1492: Conquest of Paradise

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1492: Conquest of Paradise

PG-13

1992

2h 25m

History

Drama

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30%

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23 Reviews

50%

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10,000+ Ratings

Determined to find a new sailing route to India, Christopher Columbus (Gérard Depardieu) convinces Spanish Queen Isabella (Sigourney Weaver) to finance an expedition. Setting sail with three ships, Columbus quells potential mutinies until the men arrive in North America. After his triumphant return home, Columbus is appointed governor of the new territory, but his dream of a peaceful new world does not fit with nobleman Don Adrian de Moxica's (Michael Wincott) visions of conquest.

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Critics Consensus

Historically inaccurate and dramatically inert, Ridley Scott's retelling of Christopher Columbus' exploits is an epic without grandeur or insight.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

This $50 million spectacle must be one of the least entertaining epic films ever made.

Feb 8, 2018

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Anthony Lane

Independent (UK)

Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise is a long, becalmed and hollow hull of a movie about the old order bumping into the New World.

Jan 4, 2018

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: D

Sep 7, 2011

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

As a historical epic, it boasts an authentic rendering of the period that reflects Scott's attention to visual detail, but overall, its portrayal of the legendary conqueror is lost like a ship at sea. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/10

Mar 15, 2025

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A beautifully constructed drag that never seems to become the grand epic it truly wants to be.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 4, 2019

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Vanessa Letts

The Spectator

The film doesn't, as it should have done, make any profound attempt to examine the split between good and evil within Christopher Columbus himself.

Jul 24, 2018

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Augustine H

Vangelis' music rocks but that's it. Ridley Scott is not good at handling epics.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/29/25

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Al P

A great movie, with stunning shots and practical visual effects. A classical one to remember. Don't let yourself fooled by the average tiktok 10 seconds attention spam users that give low rating to this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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Kevin P

Don't be fooled by the negative reviews. A movie retelling the story of an event 500 years ago doesn't have to be completely accurate to be good. In fact, the base events are true, with Columbus being both daring and egotistic. Don't expect heroic battle scenes with victorious Europeans savings the day. In fact, what happened was both amazing and awful, brave and vicious. Be prepared to be emotionally drained at the end. For a movie made at the beginning of the 1990s, without the technology advantages of today, this is both a visually stunning and emotional movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/05/23

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Adrian B

Not so bad, it flopped as a movie business venture, but Ridley Scott spectacle did touch some points of the ''New World'' history trying to shed the light on who Columbus really was, and what he under/over achieved. Not so bad after all the tumbs down...Worth watching.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/03/23

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Steve D

Nearly as bad as the other bio of the same year.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

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James L

1492: Conquest of Paradise is a visually stunning movie with great acting and an incredible story to tell. Christopher Columbus is portrayed as he was: a brave, skilled and very religious, yet also flawed man who had an incredible vision to explore the unknown and change the world forever. The incredible scenery and a fabulous soundtrack by Vangelis also make it really worth seeing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

Full Review

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Ridley Scott

Director

Gérard Depardieu

Christopher Columbus

Armand Assante

Sanchez

Sigourney Weaver

Queen Isabella I.

Loren Dean

Older Fernando Columbus

Ángela Molina

Beatrix Enriquez

Jefferson in Paris

31%

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Jefferson in Paris

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Synopsis

Determined to find a new sailing route to India, Christopher Columbus (Gérard Depardieu) convinces Spanish Queen Isabella (Sigourney Weaver) to finance an expedition. Setting sail with three ships, Columbus quells potential mutinies until the men arrive in North America. After his triumphant return home, Columbus is appointed governor of the new territory, but his dream of a peaceful new world does not fit with nobleman Don Adrian de Moxica's (Michael Wincott) visions of conquest.

Director: Ridley Scott
Producer: Alain Goldman, Ridley Scott
Production Co: Gaumont, France 3 Cinéma
Rating: PG-13
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.5M
Runtime: 2h 25m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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