Kirpianuscus
like many historical films from the same age of Hollywood, the word "impressive" is the first to say. not only for its status of epic drama, costumes and the translation in image of a period. but, maybe , more important, for the admirable clash between Rex Harrison and Charlton Heston. and for the feel than a great story has its right and fair adaptation. because something impose "The Agony and the Ectasy" as special. not the biography of a great artist - and the admirable virtue is to know than Heston is Michelangelo not only act him - but the chance to discover yourself. the film, like the book, it is a beautiful eulogy to the life. using a genius as character of a kind of parable about art, proud, honesty and desire. so, just impressive. in this case - a word with deep roots.
LeonLouisRicci
Changing Taste in Popular Culture found this Movie at the End of the Epic Big Budget Historical/Biblical Extravaganzas and this was a Testament to the Volatile Times as it Lost Much Money and was a Critical and Box Office Mediocrity.That is not to say that is what the Film Represents, because it is a Magnificent Production with Elaborate Scenes, Exquisite Costuming, and Respectable Performances. The Story of Michelangelo's at First Reluctance and then Overwhelming Devotion to Painting the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and His Ongoing Battle of Words and Wits with Pope Julius II is Captivating Cinema.It is Virtually a Two Man Show and Much of it is in the Setting of the Development of the Four Year Long On Again Off Again Project that Ended in One of History's Most Iconic Artistic Achievements. It is Informative and Illustrious to Behold, the Process and Pain that it took to Endure the Creation of that Masterpiece. The Film is Long and Wordy but Never Fails to Capture the Essence of the Two Men and the Heart of the Matter is Unveiled.Never Overly Pious, as these Things tend to be, this is Essential Viewing for Art Students and Lovers and as a Film it is Well Done and Glorious to Watch.
James Hitchcock
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" is a biography of the artist Michelangelo, concentrating particularly on his relationship with his patron Pope Julius II and the painting of the Sistine Chapel. It is essentially the story of the clash of two powerful, determined personalities. Like most Renaissance Popes, Julius was less a religious pastor than a secular ruler, a man whose position as head of state of the Papal States made him one of the most powerful in Italy, both politically and militarily. He was determined to maintain and, if possible, increase the power of his fiefdom, with a view to reducing French influence in Italy, and to this end pursued a vigorous and aggressive foreign policy. His willingness to wage war in pursuit of his political goals today seems incongruous in a man who was, ostensibly, a follower of the Prince of Peace, but his contemporaries may have seen less of a contradiction than we do. Although there had been a Pope Julius I more than a thousand years earlier, his choice of this particular papal name may have been influenced by the great conqueror, Julius Caesar.Julius's zeal for the power and glory of the Papal States also led him to conceive an ambitious building scheme to make Rome the greatest city in Europe, including the rebuilding of St Peter's Basilica and the patronage of artists whom he used to decorate his new buildings. The Sistine Chapel was not one of his creations- it had been built by his uncle Sixtus IV- but he wanted to use it as a showpiece of the splendours of his papacy.Michelangelo, as played by Charlton Heston, is as stubborn and obstinate as Julius. He is initially reluctant to take on the Sistine Chapel commission because he sees himself primarily as a sculptor rather than a painter. Unlike the Pope he is a genuinely religious man, and has no problem with working to the greater glory of God, but fears that in painting the chapel he will be working to the greater glory of Pope Julius. He knows, however, that an outright refusal would be dangerous; at one point Julius shouts "He will paint it or he will hang!" When Michelangelo does start work he proves an obsessive perfectionist, working very slowly and answering Julius's insistent question "When will it be finished" with the equally insistent answer "When it is ready!" Yet, despite their differences, a certain respect and understanding does grow up between the two.I would agree with the reviewer who said that the film's main weakness is that it is essentially a two-man show that does not arouse too much in the way of dramatic tension. Yet those two men are both very good, with acting honours going, perhaps surprisingly, to Rex Harrison, an actor who has not always been my favourite. He could at times appear too casual and laid back, and must be counted very fortunate to have won his "Best Actor" Oscar for "My Fair Lady" (too old and can't sing) against the likes of Richard Burton, Anthony Quinn and Peter Sellars. Here, however, he is masterful as the cynical and worldly Pontiff. Heston's performance as Michelangelo works well in the context of the film, although he has been criticised for not giving a true picture of the artist's character; Michelangelo was far from the tall, handsome, virile man portrayed here, and is generally believed by historians to have been gay. Homosexuality, of course, was still taboo in the cinema of 1965, so a heterosexual love-interest is provided for the artist in the shape of the beautiful Contessina de'Medici, played by Diane Cilento aka Mrs Sean Connery.The film was directed by the great Carol Reed, who brings to it a certain look of a Renaissance painting with striking colours. Heston was perhaps best-known for his work in the epic style ("The Ten Commandments", "Ben-Hur", etc), and at times Reed seems to be striving to lend this film something of the feel of an epic, particularly in the battle scenes and those set in the stone quarries, where the cutting of marble is shown as a work of heroic labour, comparable to something like the building of the pyramids. I would not rate the film quite as highly as something like Minnelli's "Lust for Life" about Van Gogh, but despite its dramatic weaknesses "The Agony and the Ecstasy" is one of the cinema's more interesting attempts to explore the nature of artistic creativity. 7/10
