Historical drama. I admit that I did not even suspect the existence of this series until they told me about it, thereby drawing my attention to it, and there have been no adaptations of such a legendary journey in world cinema so far - which is surprising, and the Spaniards filmed this series with the help of the Amazon conglomerate. It was interesting to watch these six episodes - and it wasn't for nothing that I spent time on them in the end. And here's my brief opinion for you - An average film adaptation of a bright page of history. In the series, there were both advantages and disadvantages (which greatly spoiled the impression). Therefore, we will not linger on the introduction, and get to the point, because the release of the series had to wait as much as three months on a well-known source - so I decided not to postpone the review. Moving on to the interesting.
So, the advantages: 1. The first round-the-world trip - as it is easy to understand from the title, this series is dedicated to the Spanish naval expedition of the Portuguese Fernando de Magillanes (better known by the Spanish name and surname Fernand Magellan), who was supposed to open the strait to the South Seas and get to the Spice Islands (at that time in Europe spices were scarce and cost more than gold), and as a result, this led to the world's first circumnavigation (1519-1522), which proved that the Earth is round, many new lands and the world's largest ocean were discovered - Quiet (it is, in fact, very violent, because storms are a frequent occurrence there, but when Magellan and his ships went through it, they did not notice storms, that's why they called it Quiet). We will be told about very general features and without spoiling details, and will be shown this journey from Magellan's idea to the arrival at the port of poisoning of the only ship with eighteen surviving sailors and an invaluable cargo of spices. To dwell in detail on the Spanish-Portuguese naval (and not only) confrontation, about the distrust of Spanish sailors and captains Magellan (Portuguese), about the difficult relationship between white and native tribes, the confrontation and friendship of Magellan and Sebastian Elcano. For the uninitiated, this series will be interesting and spectacular, and will also give an idea of this expedition, the value of which is difficult to overestimate. This is one of the greatest achievements of mankind, and of all mankind. But do not expect intrigue, subtle dialogues, amusing humor or acting here - all this is not here.
2. Costumes - apart from the Martian armor that the Spanish soldiers are wearing here, the costumes are pleasing to the eye, because they really look like European ones from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Maybe there are mistakes in the details (if there are any, historians can correct me), but I didn't notice them. Everyone is well dressed, from the king to the ordinary sailor. Household items are also pleasing - they were clearly picked up conscientiously.
3. Music, camerawork - and, although the music here is not very memorable, but there are several compositions that sound to the place and catch up with the appropriate atmosphere. The cameraman also did his best, picking out very wonderful shots of nature. It was interesting to watch them, even the sea romance woke up in me. What can I do, I'm such a sentimental person.
So, the disadvantages: 1. Historical mistakes - oh damn, there are so many of them that if I list them all, the review will stretch into twenty parts. Therefore, I will designate only a few. For example, the Portuguese King Manuel the First himself released Magellan to serve another monarch, and not Magellan himself became a Spanish subject, thereby betraying his Portuguese monarch. There was no battle between Magellan's fleet and the Portuguese ships, as shown in the series. Elcano (on his way back to Spain) called at Portuguese ports (which allowed them to get home), and in the series they only once attacked a food warehouse (which, apparently, no one was guarding, really why!) for the purpose of theft. I'm not saying that the noble Magellan could not have hit the Portuguese minister in front of witnesses, and even more so threatening him with a weapon is a violation of all taboos, because after such a Magellan, a royal court would have been waiting, and the verdict would certainly not have been in his favor.
2. The scenery - well, in the beginning they are good (because they were filmed on location, fortunately the castles in Spain have been preserved very well, to the envy of many), but then - quiet horror. Let's start with the port of departure - instead of a crowded port, we have a river pier of the village of Nizhny Oblivion, where, God forbid, there are twenty people in the crowd. Even the moment of departure of the expedition was filmed there, only the Spanish flags were added and the throne with King Charles the First. And then, apparently, the creators ran out of money for decorations (either Amazon was squeezed, or all the money was spent on the construction of two ships "Trinidad" and "Victoria"), so then we had to limit ourselves to small islands and native huts. Even in the scene of the raid on the Portuguese warehouse, only the warehouse itself will be shown to us. It's small for the first film adaptation of Magellan's journey.
3. A lot has been missed - I understand that six episodes of the entire journey cannot fit, but it is definitely possible to try to show the brightest. After all, when you read about this expedition, you wonder how many dramatic situations, intrigues, turns there were. How Magellan was able to defeat the Spanish captains (who organized more than one mutiny against him), how he behaved with the natives (with whom he was friends, and whom he killed and burned villages), how he was able to convince the team to go to the goal, despite numerous difficulties. And in general, how did I come up with the idea of the expedition itself (it belonged to more than one Magellan, because Raul Faleira played an equally important role). I'm not even talking about the trip of the remaining ship "Victoria" home, after the death of Magellan - it was no less dramatic there. In the series, it's all shown torn (everyone is celebrating that they opened the Pacific Ocean and the strait into it, and in the next frame, all the sailors are sick with scurvy).
4. Magellan's death - it is shown almost as it is described in the sources, although even this does not save the situation, because it is completely emotionless. I will explain, Magellan is played by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro - a celebrity of far from the first magnitude (because there are only two notable projects in the piggy bank, these are terrible "Three Hundred Spartans" both parts), he does not really know how to play. Yes, and here his Magellan looks more like a touchy child who is not appreciated by one monarch, so our "not like everyone else" runs to his country's direct competitor - the Spanish monarch for the sake of fulfilling his dream (which in reality was not quite his). Only twice during the entire series, he shows how Magellan should have looked in a good film adaptation (the scene with the mutiny and the scene with Elcano's forgiveness). But that's it. We do not see the emotions of a person who was able to accomplish the impossible. I will give an almost textbook example - in Oliver Stone's film "Alexander", the director and the screenwriter were able to show us the great Alexander as a romantic who followed a dream and was able to accomplish the impossible at the same time - to defeat the Persian Empire - the superpower of that time and reach India with his troops. And here I didn't see such a hero who would inspire people so much. Maybe it's the actors, or maybe it's the directors. But in the series, Magellan's death does not cause any response in the soul, and this should not be.
I can say with confidence that the main character here is not Magellan, but the Spaniard Elcano, who has more screen time, whom the sailors and other captains respect, who at critical moments can discard all strife for the sake of a common cause, and who, after Magellan's death, leads the expedition (although this happened much later). His character is more emotional, you really worry about him, and the actor Alvaro Morte played, unlike Rodrigo Santoro. And some of the sailors are more memorable than our Magellan.
I'll even say the scary thing - almost all documentaries about this journey (even with reconstruction and acting) cause more emotions than this series. Although I repeat, for a general understanding, the series is suitable, but do not believe it thoroughly. Or better, after viewing - read about Magellan and his expedition, watch documentaries - there is more information and more of the most legendary history (but give preference to books and articles by historiographers).
This series is an almost sterile blockbuster, but without famous actors, cool music and humor. Which will disappear from you a few days after viewing - and sink into obscurity. And the presence of a fighting Negro among the team does not add historicity points to the series. You can watch it, but no more.
My rating is 5 out of 10. About the recommendation - see for yourself!
So, the advantages: 1. The first round-the-world trip - as it is easy to understand from the title, this series is dedicated to the Spanish naval expedition of the Portuguese Fernando de Magillanes (better known by the Spanish name and surname Fernand Magellan), who was supposed to open the strait to the South Seas and get to the Spice Islands (at that time in Europe spices were scarce and cost more than gold), and as a result, this led to the world's first circumnavigation (1519-1522), which proved that the Earth is round, many new lands and the world's largest ocean were discovered - Quiet (it is, in fact, very violent, because storms are a frequent occurrence there, but when Magellan and his ships went through it, they did not notice storms, that's why they called it Quiet). We will be told about very general features and without spoiling details, and will be shown this journey from Magellan's idea to the arrival at the port of poisoning of the only ship with eighteen surviving sailors and an invaluable cargo of spices. To dwell in detail on the Spanish-Portuguese naval (and not only) confrontation, about the distrust of Spanish sailors and captains Magellan (Portuguese), about the difficult relationship between white and native tribes, the confrontation and friendship of Magellan and Sebastian Elcano. For the uninitiated, this series will be interesting and spectacular, and will also give an idea of this expedition, the value of which is difficult to overestimate. This is one of the greatest achievements of mankind, and of all mankind. But do not expect intrigue, subtle dialogues, amusing humor or acting here - all this is not here.
2. Costumes - apart from the Martian armor that the Spanish soldiers are wearing here, the costumes are pleasing to the eye, because they really look like European ones from the beginning of the sixteenth century. Maybe there are mistakes in the details (if there are any, historians can correct me), but I didn't notice them. Everyone is well dressed, from the king to the ordinary sailor. Household items are also pleasing - they were clearly picked up conscientiously.
3. Music, camerawork - and, although the music here is not very memorable, but there are several compositions that sound to the place and catch up with the appropriate atmosphere. The cameraman also did his best, picking out very wonderful shots of nature. It was interesting to watch them, even the sea romance woke up in me. What can I do, I'm such a sentimental person.
So, the disadvantages: 1. Historical mistakes - oh damn, there are so many of them that if I list them all, the review will stretch into twenty parts. Therefore, I will designate only a few. For example, the Portuguese King Manuel the First himself released Magellan to serve another monarch, and not Magellan himself became a Spanish subject, thereby betraying his Portuguese monarch. There was no battle between Magellan's fleet and the Portuguese ships, as shown in the series. Elcano (on his way back to Spain) called at Portuguese ports (which allowed them to get home), and in the series they only once attacked a food warehouse (which, apparently, no one was guarding, really why!) for the purpose of theft. I'm not saying that the noble Magellan could not have hit the Portuguese minister in front of witnesses, and even more so threatening him with a weapon is a violation of all taboos, because after such a Magellan, a royal court would have been waiting, and the verdict would certainly not have been in his favor.
2. The scenery - well, in the beginning they are good (because they were filmed on location, fortunately the castles in Spain have been preserved very well, to the envy of many), but then - quiet horror. Let's start with the port of departure - instead of a crowded port, we have a river pier of the village of Nizhny Oblivion, where, God forbid, there are twenty people in the crowd. Even the moment of departure of the expedition was filmed there, only the Spanish flags were added and the throne with King Charles the First. And then, apparently, the creators ran out of money for decorations (either Amazon was squeezed, or all the money was spent on the construction of two ships "Trinidad" and "Victoria"), so then we had to limit ourselves to small islands and native huts. Even in the scene of the raid on the Portuguese warehouse, only the warehouse itself will be shown to us. It's small for the first film adaptation of Magellan's journey.
3. A lot has been missed - I understand that six episodes of the entire journey cannot fit, but it is definitely possible to try to show the brightest. After all, when you read about this expedition, you wonder how many dramatic situations, intrigues, turns there were. How Magellan was able to defeat the Spanish captains (who organized more than one mutiny against him), how he behaved with the natives (with whom he was friends, and whom he killed and burned villages), how he was able to convince the team to go to the goal, despite numerous difficulties. And in general, how did I come up with the idea of the expedition itself (it belonged to more than one Magellan, because Raul Faleira played an equally important role). I'm not even talking about the trip of the remaining ship "Victoria" home, after the death of Magellan - it was no less dramatic there. In the series, it's all shown torn (everyone is celebrating that they opened the Pacific Ocean and the strait into it, and in the next frame, all the sailors are sick with scurvy).
4. Magellan's death - it is shown almost as it is described in the sources, although even this does not save the situation, because it is completely emotionless. I will explain, Magellan is played by Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro - a celebrity of far from the first magnitude (because there are only two notable projects in the piggy bank, these are terrible "Three Hundred Spartans" both parts), he does not really know how to play. Yes, and here his Magellan looks more like a touchy child who is not appreciated by one monarch, so our "not like everyone else" runs to his country's direct competitor - the Spanish monarch for the sake of fulfilling his dream (which in reality was not quite his). Only twice during the entire series, he shows how Magellan should have looked in a good film adaptation (the scene with the mutiny and the scene with Elcano's forgiveness). But that's it. We do not see the emotions of a person who was able to accomplish the impossible. I will give an almost textbook example - in Oliver Stone's film "Alexander", the director and the screenwriter were able to show us the great Alexander as a romantic who followed a dream and was able to accomplish the impossible at the same time - to defeat the Persian Empire - the superpower of that time and reach India with his troops. And here I didn't see such a hero who would inspire people so much. Maybe it's the actors, or maybe it's the directors. But in the series, Magellan's death does not cause any response in the soul, and this should not be.
I can say with confidence that the main character here is not Magellan, but the Spaniard Elcano, who has more screen time, whom the sailors and other captains respect, who at critical moments can discard all strife for the sake of a common cause, and who, after Magellan's death, leads the expedition (although this happened much later). His character is more emotional, you really worry about him, and the actor Alvaro Morte played, unlike Rodrigo Santoro. And some of the sailors are more memorable than our Magellan.
I'll even say the scary thing - almost all documentaries about this journey (even with reconstruction and acting) cause more emotions than this series. Although I repeat, for a general understanding, the series is suitable, but do not believe it thoroughly. Or better, after viewing - read about Magellan and his expedition, watch documentaries - there is more information and more of the most legendary history (but give preference to books and articles by historiographers).
This series is an almost sterile blockbuster, but without famous actors, cool music and humor. Which will disappear from you a few days after viewing - and sink into obscurity. And the presence of a fighting Negro among the team does not add historicity points to the series. You can watch it, but no more.
My rating is 5 out of 10. About the recommendation - see for yourself!