1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #8

COLUMBUS:

Six hundred and twenty nine.

THE SHIP'S BOY cups his hands to his mouth to shout.

CUT TO:

EXT. PINTA - DAY

PINZON, his OFFICERS beside him, looks across at the SANTA

MARIA.

SHIP'S BOY

Six hundred and twenty nine!

AN OFFICER turns to PINZON to repeat the message.

OFFICER:

Six hundred and twenty nine, Sir!

PINZON does not seem too pleased.

PINZON:

I heard.

THE OFFICER examines his own calculations.

OFFICER:

Captain, I don't understand.

PINZON:

I think I do.

He goes back to his cabin.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHIPS - SARGASSO SEA - DAY

ABSOLUTE STILLNESS. A FURNACE. The three ships like

dots, on what seems to be a prairie of weed.

The caravels are being towed by three rowing boats.

CLOSE ON THE MEN, rowing, drenched with sweat.

FROM THE PROW, COLUMBUS is staring at the horizon.

ALONSO pulling at his oars stares at COLUMBUS' distant

figure with hate and resentment.

ALONSO suddenly ships his oars, throwing the whole boat

into disarray. Chaos.

Total silence. MENDEZ and ALONSO stare at each other.

MENDEZ:

Continue rowing!

ALONSO:

To where?

ALONSO defiantly stares at MENDEZ. He then starts to beat

a rhythm on the hull with his fist, followed by the

others. In the two other boats, the MEN begin to follow

suit, beating a rhythm of protest on the hulls.

MENDEZ looks up to COLUMBUS, in panic.

ON BOARD PINZON'S SHIP, an OFFICER cups his hands to his

mouth.

OFFICER:

Captain Pinzon requests permission

to board.

CUT TO:

EXT. SANTA MARIA - DAY

COLUMBUS:

Granted.

INT. COLUMBUS' CABIN - DAY

PINZON enters. He looks furious.

PINZON:

You lied! You cheated! We're way

past 750 leagues!

COLUMBUS:

(calmly)

Six days ago, yes.

PINZON:

You must be mad...!

COLUMBUS:

We have to keep the hopes of these

men alive!

PINZON:

We're on the verge of a mutiny,

Colon!

COLUMBUS:

You think I don't know that?

PINZON:

We're lost!

COLUMBUS:

The land is there. I know it!

PINZON:

You don't know anything! Listen

Colon, these are my ships, right?

So I'm telling you we're turning

back!

COLUMBUS:

And then what? Half of the water

has gone, the rest is nearly putrid!

You know that!

PINZON:

(apoplectic)

Jesus Maria! I should have never

listened to you!

COLUMBUS:

You never did. You did all the

talking for both of us, remember?

PINZON:

You bloody...

COLUMBUS:

Pinzon, Pinzon... All we can do now

is go forward! Think about that!

PINZON:

You tell that to them!

COLUMBUS:

You're right. Let the men decide.

COLUMBUS moves to the door. As an afterthought, he takes

his scarlet-embroidered jacket from a hook.

EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - DAY

Most of the men are now back on board.

They go silent as COLUMBUS appears. He walks slowly over

to them. All, including ALONSO, are surly, threatening...

COLUMBUS:

Who gave you the order to come on

board?

He looks up and down the line, finishing on ALONSO. They

stare at one another.

ALONSO:

God doesn't want us to cross the

ocean...! This voyage is cursed!

Some of the MEN murmur their agreement.

COLUMBUS:

Cursed?

ALONSO:

We set sail for greed. God has

abandoned us. The voyage is cursed.

There are signs...

ALONSO glances towards the SHIP'S BOY, with his hair lip.

The BOY lowers his eyes. COLUMBUS moves towards him,

pulls him forward, stands him in front of ALONSO.

COLUMBUS:

This boy has the voice of an angel.

What comes out of his mouth is

blessed, Alonso. What comes out of

your is evil.

Some of the men laugh at this statement. ALONSO is ill at

ease. COLUMBUS pauses, looks around at all the MEN.

COLUMBUS:

Listen to me! Every man is afraid

who does something for the first

time. But those who overcome their

fears, will find their rewards. I

do not know if it is God's will that

we cross this ocean -- but I am

certain it is the devil who puts

fears into our hearts...

The MEN are listening. We sense a subtle change of

mood...

COLUMBUS:

This jacket to the first man who

sights land! I want a man up that

mast day and night.

COLUMBUS points at the SHIP'S BOY.

COLUMBUS:

You start first.

The SHIP'S BOY rushes up the mast. As he climbs, the

mainsail starts to fill with wind. The deck begins to

move under their feet.

This movement under their feet seems to imperceptibly

erase the fears and the angers.

MENDEZ:

Alonso! Jaime! Don't let this wind

escape us.

CRIES from the other ships, as the sails snap taut,

filling with wind. MEN rush to their posts. PINZON

stares at COLUMBUS, shaking his head in disbelief.

PINZON:

(murmuring)

You lucky bastard...

COLUMBUS walks away to his cabin, then turning back to

PINZON.

COLUMBUS:

Pinzon, the more I sail, the luckier

I get.

Turning abruptly, he enters his cabin.

EXT. SANTA MARIA - PROW - MISTY NIGHT

COLUMBUS is seated, isolated at the prow, wrapped in his

cape, struggling against the sleep. MENDEZ approaches him

with a bowl of soup.

MENDEZ:

Shall I take my turn?

COLUMBUS shakes his head no, and starts drinking from the

bowl.

CUT TO:

COLUMBUS' head nods lower and lower to his chest. He is

asleep. We become aware of a sharp buzzing sound. It

becomes louder as we move closer to COLUMBUS' face.

A mosquito lands on his temple. COLUMBUS reflexively

slaps it. He wakes up, and looks at his fingers -- a spot

of blood, a crushed mosquito. He stares at it for a

moment. Then slowly gets to his feet.

EXT. SANTA MARIA - DECK - NIGHT

In the luminous moonlight, COLUMBUS is standing, staring

up at thousands of insects that wheel around the mast

lantern. We hear the flutter of their wings and see the

bats as they swoop and dive in a feeding frenzy.

COLUMBUS turns, stares into the darkness, desperate to see

the land that must be close.

He kneels by MENDEZ, wrapped in a blanket. He touches his

shoulder.

COLUMBUS:

(murmuring)

Mendez! Mendez!

MENDEZ grimaces, and opens one eye.

COLUMBUS:

Land...

CUT TO:

EXT. SHIP - DAWN

An opaque dawn. COLUMBUS, riveted, staring forward as if

to pierce the mist. The entire crew are clinging to the

rail, and standing on the shrouds.

Suddenly, the SHIP BOY'S voice cracking with emotion.

SHIP'S BOY

TIERRA...! TIERRA!

COLUMBUS strains his eyes; he still can not see anything.

The entire CREW stand and stare, silent, holding their

breath.

As the sun begins to rise, the fog dissipates -- slowly,

exquisitely, revealing a single palm, so close it seems

almost as though they could touch it. Then a white slash

of beach.

Near COLUMBUS, a SAILOR falls to his knees and burst into

tears. Others laugh with joy. COLUMBUS watches this

vision in disbelief, his mouth open as if it were

difficult for him to breathe. Tears come to his eyes. He

closes them. Then opens them again. The land is there --

a green paradise.

On screen the words: OCTOBER 12, 1942. GUANAHAN ISLAND

EXT. BOATS - DAY

Three row boats plunging through the surf towards the

beach. COLUMBUS stands in the prow of the first boat.

MENDEZ is in the second. PINZON the third. They stare

entranced at the lushness of the foliage, and the blue

clarity of the water...

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote