Michelangelo - Inferno and Ecstasy

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Movie
German title Michelangelo - Inferno and Ecstasy
Original title The Agony and the Ecstasy
Country of production United States
original language English , Latin
Publishing year 1965
length 138 minutes
Age rating FSK o. A.
Rod
Director Carol Reed
script Irving Stone ,
Philip Dunne
production Carol Reed
music Alex North
camera Leon Shamroy
cut Samuel E. Beetley
occupation

Michelangelo - Inferno and Ecstasy is a period film by British director Carol Reed from 1965 . It is based on the biographical novel by Irving Stone .

content

In 1505 Pope Julius II commissioned the famous Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti to design a monumental tomb for him. When the Pope returned to Rome from a victorious campaign , he changed his mind in the course of the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica and gave him the job of repainting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel . Michelangelo is appalled by the pope's turnaround, since he is of the opinion that painting is not his field. In order to weaken his enemies, including Donato Bramante , at the papal court, he finally reluctantly accepts. Meanwhile breaks in the Papal States from the war, as French troops invaded in Italy and the Papal city of Bologna conquer. Michelangelo begins by painting the chapel with the twelve apostles and the matching ornaments . Plagued by self-doubt, he destroys his work with his own hands and fled to the mountains of Carrara . When he finds refuge in a cave, he notices a strange cloud formation that serves as inspiration: now he finally knows how to design the ceiling of the Sistine. Hundreds of figures are now to line the ceiling, embodying the story of Genesis from creation to the Flood, with additional portraits of prophets and sibyls and the forefathers of Christ. He goes back to Rome, the Pope is enthusiastic and approves the new idea. As the order dragged on, the Pope became increasingly impatient, with the result that Michelangelo worked even more excessively, temporarily blinded and fell from the scaffolding. After a long break, he fell out with the Pope, who was even inclined to commission Raffael Santi to finish the work. Through the mediation of Cardinal Giovanni de Medici and Contessina de Medici, the Pope succeeded in changing his mind, and Michelangelo completed his work.

Awards (selection)

In 1966 the film was nominated for an Oscar in five categories : for best film music ( Alex North ), best production design for a color film, best sound , best color film camera and best color film costume design . In the end, however, he came away empty-handed in all categories because films like Doctor Schiwago or My Songs - My Dreams received awards.

The production received the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film in 1966 .

Reviews

  • “Elaborate film adaptation of one of the greatest cultural events of modern times [...]. Director Reed […] translates this into a cumbersome and epic film plot that combines the artist act with contemporary coloring and romantic love affairs; Not only the colors are applied thickly, but also the emotions. ”(Rating: average)  - Adolf Heinzlmeier and Berndt Schulz in Lexicon“ Films on TV ” (extended new edition). Rasch and Röhring, Hamburg 1990, ISBN 3-89136-392-3 , pp. 566/567
  • “Lavishly equipped and played well. The attempt to fathom the character of the artist is unsuccessful, however. Even the tension between Pope and artist only reaches the necessary depth in places. ”  -“ Lexicon of International Films ”(CD-ROM edition), Systhema, Munich 1997

The Wiesbaden film evaluation agency awarded the production the title valuable .

literature

Web links