1492: Conquest of Paradise is a 1992 European historical film, released to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the New World, telling the (heavily fictionalized) tale of Christopher Columbus’ voyage and it’s consequences. As the film opens, we see Columbus becoming obsessed with his potential voyage, but is unable to secure funds and ships for the trip. He solicits Queen Isabella, but she is initially reluctant. Columbus visits his son at a Monastery, but gets into a brawl and is forced to do penance for his actions. A stranger appears on behalf of an interested party, offering to fund the expedition. He once more meets with the Queen, who grants him the voyage in exchange for him returning with gifts of gold and silver.
The voyage begins, after Columbus swindled the crews by telling them the trip would only last seven weeks. Nine weeks in there is no sign of land and the other captains begin to turn against him, but are stopped when the mainsail suddenly catches the wind, apparently a sign of God’s favor for the mission. Some days later they sight land in the New World. The natives they meet are friendly; one of them learns Spanish so as to communicate. Columbus accepts their offerings of gold and tells them that he has to return to Spain to spread news, whilst some of the crew is left behind to being building a town.
The Queen is impressed with his gifts and grants him great honors, sending him back to the New World to build the city of San Salvador and bring Christianity to the natives. Upon his return however he finds that the crew left behind have all been killed, apparently by other strangers. Columbus believes them and together they being building the city, eventually hositing the town bell into position.
Four years later, one of the officers maims a native for lying about gold, and the natives disappear into the forests, leading Columbus to fear that they have started a war they cannot win. He returns to his house to find it burning down, showing that he is still held in contempt by some members of the expedition. The natives arrive to fight and San Salvador becomes a warzone. Columbus is sent home to Spain in disgrace, being sentenced to many years in prison after news spreads that the mainland was discovered by an Italian. His sons bail him out and he convinces the Queen to let him return on one last journey.
The film was a commercial failure in America, although reviews were rather more favorable. It’s soundtrack, however, has had considerably greater success.
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