Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290 in VHS
• Released on: 1998-01-01
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 2
• Running time: 142 minutes

Amazon.com
One of Ridley Scott's most wrong-headed films, this one (like all of his movies) looks fabulous and sounds utterly ridiculous, almost from the beginning. His first mistake was casting the wonderful Gerard Depardieu as Columbus and forcing him to speak English, which Depardieu does with decided difficulty. After spending way too much time on the ocean with Columbus's three ships (you kind of wish they would sail over the edge of the world), they arrive in the West Indies, only to turn around and sail back. The rest of the film deals with the not particularly comprehensible politics of Columbus's venture, which leads to the violent slaughter of trusting natives by a band of cardboard villains. Depardieu, who radiates sympathy, looks like he's at sea with this material. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

The editorial reviewer has proven himself to be an idiot. Period.
It is utterly unclear to me, what has the editorial found "ridiculous" about this movie. Yes, the Depardieu's accent is obvious, but I've never had any difficulty understanding his lines. Besides, let's not forget the fact that Columbus wasn't an english as well. The music in this movie is magnicficent. It alone brings at east 3+ stars to the rating. The plot is very dynamic and action-packed. Within two and a half hours we see not one, but two journeys to the West and back. Moreover, due to such limited time, the film shorts some of the developments which could otherwise make it a much deeper, dramatic and touching movie. For that reason I gave it 4 stars. on the other hand, Mr. Marshall Fine, the editorial reviewer, clearly makes an example of ill attitude and politics taking over common sense and objectiveness - the very principles of fair criticism. I'd wonder if he ever passed a highschool.

Paradise Found
Ridley Scott, who also directed Blade Runner and Gladiator, had an equally impressive take on the great Columbus. Columbus was really a great mariner and that is all; the movie shows this richly, as he is at a loss amidst the political infighting in Spain and later in the colonies. Tapped to be the first governor of Hispanola(now Haiti and the Dominican Republic), he was so inept as to antagonize the native peoples as well as his own fellow Europeans. The movie captures this with vivid outdoor vistas, driving traditional music, actual natives(brought to the islands from South America for the filming), and the beauty attached to seafaring. Historically, it is as accurate as Hollywood gets(50%?), which is fine. This is 500 years ago+, and the history has segued into mythology by now, anyway.

confusion on the product.amazing nevertheless
take care as this title is not an official catalogue movie in the Us the one i ordered through amazon market place was advised as zone 2 Pal.
No problem but what i received was "all zone" pal english speaking 5.1 no subtitles.
I was expecting for a zone 2 to be french speaking with at least english subtitles.
The explanation is that this advertised zone 2 pal dvd is the UK version.
as for the film this is amazing and i don't understand the review mentioning the transfer is of poor quality. I use a denon upscaling dvd player with a Pioneer 50 inch plasma and the result is awsome.
In sound mixing the central speaker mix is too high. the surrond effects are the best you can have