1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
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The film portrays the travels to the New World by the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus and the effect this had on Indigenous peoples.
The story
Aware that the earth has a ball-shaped surface, Christopher Columbus lobbies for a trip westward to Asia, but lacks a crew and ship. Despite heavy disapproval from Catholic theologians at the University of Salamanca, Columbus is approached by shipowner Martín Pinzón and banker Santángel. He eventually meets with Queen Isabella I, who grants him the journey in exchange for riches in gold. Columbus deceives his crew regarding the voyage's length. After nine weeks at sea, the crew faces mutiny until a fast wind and the sighting of land at Guanahani reinvigorate them.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Christopher Columbus seeks funding for a westward voyage to Asia, eventually securing Queen Isabella I's support. He deceives his crew about the journey's duration, nearly facing mutiny before reaching Guanahani. After befriending the natives and teaching them Spanish, he returns to Spain to receive honors, though the queen is disappointed by the small amount of gold. On a second expedition with 17 ships, he finds the previous settlers killed by another tribe. He begins building the city of La Isabela, but his aristocratic subordinate Moxica eventually forces the natives into gold mining. This leads to a violent uprising where the natives disappear into the forest. Columbus's house is burned by Moxica's followers, and a war breaks out. Columbus's faction eventually prevails over Moxica's, and Moxica commits suicide. Columbus is accused of nepotism and replaced by de Bobadilla, leading to his imprisonment in Castile. He is eventually bailed out by his sons and allowed one final voyage under strict conditions. As an old man, he is largely forgotten, with the discovery of the New World credited to Amerigo Vespucci. His son Ferdinand asks him to tell his story for transcription.
- First release year
- 1992
- Runtime (minutes)
- 156
- Production countries
- France; Spain; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- Roselyne Bosch · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gérard Depardieu; Armand Assante; Sigourney Weaver
- Genres
- historical drama; adventure; biographical drama; epic
- Themes
- Colonization; Exploration; Religious influence; Cultural conflict
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Dramatic; Moody
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical; Biographical; Adventure; Drama
- Content notes
- Violence; Brutality
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews, with particular criticism aimed at its historical inaccuracy and dramatic quality, and was commercially unsuccessful in the United States, doing better at the box office in Europe.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · review count: 23; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 21; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film was released to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage.; The score's main theme was used by former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres at his 1995 election.; The film was accused of promoting the Spanish black legend.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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