Which explorer is the subject of Ridley Scott's 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise?

The explorer portrayed in Ridley Scott's 1992 film 1492: Conquest of Paradise is Christopher Columbus. Gérard Depardieu plays Columbus in this historical epic about his westward voyages and the consequences of European expansion in the Americas.

The film was released to mark the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage in 1492. In the story, Columbus seeks royal backing for a westward route to Asia, eventually receiving support from Queen Isabella I of Castile. His expedition crosses the Atlantic and reaches Guanahani in the Caribbean, an island he renames San Salvador.

The film also depicts the later colonization of Hispaniola, including conflicts among Spanish settlers and the exploitation and violence experienced by Indigenous communities. Those events are central to the movie's darker historical perspective.

The title can cause confusion because 1492 is a year rather than the explorer's name. Another 1992 film, Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, covered similar subject matter, but Scott's film is specifically 1492: Conquest of Paradise.