1492: Conquest of Paradise
(1992)
PG-13 | 153 mins | Drama, Adventure | 9 October 1992
Director:
Ridley ScottWriter:
Roselyne BoschProducers:
Ridley Scott, Alain GoldmanCinematographer:
Adrian BiddleProduction Designer:
Norris SpencerProduction Companies:
Percy Main, Légende Films, Cyrk
The film begins with the following title scroll: “500 years ago, Spain was a nation gripped by fear and superstition, ruled by the crown and a ruthless inquisition that persecuted men for daring to dream. One man challenged this power. Driven by his sense of destiny, he crossed the sea of darkness in search of honor, gold, and the greater glory of God.”
The film ends with the following title scroll: “In 1502, Columbus sailed with Fernando on his last voyage to the New World. They landed in Panama where the Indians revealed to them the existence of a new sea—the Pacific Ocean. The biography that Fernando wrote about his Father restored the name of Columbus to its place in history. In 1992, his descendant Christopher Columbus is an Admiral in the Royal Spanish Navy. “Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams …”
Production notes in AMPAS library files indicate that French journalist Roselyne Bosch began work on a screenplay about Christopher Columbus sometime in the late 1980s, after conducting archival research in Seville, Spain, for a 1987 magazine article on the upcoming 500-year anniversary of the navigator’s discoveries. She was able to interest French producer, Alain Goldman, in her script, and together, they approached director Ridley Scott about making a feature film. Whether or not Goldman and Bosch knew that Scott had considered directing another Christopher Columbus picture for producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind could not be determined. Although numerous contemporary sources described Roselyn Bosch’s script as extensively researched and historically informed, a 10 Dec 1991 HR article noted that the film “makes no claim to being completely historically correct.”
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The film begins with the following title scroll: “500 years ago, Spain was a nation gripped by fear and superstition, ruled by the crown and a ruthless inquisition that persecuted men for daring to dream. One man challenged this power. Driven by his sense of destiny, he crossed the sea of darkness in search of honor, gold, and the greater glory of God.”
The film ends with the following title scroll: “In 1502, Columbus sailed with Fernando on his last voyage to the New World. They landed in Panama where the Indians revealed to them the existence of a new sea—the Pacific Ocean. The biography that Fernando wrote about his Father restored the name of Columbus to its place in history. In 1992, his descendant Christopher Columbus is an Admiral in the Royal Spanish Navy. “Life has more imagination than we carry in our dreams …”
Production notes in AMPAS library files indicate that French journalist Roselyne Bosch began work on a screenplay about Christopher Columbus sometime in the late 1980s, after conducting archival research in Seville, Spain, for a 1987 magazine article on the upcoming 500-year anniversary of the navigator’s discoveries. She was able to interest French producer, Alain Goldman, in her script, and together, they approached director Ridley Scott about making a feature film. Whether or not Goldman and Bosch knew that Scott had considered directing another Christopher Columbus picture for producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind could not be determined. Although numerous contemporary sources described Roselyn Bosch’s script as extensively researched and historically informed, a 10 Dec 1991 HR article noted that the film “makes no claim to being completely historically correct.”
On 7 Nov 1990, DV ran a two-page advertisement announcing, “Due West Productions is proud to present Christopher Columbus directed by Ridley Scott.” Two days later, an article appeared in DV indicating Ilya Salkind’s surprise at seeing the ad. He noted that he had already registered several “Christopher Columbus” titles with the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). On 15 Nov 1990, the LAT reported that Salkind had filed a lawsuit against Scott, alleging that the director “stole” ideas from his project. $40 million in damages were sought, in addition to a ruling barring Scott from proceeding with the Goldman-backed film. Throughout Nov 1990, various contemporary sources pointed out that the scripts for the two projects were rumored to be quite different: Scott’s “biopic” would survey twenty-three years of Columbus’s life, while Salkind’s “adventure-epic” would focus on the singular event of discovering the Americas in 1492. Six months after filing the lawsuit against Scott, Salkind decided to abandon it, as noted in a 13 May 1991 DV article. Goldman and Salkind acknowledged that releasing two films on the same subject at approximately the same time could split audiences and box office returns, but with both “Columbus” pictures angling for a release date to coincide with the 500-year anniversary, the conflict seemed unavoidable.
Undeterred by the lawsuit, Ridley Scott and Alain Goldman spent the fall of 1990 and spring of 1991 securing financing for their $40 million film. With the help of distributor Odyssey Films, major funds were acquired through pre-sales to countries throughout Europe. Reports from Cannes, France, in May 1991 indicated that both Columbus projects were seeking help from the Spanish government. According to a 23 May 1991 DV article, the Spanish press felt that the government should extend support to only one film. However, a 28 Jun 1991 Screen International news item revealed that the “Quinto Centenario,” a Spanish organization in charge of various 500-year anniversary celebrations, had decided to back both pictures. Ultimately, Scott received $2 million from the Spanish government. The balance of financing came from other European entities, as well as $9 million from U.S. distributor Paramount Pictures.
The DV report from Cannes indicated that actor Sean Connery was in negotiations to play a “supporting role” in Ridley Scott’s film. However, he does not appear in the picture. A few months prior to the start of principal photography, the title of Scott’s project changed to, simply, Columbus, as indicated by both a 6 Aug 1991 HR production chart and 2 Sep 1991 Var news brief. However, it remained to be seen whether or not Scott would be allowed to use any title bearing the navigator’s name.
Principal photography began 2 Dec 1991 in Cáceres, Spain, even though the role of Queen Isabella I, “Queen Isabel,” had not yet been cast. Various contemporary sources, including 2 and 13 Jan 1992 People magazine articles, reported that the role was initially offered to Swedish actress Lena Olin, but that she was committed to another film and had to decline. American actresses Glenn Close and Kathleen Turner were also considered, according to a 2 Dec 1991 Var article. When Glenn Close declined the role, People reported that Anjelica Huston was likely to play the Queen. However, Huston “backed out” and the part went to Sigourney Weaver.
In Dec 1991 and Jan 1992, various HR articles tracked the film on location. Eight weeks were spent in Spain, with scenes shot in Trujillo, Salamanca, Seville, and Cáceres. Production notes list some of the “world-famous monuments” in which filmmakers were allowed to shoot, including the Old Cathedral and Convent of San Estaban in Salamanca, and the Alcazar and Casa de Pilatos in Seville. At the beginning of Feb 1992, cast and crew relocated to Jaco, Costa Rica, for another eight weeks of filming. There, ten major sets were built, including three separate Indian villages, the gold mine, and Columbus’s “City of Isabel.” Nearly two hundred indigenous people of Costa Rica were enlisted to appear in the film. Six Columbian Waunana Indians, all of whom had worked on the 1986 picture, The Mission, played principal roles as tribesmen, though Bercelio Moya, as “Utapan,” is the only one credited as a cast member. Production notes indicate that Moya’s father, Alejandrino, played “Chief Guarionex,” while his grandfather, Florin, played “the tribe’s Shaman.”
In the many months leading up to production, various news articles and production charts listed Chris Kenny as line producer. However, he is not included in an 11 Feb 1992 HR production chart, which indicated that Patrick Clayton had been brought on as unit production manager of the “Untitled Ridley Scott” project. Clayton is credited as “production supervisor” in end credits. A 15 Mar 1992 article in the NYT confirmed that the picture’s title had been changed to 1492 to “avoid confusion and a lawsuit.” Although production notes describe the film as “an independent production of $45 million,” a compilation of figures cited by various contemporary sources places the cost closer to $50 million, if not more.
A 26 Jun 1992 Screen International article announced that 1492 would premiere in the U.S. on 9 Oct 1992. The decision to release the film in the U.S., two days before a scheduled “European Premiere” at Seville’s Expo ’92, was considered a “snub” to Spain. Less than a month before the film’s domestic release, a 15 Sep 1992 DV news item reported that Paramount had been forced to edit 1492: Conquest of Paradise in order to achieve a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.
Although the film’s technical contributions were uniformly assessed as “first rate,” critical reception was fairly negative. A 7 Oct 1992 HR review faulted Roselyne Bosch’s debut screenplay as “tired, talky, and … Manichean.” Other critics concurred, noting superficial character relationships and wooden dialogue. Additionally, Gérard Depardieu’s thick French accent rendered many lines incomprehensible. On 2 Nov 1992, the LAT published a rebuttal to critic Kenneth Turan’s 9 Oct 1992 review. Ian Botwater, an executive from Odyssey Films, stated that Bosch’s script had been “polished” by an anonymous writer, and that the film’s weaknesses had more to do with how the film was edited than with the writing style. He noted that “twenty percent” of Bosch’s epic story ended up on the cutting room floor.
End credits indicate that the film was: “Photographed on location in Spain and Costa Rica.”
End credits include the following acknowledgments: “The producers wish to express their special thanks to: Nicolas Seydoux and Patrice Ledoux; John Ptak; Nigel Sinclair”; “The producers also gratefully acknowledge the significant contribution made by the following: Claude Abeille; Pierre-Françoise Racine (Sodete); Dirk Jan Van Swaay (N.M.B. Bank); Will Tyrer; Chris Ball; Joan Stigliano; Kathy Goodman; Patrick Wachsberger; Mark Wyman; Michael Yanover; David Norris; Frank Bloom; Jacques Bidou”; and, “The producers also gratefully acknowledge the significant help in Spain and Costa Rica by the following: Universidad de Salamanca; Catedrales de Cáceres y Salamanca; Monasterio San Esteban de Salamanca; Ayuntamientos de Cáceres, Salamanca, Segovia y Trujuillo; Los ciudadanos de Cáceres, Trujillo y Salamanca; Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes; Ministerio de Seguridad Publica y Gobernacion; Casa Presidencial-atd; Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad; Direccion General de Aduanas; Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social; Direccion General de Migracion; Municipalidad de Garabito.”
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In association with Odyssey Distributors, Ltd.
A Ridley Scott film
A British - French - Spanish co-production film
A Due West - Legende - Cyrk Production with support of the French and Spanish Ministries of Culture
Christopher Columbus
Columbus
On the coast of southwestern Spain in 1491, navigator Christopher Columbus and his ten-year-old son, Fernando, watch a ship disappear over the horizon. The boy grows anxious, but Columbus holds out an orange, indicating that the world, like the fruit, is round. Later, they visit Columbus’s other son, Diego, at a Trappist monastery. While there, Columbus rehearses what he intends to say to commissioners at the University of Salamanca, who have yet to decide whether or not they will fund his journey west into uncharted waters. Father Marchena cautions Columbus about speaking with too much passion, lest the tone offend the devout committee. A week later, Columbus and the commissioners argue about his measurement of the Earth’s circumference, as well as his estimate of how long the proposed journey will take. Gabriel Sanchez, the King’s treasurer, is intrigued when Columbus claims that Spain could become an empire via a direct trade route to Asia, and later attempts to persuade the commissioners to fund the trip. Viewing Columbus as a heretic, they deny his request. Columbus takes a vow of silence at the Trappist monastery, until Martin Alonzo Pinzon, a ship owner, and Luis de Santangel, a banker, locate him and offer help. The three men ride to Granada, arriving on 2 January 1492. Columbus meets with Queen Isabel and pleads with her to reconsider his proposition. Although treasurer Sanchez finds Columbus’s demands extravagant, the Queen agrees to back the voyage. Seven months later, on the eve of his departure from the Port of Palos, Columbus makes a confession to Father Marchena, indicating that the journey will be much longer than he has let on. After receiving absolution, Columbus bids ... + −
On the coast of southwestern Spain in 1491, navigator Christopher Columbus and his ten-year-old son, Fernando, watch a ship disappear over the horizon. The boy grows anxious, but Columbus holds out an orange, indicating that the world, like the fruit, is round. Later, they visit Columbus’s other son, Diego, at a Trappist monastery. While there, Columbus rehearses what he intends to say to commissioners at the University of Salamanca, who have yet to decide whether or not they will fund his journey west into uncharted waters. Father Marchena cautions Columbus about speaking with too much passion, lest the tone offend the devout committee. A week later, Columbus and the commissioners argue about his measurement of the Earth’s circumference, as well as his estimate of how long the proposed journey will take. Gabriel Sanchez, the King’s treasurer, is intrigued when Columbus claims that Spain could become an empire via a direct trade route to Asia, and later attempts to persuade the commissioners to fund the trip. Viewing Columbus as a heretic, they deny his request. Columbus takes a vow of silence at the Trappist monastery, until Martin Alonzo Pinzon, a ship owner, and Luis de Santangel, a banker, locate him and offer help. The three men ride to Granada, arriving on 2 January 1492. Columbus meets with Queen Isabel and pleads with her to reconsider his proposition. Although treasurer Sanchez finds Columbus’s demands extravagant, the Queen agrees to back the voyage. Seven months later, on the eve of his departure from the Port of Palos, Columbus makes a confession to Father Marchena, indicating that the journey will be much longer than he has let on. After receiving absolution, Columbus bids farewell to his family and sets sail on the Santa Maria, flanked by two additional ships, the Niña and the Pinta. En route, Captain Mendez expresses concern about their course of direction, prompting Columbus to teach him to use a “quadrant” to determine latitude in relation to the stars. After nine weeks at sea, the crew becomes restless, and Pinzon, captain of the Pinta, warns of impending mutiny. Although Columbus rouses the men to continue, days pass without sight of land. However, after swatting a mosquito, he realizes land must be near, and on 12 October 1492, a thick fog breaks, revealing a lush forest. Columbus christens the place “San Salvador,” before leading the men into a forest filled with exotic birds and colorful snakes. Walking down a streambed, they encounter a tribe of natives and allow themselves to be escorted to a nearby village. When the village chief laughs at the disheveled sailors, the natives lower their bows and arrows and welcome the men into their community. Columbus documents the tribe in his journal, optimistically predicting a harmonious comingling of cultures. He notices the gold amulets worn by a native named Utapan, and asks where to find the precious metal. The natives take the explorers deep into the forest during a rainstorm, but the trip yields no gold. For several months, Columbus surveys the area by ship, realizing that each landmass is an island. Although the chieftains of various native tribes present him with gold trinkets, he remains disappointed at not discovering an abundance of the valuable element. When Pinzon becomes sick, Columbus decides to return to Spain, where he is given a hero’s welcome and granted a seat at the Spanish court. He recounts tales of his travels, and tries to interest the Spaniards in the anthropology of the native people, but treasurer Sanchez dismisses the cultural small talk and asks about gold. Sometime later, in anticipation of Columbus’s second expedition, Sanchez introduces Francisco de Bobadilla, who expresses interest in governing one of the New World islands. However, Columbus evades negotiating with the unscrupulous man, and later seeks out his brothers, Bartolome and Giacomo, appointing each a general of the West Indies. Columbus’s siblings have no interest in exploration, and are irritated at his display of nepotism. Columbus argues that more than a thousand men have volunteered to go west, and his brothers should be honored to join him. In November 1493, Columbus lands on one of his “discovered” islands, shocked to find the crewmembers he left behind slaughtered. Spanish nobleman, Adrian de Moxica, declares revenge, but Columbus gives the natives an opportunity to explain. They claim that warriors came from the sea and killed the Spaniards while they hid in the hills. Moxica scoffs in disbelief, but Columbus accepts the story as truth. During the next four years, Columbus and his men enlist the help of the natives to build a cathedral, plant new farm crops, and mine for gold. One day at the mine, an empty-handed native declares he could not find any gold. Overseeing operations, Moxica cuts off the native’s hand, calling him a thief. After the incident, the tribes join forces against the Europeans and retaliate by mutilating dozens of Columbus’s men. War breaks out, and in the chaos, a man loyal to Moxica frees the instigator from detention, where he had been banished by Columbus. Moxica sets fire to Columbus’s elegant home, before fleeing into the forest with a group of armed rebels. Columbus tracks down his adversary, but Moxica throws himself over a cliff rather than fight. After the great conflict, a violent tropical storm destroys Isabel, the small city Columbus worked so hard to build. Back in Spain, the Queen hears about the disastrous events and sends Francisco de Bobadilla to replace Columbus as governor of the island. Bobadilla arrives on 15 September 1500, and Columbus, accepting defeat, declares his intention to search for the mainland. However, he learns that Amerigo Vespucci has already discovered a continent just north of the islands. Columbus is shipped back to Spain and imprisoned for a brief time. When his sons, Diego and Fernando, free him, he procures a meeting with Queen Isabel and asks to take another expedition to the New World. She gives him her blessing on condition that he not return to any of the established colonies. Before departing, Columbus attends a public forum about the discovery of the New World. One of the commissioners from the University of Salamanca takes credit for encouraging exploration, and acknowledges Amerigo Vespucci as the first to discover land in the west. Columbus holds back tears. Sometime later, Columbus and Fernando watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. Fernando picks up a quill pen and asks his father to recount his life story. Columbus closes his eyes, remembering. + −
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