1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)

Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas and the effect this has on the indigenous people.

Director:

Ridley Scott

Writer:

Rose Bosch (scenario) (as Roselyne Bosch)

Stars:

Gérard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Sigourney Weaver

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérard Depardieu	...	Columbus
Armand Assante	...	Sanchez
Sigourney Weaver	...	Queen Isabel of Castille
Loren Dean	...	Older Fernando
Ángela Molina	...	Beatrix
Fernando Rey	...	Marchena
Michael Wincott	...	Moxica
Tchéky Karyo	...	Pinzon
Kevin Dunn	...	Captain Mendez
Frank Langella	...	Santangel
Mark Margolis	...	Bobadilla
Kario Salem	...	Arojaz
Billy L. Sullivan	...	Fernando (aged 10)
John Heffernan	...	Brother Buyl
Arnold Vosloo	...	Guevara

Storyline

Big budget account of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas. Released in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery. Shows the disastrous effects the Europeans had on the original inhabitants, and Columbus' struggle to civilize the New World.

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Plot Keywords:

renaissance | year 1492 | caribbean | indian | christopher columbus | 

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Taglines:

Centuries before the exploration of space, there was another voyage into the unknown.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for historical violence and brutality

Details

Country:

France Spain USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 October 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

1492

Filming Locations:

Plaza de San Jorge, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$47,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,191,399

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont,Légende Films,France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastman)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's production coincided with Christopher Columbus: The Discovery (1992), one of the two films celebrating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America.

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Goofs

In the very beginning of the movie, before the first voyage, there is a chariot transporting Columbus into a Monastery. The chariot almost runs over some birds at the entrance of the monastery: some chickens and a TURKEY. Turkeys are native to the American Continent, there no were turkeys in Europe before Columbus' travels.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Fernando Columbus: Of all the words my father wrote - and there were many - I remember these the most: "Nothing that results from human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. And those who are enlightened before the others are condemned to persue that light in spite of others."

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Alternate Versions

Japanese laserdisc is a longer cut of the film with five deleted scenes and a few extended ones. And R-rated violence that was cut for the US PG-13 version. The soundtrack for the film indicates that the film was originally much longer.

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Connections

Featured in History Buffs: Vikings Historical Accuracy and Season 4 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Una Caza Chica
From the album "Romances"
Performed by Esther Lamandier
Disques Alienor
Distribution Harmonia Mundi

User Reviews

a good movie

I think this movie got a score it doesn't deserve. First of all the story is about an adventurer who discovered America and who was rejected the honour for his efforts, it is all in the movie. It shows how Columbus went from being a hero to a nobody, it was his sons who had to fight for his honor after his death. The movie really presents this perfectly, all from Columbus' dreams until after he discovered America, got mocked and became a laughing stock. So this is not the typical hero movie you have seen, but it is rather true to its real story, at least as true as you can get in a movie lasting 2 hours from a story which goes over a period of 30 years out of an extraordinary man's life. The other movie made the same year about Columbus was more the typical hero movie, where it ended when Columbus discovered America. And the music in this movie is so good, it catches the moods in this movie so great, this music is as perfect to its story as the music in 2001. I want to recommend people to see this movie again and this time with another view, and try to remember what their seeing.