DO you make those planked, rope bridges that you see cross deep ravines in films? The one in Royal Hunt of the Sun is so many hundreds of years old, and yet is made so tough that one instance sees three men successfully carry a large cannon over it, but one other soldier on his own puts a foot through one of the boards and nearly falls to his death. But I digress from the more burning; more taxing issues and ideas apparent in Royal Hunt of the Sun. It would be true to say that everyone's favourite action orientated, mythical adventure genre cliché in the rope bridge is out in force in the 1969 Irving Lerner film; but there's an underlying current of study included with most of what goes on during the early segments. Such an opening sounds disjointed, leaping from arbitrary rope bridge conversation to the mentioning of deeper ideas; but such is the manner of this opening as is of the film in question. The film, essentially cut into two parts and parted right down the middle by a maddening and somewhat misguided slow motion sword fight sequence to some high tempo Spanish flamenco music, ends on a deeply disturbing and rather philosophical note when a man's word; a bond between men; a truce between men and whether the co-existing of religions from different nations and cultures are possible. Most characters came in search of gold they did not have; but one man, the leader, found something else which was inside of him the entire time. Robert Shaw plays that man, a true-to-life Spanish explorer by the name of Francisco Pizarro whom journeys to South America once again in search of a trove of gold in some form. Prior to embarking, Pizarro stands in front of his peers and their subjects; goading them as idle persons standing by waiting for the nation of Spain to sink into some sort of ruin. Pizarro dares to dream, dares to explore and assumes to love the nation more than those in front of him. Pizarro's wish in granted, once again, by the higher-ups that are present, for another romp in search of indescribable treasures, but they maintain he is "a mere adventurer, nothing more".Pizarro's inability to properly connect with those in a long, spindly location of royal dwelling in his native Spain as those at the top sit at one end and those summoned stand at the other, is raised later on when whilst in the presence of the leader of the natives of the land he has arrived at, Christopher Plummer's walking Inca God Atahualpa, a level of communication is reached; a sense of understanding is accomplished – here is a man who dares to dream in equal manner; whose eccentricity twinned with his habit to think outside of the proverbial box matches Pizarro's. Their overall dress and look may be of clear binary opposition in their clothes and hair, but the understanding they have binds them; something exemplified through items such as their sharing of illiteracy. It is a connection that will be pushed pretty far when an agreement to do with preserving one's life in exchange for something else which in turn ought to guarantee the preserving of someone else's is used as a drive for a final third pot-boiler.Royal Hunt of the Sun is initially a romping, sweeping adventure flick running on a drive to do with the search for something that might not even exist and has not been found on many-a past occasion by the same individual who has cost many-a life in the process. Armed with religion in the form of a priest convinced all those who have not taken to the bible and its readings are yet to be truly fulfilled in their life; a young Paige by the name of Martin (Whiting) and Pizarro's own razor sharp tongue and wit, they take it upon themselves to finally uncover the legend of the gold in finding it. Bearing in mind it is a full three years prior to Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God; a film similar in premise, Royal Hunt of the Sun cannot be denied its sense of historical context and additional inspiration. The first half enjoys its wide establishing shots of the dry wilderness the Spaniards must conquer, as it does its unnerving confrontations with the local Inca tribesmen which are rendered quick witted; pulpy; hillside sequences of fast-paced banter, rebounding between talk of religion and the whereabouts of the riches.Following that bizarre centrefold fight sequence in which the Spanish have their religion rejected and many Inca tribes-people are massacred, Royal Hunt of the Sun beds down into a two locale maximum piece; really starting to show its stage roots but offering a little more than singular strand adventure fable in which rope bridges and nervy interactions with the native locals are the order of the day. The shift sees the film change gears and opt for content of a different kind of dramatic nature which isn't of an overly visual sort, instead relying on conflicts to do with a man's bond versus another's well-being; a man's thoughts and ideas conflicting with that of the state's, evident when Pizarro attempts to reject the conquistadors that are his own in favour of the Inca leader. This, plus a conflict of interests in religion: whether this South American band of people even need the western world's thoughts and musings on all things holy, which is rendered a form of modernity in the travelling priest whose aim it seems is to transfer knowledge. The film works, and although its seams are a little more obvious than I would've liked, its shifting of content of a dramatic weight makes for interesting and somewhat engrossing viewing.

Chase_Witherspoon The first time I saw this flick, I was disappointed; disappointed because I'd expected an adventure tale of King Soloman proportions, an Aladdin's cave full of gold, and bloody Inca battles in a Peruvian jungle setting. In hindsight, I should've read the reviews, because my frame of mind would've been in the right place to enjoy this intense character study. Suffice to say on second viewing, I was able to appreciate the quality of the stage-born dialogue, and the precision with which its delivered by both Shaw and Plummer in their unique portrayals of demi-gods by any other name.Narratively, it's a detailed snapshot of Pizarro's ill-fated conquest of the Incas, not for the glory of gold, but for the almost sanctimonious obsession with divinity and unparalleled colonialism. In essence, he signed his ticket before he departed Spain, promising the world he could never deliver, pursuing a pathological indulgence to satisfy his superior ego. There's an element of pity in Shaw's depiction of Pizarro, that of a mercenary without a war, unable to adjust to a civilian life. Shaw is magnificent as the deeply righteous conquistador whose eloquence in arguing secular sovereignty, fails to dominate the simple native lexicon of King Atahualpa (Plummer), communicating in a basically nonsensical series of clicks and chirps. If Atahualpa can prove he is a God, Pizarro will recognise his sovereignty, but if not, both his life and his land of rich antiquities will belong to the kingdom of Spain.With Michael Craig, Leonard Whiting and Nigel Davenport in the wings, it's an ensemble British cast of true quality, and the performances are first rate. Set design, costumes, score and script deliver, and while momentum is at times a distinct challenge, if you're not fully engaged in the dialogue, the result is likely to be languid in pace and voluble in speak. My initial viewing was such; fortunately, I watched it a second time.

ragosaal This is a sort of strange epic spectacular film of a time when the genre was not in high demand. The story deals with the conquest of the Inca empire (now Perù) by the Spaniards leaded by Franncisco Pizarro back in the sixteenth century. This is not a movie for everyone to see it and appreciate it -it could seem a bit slow at times- but it stands as a fine and very decent product for those of us who are interested in historical events om Latin America."The Royal Hunt of the Sun" can be considered as the delayed complement to Henry King's "Captain from Castile" (1947) referred to the similar conquest of today's Mexico by Hernán Cortés (played accurately by Cèsar Romero). The more than 20 years elapsed between both films shows clearly the different cinematographic techniques of one time and the other; but both products have many similarities in their conception such as the crash between two completely different civilizations each one with their own religious, social and political standards and also the search of gold and riches by both "conquistadores" and their total lack of scruples for the achievement of their target (clearly leaving aside the pretended conversion to Catholicism of the natives that was the excuse of their kings to support the expeditions in a time when the church ruled in Spain).If not totally accurate with real facts, the Pizarro saga and his confrontation with the god-king Atahualpa in "Royal Hunt" is acceptable scripted and suits enough history and mainly legend.The atmosphere that not very prolific director Irving Lerner obtains in his film is excellent transiting a sort of a mystical sensation at times and when required; the final sequence when the Incas are waiting for Atahualpa's Sun-father to raise and bring him back to life is outstanding. The location places, settings and a weird music are very good too.Robert Shaw plays a convincing Pizarro -daring, ambitious and greedy- who after a while shows some kind of respect and even admiration towards a man he can't quite understand. It is true that Cristopher Plummer's performance as Atahualpa is most eccentric as some reviewers state here, but who knows how a God -he and his people were convinced he was one- would behave? I think that Plummer did a very good job with his role here and his truly original acting is one of the highlights of the film.For those who enjoy historical films with an epic frame this is one to see.

PaulaDec63 If, like me, you fell in love with Christopher Plummer while watching The Sound of Music, Royal Hunt of the Sun is a definite must-see! As the Incan ruler Atahualpa, he's wearing very little throughout the movie and his body is absolutely breathtaking! He hasn't played that many "beefcake" roles or done many scenes that show his physical attributes, but this one definitely does! Where was People magazine and their "Sexiest Man Alive" contest when this movie was out??? Christopher Plummer would have won hands-down, no doubt!All that aside, his acting is excellent, too. This movie re-tells this sad chapter of history very well and very accurately.