The Royal Hunt of the Sun | | Cast : | Irving Lerner, Robert Shaw, Christopher Plummer | | Director : | Irving Lerner | | Studio : | Simitar Video | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 01, 1969 | | DVD Released Date : | April 07, 1998 | | Language : | English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | G (General Audience) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | November 27, 2004 | | Summary | Excellent film - or at least it was originally | Content
 | Others have mentioned the poor picture quality of this DVD - and it certainly seems to have been mastered from an NTSC video. The quality is therefore nothing to get excited about (the colours seeming weak) - but it's OK - and at least the film is in scope. However, this is not the film I originally saw in london in 1969 - which was approximately two hours long. The present version on DVD is getting on for half an hour shorter - and is the worse for the cuts. It may be that this abridged print was the only version ever shown in the USA ... in which case it is hoped someone can locate a full length print - and re-master it digitally. |
| Rating | | | Date | October 27, 2004 | | Summary | Magnificent | Content
| This film adaptation of Peter Shaffer's play does complete justice to the intelligence and power of the original. While staying very close to historical truth, it is at the same time a timeless and haunting meditation on cultural differences, religion, loyalty, greed, power and friendship. The acting is absolutely superb: Robert Shaw's Pizarro weaves strength, doubt, lust for adventure and riches, and cunning combined with honesty and involuntary admiration for the Inca god-king he has taken prisoner.
The top honors go though undoubtedly to Christopher Plummer and his arrestingly magnificent portrayal of Atahualpa (incidentally, Plummer had played Pizarro in the Broadway version of the play, to much acclaim). He is in turn, and many times all at once, supremely royal, candid, touching, god-like, child-like, alien, eccentric, visionary and always masterful. It is a performance of such power and beauty as rarely has graced the screen, and the actor himself confessed that this was one of the roles he was most proud of.
There is not much "action" as such in the movie, which centers instead on the improbable developing friendship and admiration between Pizarro and Atahualpa, their conversations, and Pizarro's increasingly adversarial relationship with his fellow conquistadores, who want Atahualpa dead and the Inca empire subjugated and converted (with the Inquisition overtones of "convert, or else"). Atahualpa stays serenely true to himself until the end - his conversion to Christianity before he is killed is not a renegation, but a royal nod delivered with a knowing smile to Pizarro and young Martin, who adress him as "My Lord" and beg him to accept the conversion in order not to be burned at the stake. It is Pizarro who is the conflicted one - between the Spanish crown that exploits him without helping him and the ruthless men of the church who accompany him on the one hand, and the peaceful and happy Incas and their majestic but curiously endearing god-king on the other, Pizarro's beliefs and allegiances are all put under question. His heart starts to believe in the man he has to agree to let be killed for the glory of Spain...
All in all, a splendid movie with a superb cast and raising some very thought-provoking questions. Highly recommended. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 27, 2003 | | Summary | I MUST'VE SEEN A DIFFERENT DVD! | Content
| The quality of the DVD I saw was no worse than many films not fully restored that have a video quality about them. Sometimes it was very clear and the colors were very nice. But what about the FILM ITSELF? CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER IS BRILLIANT as the Inca. He is such an underrated actor. He is one of the finest actors it has been my pleasure to watch during my life - up there with Olivier. Robert Shaw gives a good performance, and the film is one of the most moving and challenging works I have ever seen. If you want to see a brilliant performance from Christopher Plummer and be highly moved, buy this DVD. If you want perfect picture quality, stay away and miss out on a classic film. Hopefully this film will be remastered in the future - until then, I'm quite satisfied with this. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 06, 1999 | | Summary | Same world, different video? | Content
| Unless the previous reviewers were too harsh and I too lenient, Simitar may have revised their DVD release of THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN. The version I saw was part of a two-pack featuring it and THE FIFTH DAY OF PEACE in Amaray-type keep cases. Anyhow, the picture is letterboxed, but crops off a bit of the right, evidenced early on by the title reading "Christoph(er) Plumme(r)" and Robert Shaw being cut off when he stands too far to the right. Yes, the print shows damage in the form of scratches, artifacts, and bad splices, along with faded colors and a picture lacking sharpness. The audio is in unexceptional Linear PCM. But get this: the bars are honest to goodness BLACK! In my opinion, it's staill quite watchable, not at all the horrid and incomprehensible mess described by others. The outstanding cast, scenic Spanish locations, energetic score, and resouceful production designing by Eugene Lourie elevate this film far beyond its low budget roots as well as the deficiencies of this video presentation. THE ROYAL HUNT OF THE SUN is a fine movie that certainly deserves better, much better. But as it stands, the DVD is okay...for now. A final note, the DVD clocks in at 95 minutes, not the 88 printed on the cover. |
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