1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) on Netflix
PG-1319922h 34mAdventureBiographyDrama
Christopher Columbus holds that the world's surface is ball-shaped, and he seeks backing for a westward voyage to Asia. Salamanca's theologians reject the plan, and he has neither ship nor crew.
- Netflix3.0/5
- IMDb6.4/1035,576 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes32%
Trailer
Plot summary
Convinced that the world's surface is ball-shaped, Christopher Columbus asks for backing to sail west to Asia, but he has no ship and no crew, and the theologians at the University of Salamanca disapprove of a plan that contradicts the writings of Ptolemaeus. The shipowner Martín Pinzón, from Palos, brings him to the banker Santángel, who is owed money by Queen Isabella. She grants him the journey after he promises to return with plenty of gold. He recruits men with the claim that the crossing will take only seven weeks. Three ships set out, and after nine weeks there is still no land; the men grow restless and come close to mutiny. A speech from him and a sudden strong wind send them back to their posts.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The main theme, "Conquest of Paradise", was used by former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres at his 1995 election and by the Portuguese Socialist Party as its campaign and rally anthem, until it was replaced by the main theme from Gladiator.
- Scott later blamed the film's U.S. failure on Americans not understanding European accents, saying they "don't hear shit unless it's from Texas or America, right?"
- The production hired about 170 Indigenous Costa Ricans as extras to portray the Caribbean islanders, paying around $35 a day; a newly formed national film commission helped secure the country as a location.
- The film's main theme also crossed into Russian politics: Russia used it in the second round of the 1996 Russian presidential election.
