Ridley Scott's Christopher Columbus epic charts the life of the explorer from a few years before his legendary voyage to discover The America's. Gérard Depardieu plays Columbus - an odd choice, given that Columbus was Italian, not French, and Depardieu sounds about as French as it is possible to be - with conviction, and his is a believable portrayal of a man fired by a passion to chart the new world. An Italian immigrant in Spain, Columbus first must convince the Spanish nobility to fund the journey, which he manages to do. Upon arriving at the Indies, Columbus finds not a land inhabited by savages, as rumoured, but a noble people, kind and welcoming. The success of the first voyage brings more Westerners and, inevitably, the paradise is soon shattered and, as is the way of the white man, blood begins to flow. A study of jealousy, vision and the loss of innocence, this is a reasonable piece of cinema, though it is cripplingly slow in places, and it is maybe twenty minutes too long.
Interesting as a historical account, and sumptuous in its visualisation, this is not flawless movie-making, but is very assured nevertheless.
Interesting as a historical account, and sumptuous in its visualisation, this is not flawless movie-making, but is very assured nevertheless.