Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Plunder of the Sun Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 20, 2021

John Farrow's "Plunder of the Sun" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include archival audio commentary recorded by Peter Ford and writer/historian Frank Thompson; exclusive new program with critic Barry Forshaw; archival featurettes; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Just the job. Are you interested?

Insurance adjuster Al Colby (Glenn Ford) is in a tight spot and has to tell the truth. He knows it, and so do the men around him. Any form of resistance would be futile, so he begins talking.

Apparently, it all started in a lousy bar in Havana. A beautiful woman (Patricia Medina) approached him, they talked, and eventually she offered to introduce him to a man who wanted him to do a job. His name was Thomas Berrien (Francis L. Sullivan) and he was fat. He was very ill too, which is why Colby had to decide quickly. Berrien wanted him to transport a tiny package from Havana to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he would be free to leave with his prize -- $1,000 American dollars. At first Colby did not like the job, but because he desperately needed the money, he changed his mind and picked up the package. He figured that the best way to carry the package was to fasten it to his ribs with some adhesive tape.

Berrien and the beautiful woman were also on the ship to Havana, so they kept a close eye on him. Colby did not mind, until Berrien ‘accidentally’ died and he began wondering whether someone else was monitoring him as well. There was this guy named Jefferson (Sean McClory) that talked to him and seemed to know a lot about Berrien and his dealings. Once in Oaxaca, Colby went straight to Hotel San Felipe, as Barrien had told him, and checked in a room that was booked for him. It was there that he finally opened the package and discovered that it had three pieces of parchment with symbols and a tiny disc of carved jade. An hour later, he met the beautiful woman again and she told him that she was Berrien’s daughter and ready to pay him for his service. He refused to turn in the package and instead began reading archeological books to learn more about its contents. It is when he again crossed paths with Jefferson, who knew a lot more about it and why Berrien was obsessed with it – the package could reveal the exact location of a giant treasure hidden in the ancient city of Monte Alban. Eventually, Jefferson forced Colby to help him find the treasure. Colby had to do it because he did not like the alternative, which was getting a bullet in his head.

Loosely based on the novel by David Dodge, John Farrow’s Plunder of the Sun is an old-fashioned adventure film with an unusual noirish identity. However, it is unclear if this is precisely the type of film it was intended to be because instead of complementing each other its contrasting qualities actually compete for superiority right until the end credits appear on the screen. One possible reason for this is Ford’s performance because it emphasizes contemporary elegance that feels quite exotic for a traditional adventure film. (Yves Allegret's The Proud and the Beautiful has a very similar split personality, though in it the adventure is traded for tragic romance). It is also a dominant performance that demands the supporting cast to respond in a very particular way, which is why it feels like the noirish identity is the film’s true identity. On the other hand, the good on-location footage and emphasis on period detail seem to suggest that Farrow was in fact keen on delivering a good adventure film that somehow welcomed a wide range noirish overtones.

Ultimately, while it might be easy to identify quite a few areas that could have had clearer genre characteristics, in its current form this film is very entertaining. It feels different and even though it was shot with a modest budget it looks very stylish as well.

*In one of the new bonus features that are included on this release, it is mentioned that Ford did not get along with Farrow and essentially did his character as he wanted. Could this be the reason why the film turned out as it did? It is impossible to tell. However, it is not difficult to speculate that this could be the reason why the film is so refreshing and entertaining.

Plunder of the Sun Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Plunder of the Sun arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. If I had to guess I would say that the master was prepared sometime towards the end of the DVD era, but I could be wrong. Nevertheless, it is quite good, and the film actually has a fine and stable organic appearance. Predictably, there are a few rough spots here and there where density fluctuations impact delineation and depth, but they are very minor. Also, there are tiny dark spots and some blemishes that could have been removed, but I did not find them distracting at all. They grayscale is convincing, though there is certainly room for rebalancing adjustments that could expose more finer nuances in darker areas. Image stability is very good. All in all, though slightly dated, this is a good organic presentation of Plunder of the Sun that makes it quite easy to enjoy it even on a very large screen. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Plunder of the Sun Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and stable. I did notice a few very small pops in the upper register, but there are no distracting distortions or hiss. Dynamic balance is good. Dynamic intensity is quite limited, but this is to be expected from a film that was produced in the early 1950s.

Plunder of the Sun Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for Plunder of the Sun. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, Peter Ford, son of Glenn Ford, and writer/historian Frank Thompson explain why Plunder of the Sun should be better know and how the legendary actor became involved with it, and discuss the production process in Mexico, the original story that inspired it, John Farrow's working methods (and why Ford did not end up being Hondo as well as his feud with Farrow), the personal lives of the stars, etc. Great commentary.

• Barry Forshaw on "Plunder of the Sun" - in this new program, critic Barry Forshaw discusses the stylistic identity of Plunder of the Sun, its themes and personality, David Dodge's novel that inspired the film, the evolution of the film noir genre and the types of genre protagonists Glenn Ford played, etc. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• On Location with Glenn Ford - this archival featurette is narrated by Peter Ford. It features stills from the production of Plunder of the Sun as well as personal notes from Glenn Ford. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Plundering History - in this archival featurette, Dr. David Carballo discusses the evolution of archeology and abuse of ancient artifacts as well as the story that is told in Plunder of the Sun. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• The John Wayne Stock Company: "Sean McClory" Featurette - this archival featurette takes a closer look at the company that produced Plunder of the Sun. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

Plunder of the Sun Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Unpredictable beauties, shady characters with multiple personalities, an incomplete map that could reveal the location of a centuries-old treasure in the ancient Mexican city of Monte Alban, and Glenn Ford playing a clueless American insurance adjuster trying to figure out whether it is worth risking his life to get rich quick -- all of this in an old-fashioned adventure film that actually wants to be a film noir? This is definitely not what I expected from Plunder of the Sun, so needless to say, I had a terrific time with it. Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but nice organic master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. It is included in its recent Essential Film Noir - Collection 2 four-disc box set. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.