Drake's Venture

This made-for-TV movie is hard to find now. It was shown in the US on PBS in the early '80s. I've not seen it since nor found many references for it.

It has a fine cast drawn mostly from British television. John Thaw (Francis Drake) is probably best known for playing the lead in the INSPECTOR MORSE series. Paul Darrow (Thomas Doughty) will be remembered as Avon in BLAKE'S 7. They are especially effective but all the cast does well.

The script is engaging and fairly accurate. A real replica of Drake's ship, THE GOLDEN HINDE, is used which adds to the verisimilitude, as do the costumes and sets. All in all, this is an excellent historical drama and I wish it were available on DVD.

I watched the original UK broadcast in December 1980 and instantly regretted not being a VCR owner. John Thaw is superb as Sir Francis, ditto Paul Darrow as Thomas Doughty and Charlotte Cornwall as Queen Elizabeth 1st. The film also benefits from being filmed using the replica Golden Hinde - the most accurate depiction of the world famous vessel. After many years searching I obtained a pirated copy of the film. It's very poor quality but better than nothing. The script is historically extremely accurate and the actors all deliver BAFTA level performances. Someone should buy the rights and commercially release this film. I'm not the only one who would instantly purchase it.

Drake's Venture was produced by Westward Television. A small regional ITV company as a way of saving their franchise. That aspect failed as they lost it as soon as this was broadcast.

John Thaw stars as Francis Drake. Here portrayed as less heroic. A buccaneering adventurer in the true meaning, which is shorthand for unethical even piracy.

Told in flashback it becomes less about his voyage of circumnavigation. More of a murky expedition on behest of Queen Elizabeth and other investors to raid Spanish ships in South America.

The main part of the drama is Drake falling out with gentleman Thomas Doughty (Paul Darrow) for mutiny. Doughty was a friend of Drake, an investor, a lawyer and also commanded one of the ships.

A paranoid Drake accused Doughty of mutiny and witchcraft. He very much held a kangaroo trial under his authority as a captain.

The production portrays Drake under a dark light. Cynical, self serving and lucky. He managed to plunder successfully and that won him Elizabeth's protection. He cruelly discarded Portuguese navigator Nuno da Silva on the shores of Mexico. Drake wanted to keep part of the voyage secret only to English eyes.

This was a prestige production, there was a full scale replica of the Golden Hind. Although it was clear the ship never ventured far from the English channel or the Cornish coast.

I did think it was less about Drake's adventures, more about the Doughty incident. It was notable that Darrow was rather restraint as Doughty.

It's a wonderful movie. Historic accuracy is stunning, the details are perfect - unto the point of you have to admire the way the characters wear their coats.

It is also a heartbreaking story about treason of friendship and fate and resignation to death, served by excellent actors. John Thaw delivers an outstanding performance, Paul Darrow is a heartbreaking Doughtie, noble and dignified all along. Darrow plays the part with a talent I had never seen him display before, in a subdued, soberly tragic way . The painful destruction of their friendship is actually at the core of the movie.

Really, you have to wonder why we haven't been granted the pleasure of watching this movie on DVD, since it doesn't seem to be available anywhere.

When I first viewed this film (recently - it's out there on shaky old tapes although I wish someone would release it on DVD!) it disturbed me greatly. It bothered me for days - absolutely wouldn't let go. Then I started to research the history behind the story and discovered that the script is very accurate indeed - much more so than you normally see in this sort of period drama. And that makes it even more disturbing.

The entire production is top notch - costumes, sets, the lovely footage of the tall ships. John Thaw is wonderful as Francis Drake, but the real star here is Paul Darrow, playing the captain's friend and rival Thomas Doughty. He's known for his mannered performance as Avon in Blakes 7, but here he gives the performance of his career - subtle and powerful.

Just don't be misled by the title into believing this is an adventure story. It's really a psychodrama about jealousy, greed and paranoia, and the overall message about what it takes to win in this world is very dark indeed. At the same time, it's an oddly inspiring movie which has something important to say about dignity under the worst possible conditions and what it means to be fully human.