Posted here is a trailer for the movie. After watching it you get the sense that this is possibly fashioned after Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. The music is that of the 1990s, yet the clothing and all the rituals are that of the 1400s. Once the film starts the opening credits began to raise my eyebrow. Opposite of the trailer the music is very dark and ominous. I believe it was a great way to evoke the feelings of fear and worry. Also, having a red screen it leads you to believe there could be part of anger and aggression displayed by the characters.
I was quickly able to see that Columbus was a very passionate and ambitious individual, but was in for a surprise at just how far he would go to be granted permission to sail West. For I see him as a hero and at times a victim. Overall I believe it is safe to say that Columbus is portrayed as very sympathetic. Unlike those of the upper hierarchy, our dear Columbus isn't motivated by the wealth (gold) to be found in the "New World". He has a real belief in what he is doing and wants to spark trade in Asia. He no longer wants to be an outsider, yet this proves to be a constant struggle throughout the film. Although gold doesn't motivate Columbus, he uses this to motivate other and to in some way manipulate them into believing this voyage is possible.
In beginning scenes we see Columbus sharing with his son, Fernando, his idea that due to the spherical shape of the Earth the ship disappeared. Pushing all the boundaries and wanting to break all the bonding of superstition and chicanery Columbus is determined to set sail and find a Western route to Asia. After waiting seven long years Columbus is finally called upon by the Salamonica, who he leads to believe that his voyage would take a maximum of seven weeks. Boy was he wrong! But here goes nothing. Finally he is able to get the support from Queen Isabelle de Castille, accompanied by another ship captain Columbus sets sail on his first voyage. Upon arriving it took less than a day for the first encounter of the indigenous people of today's San Salvador. Might I add they were not happy, for this was their land. And who were these strange white men and where did they come from? Now we can start to question Columbus as a leader. He was very concerned with the natives' ability to produce wealth. He began to question if they would make good slaves? After all he was there to bring back an abundance of wealth, which let us be reminded he wasn't concerned with. Now it is time to report back to Queen Isabelle de Castille. Columbus leaves behind men of his voyage to ensure productivity while he is gone.
Returning to the Queen with only little to show for his voyage, he still managed to convince her that he could do better. Therefore, Queen Isabelle granted him another voyage. Only this time he was sent with many more men at his aid. Along for the trip is Moxica. It is easy to see that Moxica is driven by the need for power and wealth. He is certainly seen as the villain of the movie. After enslaving the natives to mine gold Moxica is on a power trip! Unable to produce the correct amount of gold at the end of the work day, one of the natives has his had cut off by Moxica. Greed and Ambition are strong motivators for our friend and enemy Moxica. As shown he lived by the principal of everything has a price. Poor native, I'm sure he needed his hand.
Scott wanted viewers to see his message, reality is not always what one expects. Columbus wanted to spread the Word of God, yet in the end it was all about GOLD. For riches meant nothing to him. Columbus said: "I want to travel all over the seas. I want to get behind the weather." That does not speak to the character of a man whose sole purpose for exploration is to find multitudes of wealth. Scott also draws attention to many broad ideas such as; Fear v. Intelligence, Good v. Evil, Civilization v. Savage, Religion v. Science, and Individual v. Society. All of these play significant roles in this film. Overall I don't think it was a good "historical" film. Given the knowledge available I think it was written and produced to the best of Scott's abilities.
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