The Royal Hunt of the Sun (1969)

Yes, Christopher Plummer's accent and antics are, to the the least of it, peculiar, but trying to see this as a historically accurate epic seems to be missing the point. The original play was by Peter Shaffer - he of Amadeus and Equus, and this film follows the same themes - the conflict and tension between between (according to interpretation) real and apparent power, or between ability and genius. The tension between Atahualpa and Pisarro is along the same lines as between Mozart and Salieri, or the Boy and the Psychiatrist. One has the trappings of power and success, but who really has the raw power? Seeing it as a historical epic is a mistake - just as "Becket" is a very modern take on a different battle of wills.

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.

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).

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.