Ridley Scott Blames 1492: Conquest of Paradise’s Failure on the Audience

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Ridley Scott Blames 1492: Conquest of Paradise's Failure on the Audience

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  • What Is 1492: Conquest of Paradise About?
  • 1492’s Commercial and Critical Response, Explained

As a film critic who has had the privilege of watching countless movies spanning various cultures and languages, I must say that Ridley Scott’s perspective on the failure of his movie “1492: Conquest of Paradise” is both intriguing and somewhat amusing. It’s fascinating to see such a seasoned director attribute the lackluster response from American audiences to their supposed inability to comprehend foreign accents, especially considering that he himself is British.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest filmmakers currently active, Ridley Scott, continues to thrive at the age of 86. With the anticipated release of Gladiator II slated for November 2024, Scott has been reminiscing about his illustrious 60-year career in entertainment. Although iconic films such as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down stand out as Scott’s most significant commercial and critical triumphs, some movies like 1492: Conquest of Paradise did not achieve impressive box office success.

1992 saw the financial failure of Ridley Scott’s film, 1492, which some attribute to American audiences struggling with European accents in the movie. Regardless of the accuracy of this claim, 1492 joins a select group of Scott-directed films like White Squall and The Last Duel, that did not recoup their production costs at the box office. The underperformance of this Ridley Scott film, particularly given its release coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas, warrants further examination to determine why it failed to resonate with American audiences.

What Is 1492: Conquest of Paradise About?

Ridley Scott Blames 1492: Conquest of Paradise's Failure on the Audience

1492: Conquest of Paradise, penned by Rose Bosch, is a grand, costly production that narrates Christopher Columbus’ journey to the New World. Intended to commemorate the 500th anniversary (quincentenary) of Columbus’ historic voyage in 1492, the film features French actor Gérard Depardieu portraying the Italian explorer. Casting a French actor for an Italian accent might not have been the wisest choice and could lend credence to Scott’s observations about European accents. However, other factors contributed to the movie’s downfall as well.

Not only did Ridley Scott’s film about Columbus’ life, The Man Who Discovered America, cast Jean-Paul Depardieu incorrectly as an Italian instead of a Frenchman and rely on his understandable accent, but it also faced criticism for taking too many creative liberties with historical facts. In the movie, Columbus approaches Queen Isabella I (played by Sigourney Weaver) to secure funds for his voyage, promising her gold and silver in return. However, Columbus deceives his crew, leading to a mutiny before they reach the Bahamas. With Depardieu portraying an Italian character, he proceeds to teach Spanish to the native inhabitants of America, adding to the already complex mix of dialects and European accents that may confuse viewers.

It’s possible that Scott might be correct in suggesting that the film failed due to his insistence on casting Depardieu, and if so, he would be accountable for the casting decisions. After all, Scott had made it clear that he wanted Depardieu for the role and even threatened not to make the movie if another actor was chosen.

On his second journey, Christopher Columbus arrives at Caribbean islands accompanied by 17 ships and more than a thousand men. Upon landing, he discovers that the settlers left behind have been killed by the native inhabitants. This leads to a conflict between the natives and Europeans, which escalates into the Europeans compelling the natives to mine for gold under harsh conditions as slaves. The violent clashes eventually lead to Columbus losing credibility for discovering the New World. Instead, it is Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who is given credit for the discovery, a tribute that eventually results in the continent being named “America.”

1492’s Commercial and Critical Response, Explained

Ridley Scott Blames 1492: Conquest of Paradise's Failure on the Audience

1429, with its grandiose production values, was saddled with a hefty budget of around $47 million (as reported by Box Office Mojo), which would amount to approximately $105 million in today’s dollars. Intricate replicas of Columbus’ vessels were painstakingly built for the film. However, despite the substantial investments aimed at delivering an awe-inspiring cinematic experience, the movie underperformed significantly at the box office, becoming one of Ridley Scott’s most financially disappointing projects to date. In terms of financial failure, only Ridley Scott’s films White Squall ($10 million grossed against a $38 million budget) and The Last Duel ($30 million grossed against a $100 million budget) can compare.

Prior to examining why “1492” failed at the box office, it’s important to mention that the film was not well-received by critics. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 32% and a Metascore of 47, the movie seems to have more issues than just American audiences disliking European accents. As per RT’s critical consensus:

“Ridley Scott’s portrayal of Christopher Columbus’ adventures lacks historical accuracy and fails to deliver the excitement and depth expected from an epic tale.”

One method of rephrasing this passage could be: “One issue contributing to the historical inaccuracies is the continued promotion of The Spanish Black Legend, which spreads negative views about Spain and Catholicism (as reported by El Mundo). Although some critics such as Roger Ebert supported the film and Depardieu’s acting, another significant factor led to the box-office failure of 1492.

Two months prior to the release of “1492: Conquest of Paradise” in theaters, John Glen’s film “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery had already premiered, effectively preempting Ridley Scott’s movie. Although both films flopped at the box office, Glen’s movie made more money than “1492”. More significantly, “The Discovery” covered similar ground as “1492”, making the latter redundant when it was released. Ridley Scott argues that “1492” failed due to American audiences struggling with European accents, but the early release of “The Discovery” and the negative reviews of “1492” likely led to its downfall.

Why Ridley Scott Blames European Accents For 1492’s Failures

Ridley Scott Blames 1492: Conquest of Paradise's Failure on the Audience

During an interview with GamesRadar after promoting “House of Gucci,” the topic of “1492” arose. When asked about the film’s divided response, Scott commended Depardieu’s portrayal of Columbus but criticized the studio and American viewers for its negative reception, claiming:

It seems that Gerrard is exceptional, and his French accent didn’t cause any confusion for me as I could clearly grasp his actions. However, the studio had some difficulties understanding him due to his accent.

Scott went on to scold American viewers, adding:

In America, people are typically unfamiliar with various accents, only recognizing them if they’re from Texas or other parts of the U.S., right? Or perhaps North Carolina. However, in Europe, we’re accustomed to a variety of accents, so Gerard’s accent didn’t bother me at all. But this was an independent film, and I managed to secure $47 million for its production – quite astonishing! A friend from Paramount bought the rights for $10 million at Cannes. I had to attend Cannes again, which I hadn’t done since The Duelists, and my experience at Cannes with The Duelists wasn’t positive. I didn’t want to return. However, I had to return to pitch the movie. The production design was truly exceptional.

Besides criticizing uneducated Americans for the underperformance of 1492, Scott also scolded Gen Z audiences hooked on their smartphones for the disappointing box office performance of The Last Duel. However, Scott swiftly acknowledged that 1492 fell short in the U.S., “Yet in Europe, it garnered $57 million.” Although this figure didn’t surpass Scott’s top-grossing films, 1492 tends to be overlooked within Scott’s cinematic portfolio.

1492: Conquest of Paradise is available to stream on Kanopy and rent on Apple TV.

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2024-09-03 00:02