Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)
Directed by John Glen
Genres - Drama, Action, Adventure, Historical Film |
Sub-Genres - Adventure Drama, Historical Epic |
Release Date - Aug 21, 1992 (USA) |
Run Time - 120 min. |
Countries - Spain, United Kingdom, United States |
MPAA Rating - PG13
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Synopsis by Paul Brenner
John Glen directed this throwback to the costume dramas of the 1930s and 1940s, but without a smidgen of their energy and verve. George Corraface plays Christopher Columbus as a dynamic and muscular comic-book hero. He has a dream to set sail to find a new passageway to India, but he needs the backing of the Spanish government to do it. First, he must undergo a grilling by Tomas de Torquemada (Marlon Brando in, hands down, his worst performance). After passing muster with Torquemada, he gets the blessing of Queen Isabella (Rachel Ward) and King Ferdinand (Tom Selleck). Columbus then sets sail in a series of picture-postcard travelogue shots as he sails the ocean blue and discovers a new world of wonders -- particularly the Indian chief's well-endowed daughter. As a sop to revisionists, a rat is seen scampering down the plank as Columbus' vessel lands on "undiscovered" turf.
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Themes
Keywords
battle [war], child-bride, exploration, gigolo, heretic, high-seas, ideals, religion, sinking