和許多人一樣，vangelis的那曲蕩氣回腸的《conquest of paradise》促成了我觀看此片。看完才發(fā)現(xiàn)影片本身質(zhì)量也很不錯(cuò)，頗有雷德利斯科特的風(fēng)格。vangelis的配樂也堪稱經(jīng)典，以完美的聲音魅力烘托出影片氣勢磅礴的氛圍。

影片將我們帶回了1942年哥倫布發(fā)現(xiàn)新大陸的那個(gè)年代。整個(gè)片子的基調(diào)是對(duì)以哥倫布為代表的冒險(xiǎn)家，乃至全人類頑強(qiáng)不屈，不畏強(qiáng)權(quán)，勇于探索未知的全部肯定。在那個(gè)黑暗的中世紀(jì)，宗教裁判所掌握著整個(gè)西方世界。他們實(shí)行恐怖愚民統(tǒng)治，借著上帝的名義排除異己，從中漁利，他們焚燒異教徒，奪取初夜權(quán)，懲罰所有敢于夢想的人。在那個(gè)時(shí)代，“人類”只是匍匐在“上帝”腳下，沒有絲毫尊嚴(yán)的螻蟻，任人宰殺還依然屈服順從。而在這樣的人群之中，如同哥倫布一般獨(dú)特而別樣的存在就如同夜空里的繁星，是那么令人著迷。他高聲呼喊著“上帝只是一個(gè)謊言”，在宗教與世俗統(tǒng)治勢力之間的裂縫中，用盡自己的全部生命，為全人類掙扎出了尊嚴(yán)和自信，因而才有了后面轟轟烈烈的“大航海時(shí)代”和“文藝復(fù)興”，才讓人類真正將所謂的“上帝“推翻并踏上一萬只腳，成為了自己命運(yùn)的主人。

由于是一部群像劇，本片在氣勢上以宏大為主，也不可避免地因缺乏細(xì)節(jié)描寫遭到一些人的詬病。特別是現(xiàn)在這個(gè)見花落淚的時(shí)代里，有不少人竟然以一部電影“讓沒讓他/她哭”為標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來評(píng)判其優(yōu)劣，未免顯得狹隘猥瑣。在這里向所有熱愛歷史，熱愛人類的影迷推薦此片，定不會(huì)讓你們失望。

1492年8月3日，哥倫布受西班牙國王派遣，率領(lǐng)三艘百十來噸的帆船，從西班牙巴羅斯港揚(yáng)帆出大西洋，直向正西航去。經(jīng)七十晝夜的艱苦航行，1492年10月12日凌晨終于發(fā)現(xiàn)了陸地。

在基督教會(huì)的諄諄教導(dǎo)，以及火刑架的神圣光輝照耀下，

1492年的西班牙人，生活在一個(gè)美麗的謊言里：我們的世界是人間天堂。

世界是平的，太陽繞著地球轉(zhuǎn)，海洋的盡頭有怪獸等候，天使守在伊甸園的門口。

可地球其實(shí)是圓的

這個(gè)謊言依靠著一種秩序來維持：

上帝的真理牢牢扎根于每一個(gè)角落，任何離經(jīng)叛道的思想都要被剿滅。

這種秩序壓抑了所有超脫的思想、進(jìn)取的精神。

任何企圖挑戰(zhàn)這個(gè)秩序的人，都要接受殘酷的懲罰。

被絞死在火刑架上的女人

對(duì)死亡的恐懼，馴服了庸庸碌碌之輩，嚇倒了懦弱犬儒之徒。

卻激發(fā)了夢想家和探險(xiǎn)者的夢想。

權(quán)力可以封上人的嘴，打斷人的腿，消滅人的肉體。

但是消滅不了人的夢想。

因?yàn)閴粝霙]有邊界。

主教對(duì)思想的看法

人類克服了對(duì)火的恐懼，因而得到了進(jìn)化。

人類克服了對(duì)海的恐懼，因而發(fā)現(xiàn)了新大陸。

人類克服了對(duì)權(quán)力的恐懼，因而創(chuàng)造了新世界。

什么也不敢去克服的人，什么也做不到。

伊莎貝爾女王對(duì)恐懼的看法

海洋波瀾壯闊，一望無際，

有的人成功到達(dá)彼岸，有的人中途沉沒，

沉沒在中途的，是殉道者而非失敗者。

真正失敗的，是那些連第一步都沒有邁出的人。

哥倫布的夢想

那些庸碌油膩，自怨自艾，還活著卻早已死了的人，

會(huì)擺出一副看透人世的姿態(tài)來，

叫嚷著：

“這個(gè)世界不會(huì)改變，人要學(xué)會(huì)適應(yīng)?！?/p>

不。一切都會(huì)改變。

因?yàn)橛腥嗽谂Ω淖円磺小?/p>

I did it.

這不是中國人批判了幾十年的英雄史觀。

因?yàn)閯?chuàng)造世界的，

不是帝王將相，不是僧侶主教，

卻也更不是伏地跪拜的奴才，和唯唯諾諾的臣民。

創(chuàng)造世界的，

是將不可能變?yōu)榭赡艿膶?shí)干家，

和將禁止變?yōu)樵试S的勇士。

海邊是一個(gè)廣場，中間有一柱高塔，直插云端。高塔底部，有費(fèi)迪南國王和伊莎貝爾女王的雕像。高塔頂部，還有一尊立像。

這會(huì)是誰呢？連堂堂國王和女王都在那么低下的部位守護(hù)著他，難道他是上帝？

云在他身邊飄蕩，他全然不理，只抬頭放眼，注視遠(yuǎn)方。我立即猜出來了，只能是他，哥倫布。

——余秋雨

位于巴塞羅那的哥倫布雕像

All of them built by people like me. No matter how long you live,Sanchez, there is something that will never change between us.

I did it

You didn't

Columbus逐漸后退，走出鏡頭

Sanchez : [Columbus stops Sanchez after he leaves an audience with the Queen. Sanchez looks at him, disgusted] You're a dreamer.

Columbus : [shooting a glance out of a window] Tell me, what do you see?

Sanchez : [pausing to look] I see rooftops, I see palaces, I see towers, I see spires that reach... to the sky! I see civilisation!

Columbus : All of them built by people like me.

[Sanchez doesn't respond - shocked]

Columbus : No matter how long you live, Sanchez, there is something that will never change between us. I did it. You didn't.

隨后哥倫布逐步淡出畫面，成了遠(yuǎn)處一團(tuán)模糊的光線，畫面中只留下 Sanchez近處側(cè)臉，但我們知道那可見的清晰的畫面人物永遠(yuǎn)比不上那團(tuán)光線——那團(tuán)哥倫布留下的歷史幕布下的余輝，無論畫面中的側(cè)臉存活多久，虛處的哥倫布比實(shí)在的Sanchez們更加恒久。Coz No matter how long you live, Sanchezs, there is something that will never change between us. I did it. You didn't.

——Frederick 2021.12.13

Alex Gendler: History vs. Christopher Columbus

Many people in the United States and Latin America have grown up celebrating the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage, but was he an intrepid explorer who brought two worlds together or a ruthless exploiter who brought colonialism and slavery? And did he even discover America at all? It's time to put Columbus on the stand in History vs. Christopher Columbus. "Order, order in the court. Wait, am I even supposed to be at work today?" <i>Cough</i> "Yes, your Honor. From 1792, Columbus Day was celebrated in many parts of the United States on October 12th, the actual anniversary date. But although it was declared an official holiday in 1934, individual states aren't required to observe it. Only 23 states close public services, and more states are moving away from it completely." <i>Cough</i> "What a pity. In the 70s, we even moved it to the second Monday in October so people could get a nice three-day weekend, but I guess you folks just hate celebrations." "Uh, what are we celebrating again?" "Come on, Your Honor, we all learned it in school. Christopher Columbus convinced the King of Spain to send him on a mission to find a better trade route to India, not by going East over land but sailing West around the globe. Everyone said it was crazy because they still thought the world was flat, but he knew better. And when in 1492 he sailed the ocean blue, he found something better than India: a whole new continent." "What rubbish. First of all, educated people knew the world was round since Aristotle. Secondly, Columbus didn't discover anything. There were already people living here for millennia. And he wasn't even the first European to visit. The Norse had settled Newfoundland almost 500 years before." "You don't say, so how come we're not all wearing those cow helmets?" "Actually, they didn't really wear those either." <i>Cough</i> "Who cares what some Vikings did way back when? Those settlements didn't last, but Columbus's did. And the news he brought back to Europe spread far and wide, inspiring all the explorers and settlers who came after. Without him, none of us would be here today." "And because of him, millions of Native Americans aren't here today. Do you know what Columbus did in the colonies he founded? He took the very first natives he met prisoner and wrote in his journal about how easily he could conquer and enslave all of them." "Oh, come on. Everyone was fighting each other back then. Didn't the natives even tell Columbus about other tribes raiding and taking captives?" "Yes, but tribal warfare was sporadic and limited. It certainly didn't wipe out 90% of the population." "Hmm. Why is celebrating this Columbus so important to you, anyway?" "Your Honor, Columbus's voyage was an inspiration to struggling people all across Europe, symbolizing freedom and new beginnings. And his discovery gave our grandparents and great-grandparents the chance to come here and build better lives for their children. Don't we deserve a hero to remind everyone that our country was build on the struggles of immigrants?" "And what about the struggles of Native Americans who were nearly wiped out and forced into reservations and whose descendants still suffer from poverty and discrimination? How can you make a hero out of a man who caused so much suffering?" "That's history. You can't judge a guy in the 15th century by modern standards. People back then even thought spreading Christianity and civilization across the world was a moral duty." "Actually, he was pretty bad, even by old standards. While governing Hispaniola, he tortured and mutilated natives who didn't bring him enough gold and sold girls as young as nine into sexual slavery, and he was brutal even to the other colonists he ruled, to the point that he was removed from power and thrown in jail. When the missionary, Bartolomé de las Casas, visited the island, he wrote, 'From 1494 to 1508, over 3,000,000 people had perished from war, slavery and the mines. Who in future generations will believe this?'" "Well, I'm not sure I believe those numbers." "Say, aren't there other ways the holiday is celebrated?" "In some Latin American countries, they celebrate the same date under different names, such as Día de la Raza. In these places, it's more a celebration of the native and mixed cultures that survived through the colonial period. Some places in the U.S. have also renamed the holiday, as Native American Day or Indigenous People's Day and changed the celebrations accordingly." "So, why not just change the name if it's such a problem?" "Because it's tradition. Ordinary people need their heroes and their founding myths. Can't we just keep celebrating the way we've been doing for a century, without having to delve into all this serious research? It's not like anyone is actually celebrating genocide." "Traditions change, and the way we choose to keep them alive says a lot about our values." "Well, it looks like giving tired judges a day off isn't one of those values, anyway." Traditions and holidays are important to all cultures, but a hero in one era may become a villain in the next as our historical knowledge expands and our values evolve. And deciding what these traditions should mean today is a major part of putting history on trial.