1492, THE CONQUEST OF PARADISE

US, 1992, 145 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Depardieu, Sigourney Weaver, Armand Assante, Fernando Rey, Frank Langella, Michael Wincott, Loren Dean, Angela Molina.
Directed by Ridley Scott.

1492, the Conquest of Paradise is spectacularly filmed but ponderous in its impact. Perhaps, one expected more vitality from its director, Ridley Scott (The Duellist, Aliens, Blade Runner, Legend, Someone to Look Over Me, Black Rain, Thelma and Louise). Gerard Depardieu does quite well as Columbus, a lumbering, ambitious, carefully visionary and upright man of his times. Armand Assante is credible as the Spanish treasurer, but Sigourney Weaver seems all wrong as Queen Isabella. The historical setting is particularly vivid, the monasteries, the towns, the Spanish court, the Inquisition with some very grim torture sequences and executions, the uncertainty of the voyage, the idealistic New World, the building up of a Spanish civilization in the Americas but its becoming a cultural and war battlefield. The score of Vangelis is striking, making the film a pageant rather than a gripping historical drama.

1. The impact of the film as plot, history, characterisation, pageant? The 500th anniversary of the opening up of the "New World"?

2. The film as a co-production, multi-national and its effect? British director, French star, American cast, French money?

3. The locations for Spain in the 15th century, the seascapes, the Americas? The Panavision sweep of the photography? The contribution of Vangelis' score?

4. The combination of 15th century perspective and 20th century perspective on Columbus, on the Spanish empire, on the rule of Ferdinand and Isabella, on the treatment of the American Indians? The length of the film, the epic and pageantry treatment?

5. The re-creation of the period, the capital, the town of Grenada and the attack on the Moors, the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, the wealth, the expanding empire, Moors and Jews, battles, the Inquisition and its processes?

6. Columbus in this setting, the opening and his reminiscences with his son, the memories framework for Columbus's experience? Gerard Depardieu and his physical appearance as Columbus, his accent? Italy, the traveller, the sailor? His qualifications? His family, his mistress, his children? In the friary and his friendship with Fr. Marchesa? Their discussions, his hopes? The University of Salamanca and the discussions about the Copernican revolution, the world being flat or round? His fears, skills and abilities as a sailor, his dream, vision?

7. The expedition, the preparation, the range of contacts, business contacts, the Jewish merchant? The ships, the owner of the ship and his deal? The interviews with Isabella, persuading her of the vision of gold? The interviews with Sanchos, the help from Sanchos and the treasury, the beginning of rivalry?

8. The background of the Inquisition, the hold of the Spanish Catholic church, the context? The witches, the violence of their deaths? Adding a religious and controlling perspective to Columbus and his times?

9. The siege of Grenada, Ferdinand and Isabella and the defeat of the Moors? The remark about the loss of the Islamic culture?

10. The hold of religion, the influence of the clergy? Marchesa and the friary, his friendship and support of Columbus? Taking him to Salamanca? The betrayal of Columbus? Yet Columbus and his religious fervour, penance. confession and absolution? His kneeling in penance? His taking of this religious fervour to the New World, symbolised in the casting of the bell?

11. The sequences of the voyage, the crew, the uncertainties, his relating with the crew, the captains of the other ships? The possibility of mutiny and turning back? His brother? Fears and the view of the New World emerging from the fog?

12. The early days in the New World, the Indians and their way of life, the interpreter (and his speedy learning of the other language and his criticism that Columbus did not learn his)? The sailors and their having to adapt to the New World, its appearance, vegetation, seasons? The promise of treasure, the search for gold? The beginnings of the settlement? The lack of gold, Columbus inflating his report? Bringing the Indians back to Spain? The return, Captain Pinzon and his dying? Isabella and her receiving of Columbus? Sanchos, his observations and suspicions?

13. The second expedition, Sanchos and his role, the money? His sending Bobadill as spy, as alternate Governor? Columbus's brothers and their role in government? The personal clashes, political ambitions? The return, the change of seasons, the chaos, the clashes? Moxica and his friends, their arrogance over the Indians, brutality, violence and executions? Refusal to work? Columbus's autocratic dealing with them?

14. The attempts to build a city, the church, the bell? Moxica and his friends, the revolt, stirring up the Indians? The brutality of the battle? The rains and their destructiveness? Bobadilla and his supercilious attitude, taking over?

15. Columbus's return, imprisonment, despair? The news about Amerigo Vespucci and his discovering the mainland? Columbus's continued hopes and ambitions? The interviews with Isabella? Sanchos? His memoirs?

16. Columbus's achievement in the world of the 15th century, in the Spanish empire and expanding it? The conquest of the New World and its inheritance colonialism, violence? Oppression of the native peoples? The search for gold? The search for empire? Religious motivations and imposition of Christianity? The presentation of the Indians, their welcoming of the new comers, the different lifestyle, the clashes the experience of evil? (And the parallel of Columbus's experience with Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness as seen by Frances Ford Coppola in Apocalypse Now)?