Film Analysis 1492 Conquest of Paradise PDF

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Film analysis of the movie "1492: Conquest of Paradise"...

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In the film “1492: Conquest of Paradise”, the Italian Christopher Columbus sets sail on a voyage sponsored by the Spanish Queen Isabella, as she hopes he will return with riches to repay her debts. In 1492, he takes three ships, The Nina, The Pinta, and The Santa Maria, and many men and ends up in North America, although he intended to sail to Asia. After many weeks at sea, Columbus and his men reach San Salvador, and befriend the natives, and depart back to Spain to alert the queen, still leaving men in the New World. When Colobus returns he finds his men have been killed, but he has brought 1500 more. They build La Isabella and conflict in how to govern arises between Columbus and Moxica who is much crueler and less inclined to work. Moxica’s hasty actions cause revolution between settlers and natives and soon the issues get so out of hand that Columbus is seen as incapable. When Columbus returns to Europe many untrue accusations are made and he is sent to prison, but is bailed out by his son. They take a final voyage to Panama where Columbus’s explorations are journaled by his son before he passes away. These writings prove that Columbus was acting how he saw fit and trying to do right by Europeans and the Natives. He held his integrity although accusations were made against him. Moxica was quite the opposite and was greedy and unaccepting of the Natives. He was entitled and selfish and his overwhelming sense of greed basically encompasses Europe at the time. The themes of exploration and new beginnings become clouded by the horrors of war and disease and slavery that the Europeans caused. The reasoning behind Columbus’s voyage was to reach the east in order to trade spices, however he ended up in the West, in the New World. When he reaches the New World, he aims to bring his own knowledge and way of life to the indigenous people who already live there. One way is when he and his men hoist up a bell and ring it in La Isabella declaring that Christianity has reached the west. (Key concept 1.2, I, A). However, Columbus would have never arrived had he not had maritime tools to aid him, although he got lost, he was able to correct his course and reach land and avoid rebellion on his ships with the help of new devices. (Key Concept 1.2, I, C). Columbus and his men coincidentally reached the New World and declared it for Spain and began to exploit the natives and use them to find precious metals for themselves and their country. They were not treated well, as displayed in the scene where Moxica cuts off a man’s hand for not returning with gold. (Key Concept 1.2, II, B) Overall, the indigenous people were not treated well by Moxica, as he can be seen using them as servants and eyeing a young woman who brings him drinks. He saw them as “monkeys” and subjugated them. (Key Concept 1.2, II, D). Not all of the natives were so easily taken advantage of however, many fought in retaliation, such as those who slaughtered the men Columbus left behind from the initial voyage. They did this in an attempt to defend their homes from invasion by foreigners. (Key Concept, III, B). As a result of the European’s greed, the Columbian Exchange developed as a trade route to send all the goods from the New World back to Europe. When Columbus presents Isabela with the golden mask and other treasures, this only signifies the beginning of what would be a vast exchange of animals, plants, goods, and treasures, as well as enslaved peoples. (“The Americas to 1620”). This voyage would not have been possible without the sponsorship by a government, such as the Spanish. At this point in time the monarchs of European nations were in competition which each other seeking riches, as Isabella was eager for the Columbus to return to her which riches to repay her debts and to show off to other royals. (“Imperial Rivalries”) The entire entity that is the voyages of Columbus might not have been what they were seeking but turned out to be

beneficiary because it created the Columbian Exchange where all sorts of things were transferred, such as the animals introduced to each place. In the scene where Isabela is presented with gold, the Natives carry parrots on their shoulders, new to Europe, and after various voyages to the New World, Columbus brings horses to help work, such as Moxica’s horse which helped pull the bell. (“The Columbian Exchange”) Overall, the film is an accurate representation of the encounters of Columbus in the New World, and depicts the hardships and turmoil as well as the way Europe profited from exploiting the indigenous peoples with no remorse in the way Moxica did....