The Kings of the Sun (original title: Kings of the Sun ) is an American film directed by J. Lee Thompson , released in 1963 .
Synopsis
In a fuzzy period of Mayan history, a young king, Balam, brave, wise and peaceful fled with his people against the army of the cruel Hunac Ceel. They arrive on an unknown land. An Indian leader Black Eagle, also brave and wise, is taken prisoner. Promised to a human sacrifice, he is pardoned by Balam that this tradition repels and thinks that the gods especially appreciate that men show solidarity and hardworking. Yet the troubling Ixchel that seduces the two men quickly brings the discord. The two peoples disperse. It was then that Hunac Ceel and his blood-hungry warriors arrived. Balam stands, quickly submerged. Black Eagle and his people decide to help him. Hunac Ceel is killed, his army defeated but Black Eagle also pays with his life. Before closing my eyes,
Comments
Benefiting from extensive means, a freed director who signed among others, The Canons of Navarone , a musician to whom we owe the solar partitions of La Grande Évasion and The Seven Mercenaries [What?] , This film, ulcerated kitsch, finds his serious intention less in the adventure than in the struggle against useless, cruel and barbarous traditions. Yul Brynner and George Chakiris are of great truth.
Technical sheet
- Title: The Kings of the Sun
- Original title: Kings of the Sun
- Directed by: J. Lee Thompson , assisted by John Flynn (uncredited)
- Scenario: Elliott Arnold and James R. Webb
- Production: Lewis J. Rachmil
- Music: Elmer Bernstein
- Photography: Joseph MacDonald
- Costumes: Norma Koch
- Editing: William Reynolds
- Country of origin: United States
- Format: Colors – 2.35: 1 – Mono
- Genre: Adventure, Historic
- Duration: 108 minutes
- Release date: 1963
Distribution
- Yul Brynner ( VF : Georges Aminel ) : Black Eagle Chief
- George Chakiris ( VF : Jean-Louis Jemma ) : Balam
- Shirley Anne Field ( VF : Martine Sarcey ) : Ixchel
- Richard Basehart : Ah Min
- Barry Morse ( VF : Louis Arbessier ) : Ah Zok
- Leo Gordon ( VF : Pierre Collet ) : Hunac Ceel
- Ford Rainey ( VF : Jacques Berlioz ) : The Chef
- Brad Dexter ( VF : André Valmy ) : Ah Haleb
- Armando Silvestre ( VF : Georges Atlas ) : Isatai
- Rudy Solari ( VF : Jean-Pierre Duclos ) : Pitz
- James Coburn ( VF : Jean-Claude Michel ) : Narrator