NR | 1 h 39 mins | Adventure, Romance | 1949
This year, Columbus Day was Oct. 9. Although the holiday is now officially celebrated on the second Monday in October in the United States, Oct. 12, is the true anniversary of Columbus’s first landing in the New World. This holiday has been celebrated in some places since the late 18th century, but it has only been a federally recognized holiday since the 1930s.
While Christopher Columbus used to be studied as an important American historical figure, people don’t know much about him today. In honor of this famous European discoverer, it’s interesting to see a classic movie made about his life: the British production of “Christopher Columbus” from 1949.
A Historic Story
Christopher Columbus (Fredric March) is an extremely persistent, stubborn Genoese man. In late 15th-century Spain, the widowed mariner and his young son (David Cole) seek asylum at a Spanish monastery. Their visit has a purpose, however, since Columbus hopes to befriend Father Perez (Felix Aylmer), former confessor to Queen Isabella (Florence Eldridge). The priest listens to Columbus’s plan to sail around the globe to India, and he thinks it has merit.Father Perez uses his influence and connections to get Columbus into the royal court. However, that is just the beginning of his odyssey there. He faces opposition from many in the court, particularly Francisco de Bobadilla (Francis L. Sullivan), who tries to distract Columbus with his beautiful, dangerous cousin, Beatriz (Kathleen Ryan).
A Manly Role Model
This movie may not be an entirely accurate depiction of Christopher Columbus’s character. How accurate can we hope to be five centuries after a person’s lifetime? Nevertheless, the title character is an inspiring role model for the men of today, particularly young boys. Lads of generations past idolized sailors, sea captains, and adventurers because of the daring, dangerous, and exciting lives they led. Instead, today’s youth idolize overpaid athletes, pampered celebrities, and social media influencers.
Christopher Columbus, as portrayed by Fredric March, is a role model of manly virtues. While modern men are afraid to voice any strong opinion for fear of offending someone, Columbus is a fearless visionary and bold leader, who refuses to be swayed by anyone. He spends years impatiently trying to convince European royalty that his scheme to travel to the New World is sound. Through persuasive arguing, clever cunning, untiring persistence, and a little luck, he seeks a commission from Queen Isabella of Spain after three years of waiting.
Once his journey has begun, Columbus faces even more skepticism from his three crews. As no land is sighted after weeks and then months at sea, the seamen are convinced that he is leading them to certain death in uncharted waters.
An Entertaining History
“Christopher Columbus” was loosely based on Rafael Sabatini’s 1941 novel “Columbus,” a swashbuckling romantic adventure story. One historical detail this film includes which I appreciate is the acknowledgement that some people thought the world was round in 1492.Many people now believe that Columbus first suggested and proved that the world was round, but the round earth theory had existed for centuries. Opinions on the subject were mixed, as is shown in the film. What Columbus aimed to prove was that one could reach the Far East by sailing west from Europe.
No movie should be regarded as a complete history lesson since any form of entertainment is likely to take liberties with the facts. However, it can be an excellent place to start, creating interest in the topic, encouraging curiosity, conversation, and research.
