Runtime:
A long 150 minutes
Directed
by: Ridley Scott
Starring:
Gerard Depardieu, Michael Wincott, Armand Assante, Frank Langella,
Sigourney Weaver
From:
Paramount
This was an appropriate movie to see last night... just not a good one:
What
better day to watch this film than last night, which was both Columbus
Day and the 69th birthday of Sigourney Weaver? I figured going in this
wouldn't be among her best movies-it certainly was not-nor one of Ridley
Scott's best... this is not awful but it has its problems and yes I do
have to bring up the modern controversy over Columbus and whether or not
he should be celebrated.
I cannot speak worldwide but in the United States, there has been a modern controversy over Christopher Columbus and whether or not his landing in “The New World” should be celebrated. The people that lived here already certainly wouldn't, due to how their peoples were forever changed by Europeans coming over here. Admittedly, it would have happened eventually and probably also the rape/murder/genocide that Columbus did during his voyages, but I do understand why there are plenty that wish for an Indigenous Peoples Day to replace Columbus Day. The events of 1492 are an important moments in world history yet between the Vikings having a brief settlement in Canada a few centuries prior and rumors of others (Chinese, Polynesian, Irish, etc.) having done so decades prior... what was taught in schools to kids like me was not entirely accurate.
Of course, this film lionizes him and says he was just an explorer who was a dreamer and he treated the people of the Caribbean very well; furthermore, it was only a creepy-looking Michael Wincott who committed atrocities and Chris tried to stop him. Um, no. What was incredibly bold was a moment late in the film where it was explained why Columbus was replaced as the leader in the region and the charges-which were true-were mentioned but couched in such a way that 1492 made it look as if they were false charges. Talk about rich...
Another big problem is that this 2 ½ hour epic movie is too often not that exciting and at times is downright boring. Those issues with 1492 is disappointing as it has nice cinematography, has a quality score from Vangelis and I can't complain about any of the performances from the cast full of famous faces; Weaver's role is small yet still memorable as Queen Isabella of Spain. I do not know if there's been a good movie made about Columbus... I understand that the same year's Christopher Columbus: The Discovery sure as hell ain't it as apparently that competing film is clearly worse. At least there's various books-or heck,even Wikipedia-that provide plenty of accurate information about Chris and why this movie is an incredibly romanticized version of history.
I cannot speak worldwide but in the United States, there has been a modern controversy over Christopher Columbus and whether or not his landing in “The New World” should be celebrated. The people that lived here already certainly wouldn't, due to how their peoples were forever changed by Europeans coming over here. Admittedly, it would have happened eventually and probably also the rape/murder/genocide that Columbus did during his voyages, but I do understand why there are plenty that wish for an Indigenous Peoples Day to replace Columbus Day. The events of 1492 are an important moments in world history yet between the Vikings having a brief settlement in Canada a few centuries prior and rumors of others (Chinese, Polynesian, Irish, etc.) having done so decades prior... what was taught in schools to kids like me was not entirely accurate.
Of course, this film lionizes him and says he was just an explorer who was a dreamer and he treated the people of the Caribbean very well; furthermore, it was only a creepy-looking Michael Wincott who committed atrocities and Chris tried to stop him. Um, no. What was incredibly bold was a moment late in the film where it was explained why Columbus was replaced as the leader in the region and the charges-which were true-were mentioned but couched in such a way that 1492 made it look as if they were false charges. Talk about rich...
Another big problem is that this 2 ½ hour epic movie is too often not that exciting and at times is downright boring. Those issues with 1492 is disappointing as it has nice cinematography, has a quality score from Vangelis and I can't complain about any of the performances from the cast full of famous faces; Weaver's role is small yet still memorable as Queen Isabella of Spain. I do not know if there's been a good movie made about Columbus... I understand that the same year's Christopher Columbus: The Discovery sure as hell ain't it as apparently that competing film is clearly worse. At least there's various books-or heck,even Wikipedia-that provide plenty of accurate information about Chris and why this movie is an incredibly romanticized version of history.
No comments:
Post a Comment