Christopher Columbus - The Explorer

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Movie
German title Christopher Columbus - The Explorer
Original title Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
Country of production Spain , USA , Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1992
length 120 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director John Glen
script John Briley
Cary Bates
Mario Puzo
Assist: Mario Puzo
production Quinto Centenario
Alexander Salkind
Ilya Salkind
music Cliff Eidelman
camera Alec Mills
cut Matthew Glen
occupation

Christopher Columbus - The Explorer is a Spanish-US-American-British historical film directed by John Glen , which was released in theaters in 1992.

action

The time of the action are the years 1448 to 1492, the setting is initially a city in North Africa conquered by Portugal. When Christopher Columbus presented his plans for an expedition to India to King John of Portugal, during which he did not want to circumnavigate Africa - as was customary at the time - but rather drive west, King John II refused to support him because he had to do the calculations Considers right to be flawed. Even the Spanish royal couple, whom Columbus then visits in Cordoba , are so busy with the crusades and the reconquest of Spain occupied by the Moors that the money is missing to equip Columbus for a voyage of discovery. Worse still, the Spanish Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, who is also Isabella's confessor, suspects Columbus of heresy .

After the conquest of Málaga , the financial situation of the Spanish crown eased and Columbus spoke to Isabella again, who now supported him with some money. After completion of the Reconquista , Columbus hopes that Ferdinand will give him his full support, but his conditions are so demanding that the king rejects it again. Isabella finally ignores it and gives Columbus the money and three ships for the expedition.

Since there were initially no seamen for the dangerous journey, Columbus recruited part of the crew from prison inmates. The crossing turns out to be difficult and turbulent, a Portuguese saboteur is up to mischief, the seamen mutinate and attack a young Jew who is Columbus' personal protégé . Columbus maintains the discipline with merciless severity and lies to crew and officers about the actual distances already covered. He keeps his knowledge of the wind conditions in the Atlantic as a secret, which he plays like a trump card in emergencies. When he can barely resist the pressure to turn back during a prolonged doldrums , he gains additional time by offering his own death if change does not occur within three days. Literally while Columbus is under the hangman's ax, the wind comes up and a little later land is sighted as well.

The locals, whom Columbus takes to be Indians (in fact, Taíno ), greet the explorers in a friendly manner and are in possession of gold. Santa Maria , lying in the roadstead , breaks free and crashes against a cliff, so only two ships are available for the return journey. Some of the occupation remained in America, but there they wore themselves out in internal conflicts and were eventually killed by the locals. Columbus takes six Taíno on board, whom he wants to present in Spain as converted pagans; however, their Christianization proves to be difficult and can ultimately only be enforced by force.

The plot of the film ends with the return of the Niña and the Pinta to Spain, where Columbus is received by the royal couple and appointed Admiral and Viceroy of India by Ferdinand.

Production and reception

The film was to be released on the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America. As a director, Alexander and Ilya Salkind hired the British John Glen, who had worked as a director or film editor on many James Bond films. Cinematographer Alec Mills was behind the camera in 1966 as the focus puller for Michelangelo Antonioni's famous film Blowup , but was hardly more ambitious than Glen from an artistic point of view.

The shooting took place in the winter of 1991/1992 in Malta , Portugal , Madrid , the USA and on the Atlantic . The Spanish government provided replicas of the three historic ships.

James Bond actor Timothy Dalton was initially intended for the title role, but he retired shortly before filming began and was replaced by Georges Corraface, a 40-year-old French-Greek actor who was little known internationally and who has since played several European roles in later films Has received awards. The role of the Spanish queen, played by Rachel Ward, was initially cast with Isabella Rossellini , who also left the project before shooting began. Marlon Brando took on the role of Grand Inquisitor because he needed a lot of money after the manslaughter affair around his son Christian , and played it - white-haired, with a monk's cap, his bulk hidden in a monk's robe - without any attempt to give it an artistic dimension. After the completion of the shooting, he protested against the glorification of the alleged Indian killer Columbus in the film - which seemed belated, not only in view of the amount of his immense fee.

The film, which came out in theaters in August 1992, was a flop that failed to bring in its production costs.

Awards

Brando was nominated for worst supporting actor at the award ceremony for the Golden Raspberry (Razzie Award) ; this prize actually went to Tom Selleck for his portrayal of the Spanish king. The film itself, the trio of authors, the director and leading actor George Corraface were also nominated for a Golden Raspberry. Christopher Columbus - The Explorer is considered to be one of the worst films of 1992.

criticism

Lexicon of the International Film : Staged as a set and adventure film in the style of the 50s, the film remains without particular depth and uses simplistic means against the barbarism of that time.

The film critic Annette Kilzer described the actor's disgruntled performance in the film book Marlon Brando (2004): “His name is the first credit to cover the turbulent sea, his fee was five million dollars. For this he delivered a dialogue scene with the title hero and later looked a few times in a bad mood into the camera: Marlon Brando's participation in this film, which adds up to a few minutes in total, is a calculated moment of PR and the attractions. [...] Misshapen and immobile, colorless in his costume reduced to black and white, with white hair over dark eyebrows. His non-play is not even a provocative gesture, not even a quote. It is obviously pure disinterest. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christopher Columbus - The Explorer. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ Annette Kilzer: Christopher Columbus: The Discovery . In: Marli Feldvoss, Marion Löhndorf (Ed.): Marlon Brando . Bertz + Fischer Verlag, Berlin 2004, ISBN 3-929470-86-1 , p. 275, 277 .