About the title
A biographical drama about the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. The Portuguese seize a port in Malaysia to control the enormously profitable spice trade. Magellan, who takes part in this battle, opposes the king's brutal policy in Asia and conceives a plan for an expedition that will help him find another route to the spice-rich islands of the Pacific. He wins the support of the Spanish crown and in 1519 leaves his homeland, leaving behind his pregnant wife. His voyage is full of trials: mutinies, executions, and battles with the natives threaten the mission. Gradually, Magellan turns into a ruthless colonizer who puts profit above all else.