Wind and stars
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Wind and Stars - The Travels of James Cook |
| Original title | Captain James Cook |
| Country of production | Germany , Australia |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1987 |
| length | about 400 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lawrence Gordon Clark |
| script | Peter Yeldham |
| production | Ray Alchin Geoffrey Daniels |
| music | José Nieto |
| camera | Peter Hendry |
| cut | Tony Kavanagh |
| occupation | |
| |
Wind and Stars is a multi-part television film (four episodes) from 1987 with Keith Michell , John Gregg , Erich Hallhuber , Jacques Penot and Barry Quinn in the leading roles. The film deals with the travels of James Cook and the discovery of Australia.
action
Part 1
The film begins in 1768 when the British Admiralty hires the botanist Joseph Banks and the naval officer James Cook to conduct an expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Astronomical measurements are to be carried out there for the Royal Society . Despite the initial rivalries between Cook and Banks, their relationship became increasingly friendly during the crossing. But even when the Endeavor finally reached Tahiti, conflicts were inevitable. Despite the friendly welcome from the natives, it shows how different the values of Europeans and Tahitians are. Unfortunately for the team, the quadrant is also stolen.
Part 2
In 1770, James Cook finally left Tahiti, but not without taking a local as a guide. On the coast of New Zealand, however, the crew is hostile to the indigenous people . In general, it seems that from now on the trip is not going well: the first lieutenant falls ill with tuberculosis. When the Endeavor finally reached New Holland (later Australia ), the team's reserves of strength were almost exhausted. To make matters worse, the ship finally collides with a reef and can only be made seaworthy again with great difficulty. Cook has no choice but to visit a shipyard in Batavia, Holland . However, malaria is rampant there , so that several crew members, including the ship's doctor, become sick and die from it. Despite all the difficulties, Cook managed to safely reach England with the Endeavor.
part 3
Success always arouses envious people. James Cook was not spared this experience after his return to England. Despite all the intrigues against him, however, he was given the task of leading a new expedition. In addition, the resolution and the adventure are subordinate to him. During the crossing, Cook is afflicted by a stomach disease, so that his life is hanging by a thread. After a short stopover in Tahiti, Cook sets out to explore the South Pole region. When he finally returns home, the celebrated explorer allows his resolute wife Elisabeth to persuade him to take a job on land. But the restless commander didn't stay there for long: When the Admiralty offered him an expedition to discover the Northwest Passage , he couldn't refuse.
Part 4
The beginning of Cook's last voyage was already under a bad star: The otherwise pedantic captain made a serious navigational error and was accordingly in a bad mood. Of course, this does not leave the crew unaffected, which is exposed to an increasingly irascible commander. Under severe hardship, Cook sails the coast of Alaska in the hope of finally finding the Northwest Passage. Since the work could not be continued sensibly during the arctic winter and the resulting heavy icing, Cook sought refuge in Hawaii . Due to increasing conflicts between natives and Europeans, he is forced to leave early. When the rig of the ship is badly damaged during a storm , he nevertheless returns to Hawaii to make makeshift repairs to the ship. The natives rise up against him and a dispute breaks out, in the dramatic result of which Cook is stabbed to death.
Reviews
The film was extremely well received by the audience. Above all, the fact that it is based very closely on the relevant specialist literature is praised. There is also a historical novel on the subject developed by John Hooker from the film's script. This first appeared in 1988 and had several editions up to 1990.
General
The Bounty (sometimes referred to as Bounty III ) , which was recreated in 1978 as "Endeavor", was used for filming . Today she is in Hong Kong and is still seaworthy.
A DVD version of the film was released on January 26, 2009. It comprises a total of four DVDs and is the 16th part of the ARD DVD series "Big Stories".
Web links
- Wind and stars in the TV wish list database
- Wind and stars in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Wind and Stars (novel) by John Hooker in the catalog of the German National Library