1492: Conquest of Paradise

“Nothing that results from human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. And those who are enlightened before the others are condemned to pursue that light in spite of others.”

Ridley Scott’s “1492: Conquest of Paradise” was a movie I wanted to revisit for a long time now. It had left a lasting impression the first time I saw it, but being only a boy I could not ascertain the veracity of my feelings from flashbacks alone. I needed to see it again, to re-actualize those images and judge through my more versed eyes what lay before me. It is as I remember though – a slightly blemished masterpiece, set adrift from its throne by a few strange design choices and what seems to be a somewhat shorter version than what might have been the original vision. At 2 hours and 30 minutes cuts were required, but I’m glad to say that for the most part the story remains well strung together. Only the Moxica segment seems to suffer from a bit of fragmentation and lack of focus. During this time the intelligent movie suddenly becomes silent. Tribal music and fights abound with the natives and the motivation for some of these scenes is not so transparent. Nor do they display the same visual grandeur that breathed life into Gladiator. But these caveats aside this is the definitive Christopher Columbus movie, detailing both the man’s dream, his journey, the conquest of Paradise and ultimately the aftermath of it all.

This is also perhaps the most symbolic movie I’ve seen by Ridley Scott, which having made so many epics and showing such great control of large scale movie making is slightly resembling a modern version of David Lean to me. Gladiator is filled with poignant and powerful images, Kingdom of Heaven is grand in scope and adroitly written, Black Hawk Down shows his mastery of large scale warfare. The director might have taken a few side steps along the years, but he is obviously at home making war movies. 1492 however is an interesting viewing. Some of his skills seem a bit untamed, a little uncontrolled, but in spite or perhaps because of this, the film is also a triumph through its somewhat surreal atmosphere. He shows little restraint during certain scenes of crossing the line between reality and fantasy – perhaps with the intent of raising the movie to mythic proportions. Some of it strikes as melodramatic, some as simply poor taste, but some reaches its mark admirably. The storm scene at the end could have been changed as the exaggeration comes off as too much for instance – but the discovery of the new land through the white misty fog suddenly blowing away to reveal an oversaturated lush island works greatly. Vangelis was also the perfect choice for the score, as his mystic tunes and instruments infuse this movie with all the mythical power it needs to carry us from the certain known world to the unfathomable new realm of fantasy and endless possibilities. The dichotomy of the new and old is present throughout and is a major motif of the film. Ridley Scott seems to even emphasise it through a visual motif. Extremely orange skies clash with deep blue oceans on several occasions. The beginning of the movie itself posits Columbus with one of his sons right on the edge between these two as they stand on a cliff overlooking a violent, vivid ocean, while a pale, tired sunset spills over their bodies. This could be dismissed as a coincidence but there is one key scene in the movie that seems to give credence to my assumption. While Columbus and his party traverse the islands there is a quick interlude shot where we see two streams merging together. One is highly orange, filled with sediment and one carries fresh blue water. A small line divides the two – an eloquent image of the new and old clashing together. Indeed Scott shows a propensity towards visual motifs throughout. The white church in the middle of the settlement is conspicuously glossy and white compared to the poor surroundings and he chooses to center it in many of his shots, especially when the three brothers are sitting on their porch. The building is imposing, a true bastion of civilisation in the harsh environment. Characters too don’t seem to have escaped the magical brush of symbolism – Moxica is clad in black and speaks in a low hissed voice that sends chills down your spine. His horse itself is a protraction of his dark, foreboding persona.

The movie is generally solidly acted but some scenes could have been revised. Armand Assante’s character is superb however throughout and the final moment with him and Columbus in front of the window quickly became an endless looping segment which I simply needed to see over and over again. He has always carried a noble demeanour in his gait and rhetoric, and the anger and confusion in his voice in that scene contrast it superbly. We see a fearless titan finally unbalanced from his lofty position when Columbus asks him to look outside the window and describe what he sees. His voice trembles as he constantly reiterates the syntagm “I see”, as if desperately trying to reposition himself above his collocutor: “I see towers! I see palaces, I see steeples, I see… civilisation! I see towers that reach… to the sky!” Gerard Depardieu is unwavering though and his reply is beautifully delivered. Take note too at the cinematography on display. The visual contrasts between the lighting on the characters, their clothes, even the colour of their hair. Take note how Gerard Depardieu fades out of focus into the background upon finishing his speech.

It’s great to see an epic without clearly defined black and white characters, but a world where each person’s necessities and desires tangle up in intriguing ways. It is well written and has many memorable moments and lines. We see the struggle in building a new world, the difficulties one encounters. Like the opening line suggests we learn how people are resilient to change. “The New World is a disaster” the queen remarks, but an inexorable Columbus sagaciously replies: “And the old one, an achievement?” Buyl, the priest, yells out to Columbus: “You treat Christians equally with heathen savages. And what do you offer in return?”. “A New World” he answers with dreamy eyes, and yet again he is denounced – “No one wants one, only you!” We understand the dreamer’s journey, his rise and fall and we feel for the character. The movie is highly optimistic but only in its undertones. “Paradise and Hell both can be earthly.” an enlightened Columbus reflects. “We carry them with us wherever we go.”

Rating: 4.5/5