I honestly don't know everything about the history of the events that this is about, but from what I understand, this is almost entirely accurate, with only a handful of relatively minor mistakes or changes for cinematic quality. This comes off as very authentic. You are expected to know the basic background of what happens to fully follow this. This is mostly fair and objective, showing a great deal of respect for the Indians, their culture and beliefs. If it is black and white in any way, it is in the depiction of the Catholic church, which only has negative aspects revealed here. This is not unusual for Scott; look to Kingdom of Heaven, for example. While there are a couple of "villains"(the nobility and the representations of Christianity, of course), the characters are largely credible, well-developed and distinguish themselves. Several of them, including the Queen, are strong and memorable, as well. Weaver plays the role well, making a lasting impression with not that extensive screen-time. The acting in general is good, with several performances being excellent. Depardieu is spot-on. The cast is well-chosen. Wincott is fun to watch, as always. This is dramatic, if some of it is a tad forced and/or awkward. The score is arguably often over the top and too bombastic. FX are nice for the time this was made. The production values are high. This can be tense. The action takes up less than a fifth of the running time, and varies; however, at its best, it is engaging and exciting. There is a bit of disturbing(at times disgusting) brutal violence in this. I recommend this to anyone who wants a solid retelling. 7/10
