Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992)

Genoese navigator overcomes intrigue in the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain and gains financing for his expedition to the East Indies.

Director:

John Glen

Writers:

Mario Puzo (story), John Briley (screenplay)

Stars:

Marlon Brando, Tom Selleck, Georges Corraface

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marlon Brando	...	Tomas de Torquemada
Tom Selleck	...	King Ferdinand
Georges Corraface	...	Christopher Columbus (as George Corraface)
Rachel Ward	...	Queen Isabella of Castille
Robert Davi	...	Martin Pinzon
Catherine Zeta-Jones	...	Beatriz (as Catherine Zeta Jones)
Oliver Cotton	...	Harana
Benicio Del Toro	...	Alvaro Harana (as Benicio del Toro)
Mathieu Carrière	...	King John (as Mathieu Carriere)
Manuel de Blas	...	Vicente Pinzon
Glyn Grain	...	De La Cosa
Peter Guinness	...	Fra Perez
Nigel Terry	...	Roldan
Nitzan Sharron	...	Benjamin
Steven Hartley	...	Terreros

Storyline

Genoan navigator Christopher Columbus has a dream to find an alternative route to sail to the Indies, by traveling west instead of east, across the unchartered Ocean sea. After failing to find backing from the Portugese, he goes to the Spanish court to ask Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand for help. After surviving a grilling from the Head of the Spanish Inquisition Tomas de Torquemada, he eventually gets the blessing from Queen Isabella and sets sail in three ships to travel into the unknown. Along the way he must deal with sabotage from Portugese spies and mutiny from a rebellious crew.

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Plot Keywords:

queen isabella | spain | spanish inquisition | torquemada | christopher columbus | 

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Taglines:

Chosen by a queen. Driven by a dream. He dared to go to the edge, and kept going.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some action violence, and for nudity

Details

Country:

UK USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cristóbal Colón: el descubrimiento

Filming Locations:

Atlantic Ocean

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$8,251,071

Company Credits

Production Co:

Christopher Columbus Productions, Quinto Centenario

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was released on Columbus Day, the 500th Anniversary of the maiden voyage.

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Quotes

Christopher Columbus: [to the prostitute who tried to mug him] Stick to your profession, beware the Genoese, and shun the Devil!

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Connections

Referenced in The Trip to Spain (2017)

User Reviews

"India, right?"

I do not know everything about the actual story, but I can imagine that it is more compelling than this. When I learned that this was written in part by Mario "The Godfather" Puzo, I got to hope for quality. With that said, I honestly doubt that I would have enjoyed this all that much regardless of how low my expectations were. The plot isn't all that engaging, and the pacing is uneven. This flick is simply put one of the best arguments for why you should not base viewing choices upon the cast alone. There are *amazing* actors in this, and they are utterly wasted. And several performances in this are unforgivably hammy. The special effects are painfully unconvincing. I wish I was kidding when I say that there is amateur theater with less obvious FX. Did I miss something? This was made in 1992! Did they misplace the budget? For that matter, how did the scenery get to look so bad? This is an adventure film, and that, at least in this case, means fight sequences. They're decent, but if you're looking for that, you can find far superior ones easily. There is some female nudity in this, for anyone that attracts or repels. I recommend this solely to history teachers who have a severe grudge against their students. 5/10