Christopher Columbus' long shadow has been vastly diminished: no longer exclusively seen as the brave explorer sailing uncharted seas, many people today consider him a genocidist. This entry in Schlessinger Media's 13-part Explorers of the World series strikes a tone that is neither too shrilly revisionist nor too hagiographic. Columbus did make a lot of mistakes, many of them with catastrophic consequences for people other than himself--and they are fairly and truthfully represented here--yet, as we also learn, ideas about social justice were considerably different 500 years ago. The actor who plays Columbus does a wonderful job of projecting the egotism of the man while somehow remaining charming. Alas, his teenaged interlocutors come across very woodenly, and the disembodied history teacher's voice-over floating in and out was an affectation that could and should have been avoided. Otherwise, this is a well-rounded presentation of an important explorer, who still gets the credit for stumbling across the New World and publicizing its existence. The other titles in the series are: The American Frontier, Cortés & Pizarro, English Explorers, Ferdinand Magellan, French Explorers, Henry Hudson, History of Exploration, Lewis & Clark, Marco Polo, Portuguese Explorers, Spanish Explorers and The Vikings. Strongly recommended, especially given the scope and affordable price. Aud: J, H, P. (R. Reagan)
Christopher Columbus
(2000) 23 min. $39.95 (study guide included). Schlessinger Media (dist. by Library Video Company). PPR. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 1-57225-325-8. Vol. 15, Issue 6
Christopher Columbus
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: