Columbus: the Last Voyage - Essay Example

of lecturer] History Film Response Paper Columbus: The Last Voyage Summary The film ‘Columbus: The Last Voyage’ is about Christopher Columbus last trip to North America. It is the least covered of his four trips. The film describes the aging captains determination to find a passage to the Orient, recounting how his efforts where challenged by shipwreck, mutiny, and political treachery (Hugh, P. 1). Ten years after his discovery of the New World, Columbus found himself languishing in a Caribbean prison where he plotted what he considered his most treacherous voyage, which ended with the loss of all four of his ships, leaving him and his crew stranded with little hope of survival (Hugh, P. 1). The film is directed by Ann Thompson and written by Martin Dugard, together with Olegar Fedoro. It was released on 8th October 2007. The main stars include Olegar Fedoro, Alvaro Martin, David Sant And Javier Mazan. On May 11, 1502, Christopher Columbus set out on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He had four ships in a mission to explore unfamiliar areas to the west of the Caribbean. He hoped to find a route west to the Orient. He explored parts of southern Central America, but his ships, damaged by a hurricane and termites, fell apart in the process. Columbus and his men were stranded on Jamaica for about a year before being rescued. They returned to Spain in late 1504 (Hugh, P. 1).Because of Queen Isabel waning health and without her support, Columbus would never return to the New World. Analysis Columbus’ Fourth Voyage is outstanding primarily for some new exploration, mostly along the coast of Central America. The film is of great interest to historians, because of its astute descriptions of the native cultures such as the sections on the Mayan traders. Some of those who were along on the fourth voyage would later go on to greater things, such as Antonio de Alaminos, a cabin boy who would later rise to pilot and explore much of the western Caribbean. Columbus’ son Fernando would later write a biography of his famous father. The Fourth Voyage was a failure. Many of Columbus’ men died, the ships were lost and no passage to the west was ever found. Columbus himself would never sail again, and died convinced that he had found Asia, even if most of Europe already accepted the fact that the Americas were an unknown “New World.” Still, the fourth voyage showed better than any other Columbus’ sailing skills, fortitude and resilience, attributes which allowed him to discover the Americas in the first place (Hugh, P. 1). Martin Luther: PBS Empire Series Summary This is a heroic story of the great Protestant revolutionary by the name Martin Luther, who believed that his faith would overthrow the all-powerful Catholic Church. He was a simple monk who managed to have great impact on human history than anyone of his time. After years of serving as a monk, Luther realized that many of the Churchs practices were wrong, especially the practice of selling indulgences. The director of the series is Cassian Harrison. It is written by Cassian Harrison and Lance Kneeshaw. The main actors include liam Neeson, Timothy West among others. It was released in the year 2002. Martin Luther was born into a world dominated by the Catholic Church. This made him to be very spiritual and the Churchs promise of salvation to him was appealing. Martin Luther vowed to become a monk. Amazingly, after entering the monastery, Luther becomes doubtful that the Church could actually offer him salvation. His views fall into place further when he travels to Rome and finds the capital of Catholicism full of corruption. His desperation leads him to the pages of the Bible, where he discovered that it is not the Church, but his own individual faith that will guarantee his salvation. With this revelation, he turns on the Church. He attacks its practice of selling Indulgences in his famous 95 Theses, putting himself on a path to conflict with the most powerful institution of the day. Conclusion The film succeeds in showing how the Catholic Church silenced reformists such as Luther such as accusations of heresy and excommunication. However, the role of local ruler such as Frederick is also shown as he protects Luther, enabling him to continue writing radical critiques of the Church. Further, the film shows how Luther developed a new system of faith. This system focused more on individual freedom than the rituals of the Church. With help from the newly invented printing press, his ideas spread rapidly. He was later called before the German imperial parliament in the city of Worms and told he must withdraw his accusations. Luther refuses, proclaiming his right to believe what he wishes. His stand becomes a legend that inspires revolution across Europe, overturning the thousand-year old dominion of the Church. As the reformation expanded into a movement for social freedom, Luther was finally overwhelmed by the pace of change, and is left unsuccessfully protesting that his followers should be concerning themselves with God. National Geographic-New World; Nightmare in Jamestown Summary This documentary is about bubonic plague, starvation and cannibalism, and the founding of Americas first colony. In 1607, a handful of English adventurers set sail across the Atlantic, expecting a paradise. 400 years later, the latest discoveries reveal the true story of Jamestown as the exact opposite. With exclusive access to forensics and archaeology, National Geographic reveals dreadful new evidence of starvation and disease, secret plots and Spanish spies. The documentary is a view of Jamestown through archeological review of the site. Through archeological findings, the dangers the adventurers encountered are determined. They were able to determine a persons standing in the community and the role/s they played in the settlement of Jamestown. Forensic findings tell the story of the people of Jamestown, Virginia, how they lived and how they died. Facing imminent starvation, the downfall of the company was unavoidable. After the death of Gosnold, John Smith took over the leadership. He went to the Indians with beads and trinkets, to trade for food. Although the Indians had killed many of the company, with the intervention of Pocahontas, John Smith succeeded. Pocahontas intervened and convinced her father Powhatan, chief of the Indian association to live with the Europeans. Later, John Smith returned to England for medical attention after his powder bag exploded. It likely was an assassination attempt. However, it could have been an accident. At any rate, he returned to England, which likely saved his life, as most of those in Jamestown lived short lives because of famine. The settlers ate anything including their pets and horses. Worse still, they even exhumed graves to eat bodies. The dying season, as it was called, about 1610, was caused by the bubonic plague brought about by a resupply ship. During this time, bodies were buried quickly, often two in a grave inside the fort. The colony almost failed. Although they came looking for gold, they did not find it. It was not until they found a stable crop—tobacco that they began to prosper. Analysis This documentary helps refute the ordinary text book facts written on the successes of the first English colony in North America. The use of archaeological forensics adds to the understanding of the harsh physical and social conditions of the time. The realistic recreation of events and the enthusiasm of the experts make viewers feel engaged in the difficulties of the colony. Conclusion The documentary effectively portrays Jamestown as not the ideal place to live as is generally believed. This situation is confirmed by the many instances in which diseases and famine almost wiped out the colony. Without help from England, Jamestown would not have succeeded. The documentary tells several stories from evidences found in the area such as a body with a musket ball in his leg. The film suggests that the ball would have killed the man had it cut off an artery.  By examining the wound, they concluded it could not have been self inflicted. Hence, it could have been a case of accidental shooting by another person or a Native had stolen the weapon. Another body, buried outside the fort and placed in a position of respect, with a captains staff, was exhumed and was believed to be Bortholomew Gosnold. Gosnold had recruited John Smith, his cousin. 500 Nations: Season 1 Episode 4 Invasion of the Coast Summary This documentary explores the history of the natives of North and Central America, from pre-Colombian times, through the period of European colonization, to the end of the 19th century. “500 Nations” relies on historical texts, eyewitness’s accounts, pictorial sources and computer graphic reconstructions to explore the magnificent civilizations, which did well prior to contact with Western civilization. It tells the dramatic and tragic story of the Native Americans’ heroic attempts to retain their way of life against overwhelming odds. The series was hosted by Kevin Costner, narrated by Gregory Harrison, and directed by Jack Leustig. Long before the arrival of the Europeans, there were some 500 nations already in North America. 500 Nations looks back on these ancient cultures. Analysis A weakness of this documentary is that Costner and Wilson dont seem to understand that their presentation is only a story. They utter the word "truth” with a certainty that would only be used by people who have never seriously studied history while history consists of conflicting and contested narratives of past events. Customarily, the story favored by the group in power was the one anointed as history and wrapped in the mantle of truth but in post-modern times, the narratives of that not in power have come to be celebrated as the truth. Conclusion The fourth episode effectively relays information on the invasion of the Coast, bringing out the tension that existed as more foreigners arrived in North America and its effects on the lives of natives. The film is set in the Arctic where the Inuit culture during the search for the Northwest Passage is critically examined. The First English Settlements portrays Americas original inhabitants before and after the arrival of the Europeans. The film also focuses on the stories of Pocahontas, the Pilgrims, Samoset, Captain John Smith, and the Powhatans. Work Cited Hugh, T. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. 2005. New York: Random House. Read More