SnoopyStyle Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) fights his foes on the battlefield and orders Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) to paint the Sistine Chapel.The sets and the costumes are grand. Harrison and Heston are big time actors. However the drama isn't there. The movie spends the first ten minutes pontificating on the greatest of Michelangelo. It's not only unnecessarily. It drains all the tension from the movie. This is not an art appreciation course. I like Rex Harrison's dictatorial Pope but I'm not convinced with Charlton Heston's tortured artist. Heston's performance is unappealing and false. He is biblical in his portrayal. In modern parlance, this is Oscar bait. It looks like an Oscar movie but it doesn't have any of the filling. It is stiff and over-cooked. All the drama has been boiled out.

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.

pruiett This movie is a credit to the producers. It shows the Pope of Rome as human, and as a man who understands his weaknesses and God's greatness. I am a Baptist and hence do not hold to Roman Catholic theology. However, it is fair to say that the two main characters, Michelangelo and Pope Julius do a good job of pointing to the bigness of God and the smallness of man.The movie has some very good statements about God and His sovereignty. The Pope in a weak and humble moment is found by Michelangelo kneeling with a candle at the top of the scaffolding under the panel depicting creation. He asks with awe and wonder about how Michelangelo came to the image of God and man. The Pope then stated, "There is God Who created man, and the artist who was moved to paint the image . . . I am merely a Pope." And he meant "merely a Pope." He understood his smallness. At the end the dying Pope says to Michelangelo, "When I stand before God in judgment, I will place this ceiling in the balance against my sins . . . perhaps it will shorten my time in purgatory." Again, I do not hold to purgatory. But the Pope understood that only those things done for the glory of God will last. Good movie and does honor to history, WITHOUT bad language or sexual content. Good family fare.

Marcin Kukuczka While returning from Tuscany, which, as a region of Italy, may be justly called 'the pearl of art', our group decided to see the film about Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475-1564). Being influenced by the genius encountered in Florence, by the divine works of great artists, what better choice to make than watch an ambitious movie made in Hollywood in the heyday of timeless productions? "Charlton Heston in the lead, Rex Harrison at his side, Harry Andrews and Adolfo Celi among the supporting cast..." said the presenter. However, do these names indicate anything for a modern movie buff? Some of us had doubts whether the people will find such a film interesting. Nevertheless, after a few minutes of watching, most of our group were convinced to fill the last evening of our journey with this movie.THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY is a story of an artist, of his struggles, his pains, yet, a great passion that fulfills itself in the creative power of inspiration. It is a touching tale of a divine artist being put at the doorsteps of worldly might. It is a mesmerizing story of two worlds: the one which quickly receives its glory at once and the one which takes pains throughout the tedious way towards perfection. How then is it possible for the world of 'quick victories' not to ask impatiently: "When will you come to an end?" However, there appears to be something that may unite these worlds, the visions indicated in a beautiful scene...Here, let me broaden the theme that I have just mentioned above. The figure of Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) appears to be clearly contrasted to the figure of Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison), not the pope of our modern understanding as a purely spiritual leader for some people, but a leader of the army, a warrior who never stops thinking that God is at his side. How, then, can the two understand each other? How can Michelangelo's subtle spirit of inspiration go with Julius' loud drums of battle field? Great, absolutely magnificent performances by Heston and Harrison highlight this aspect even more clearly in lots of memorable moments. They impact upon viewers powerfully.THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY is also a captivating story of jealousy, hostility, disapproval that a true artist must experience in order to get through the 'catharsis' towards perfection. Michelangelo is showed in his famous period of life (years 1508-1512) when he was painting his well known masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He is indefatigable in that search for beauty of inspiration and never ending capacity of creation, which is memorably proved by the last scene of the movie...The performances are very good, but, as I have already mentioned: Heston and Harrison shine in their roles, not in terms of looks, since Rex Harrison's face, for instance, hardly resembles pope Julius' face that we know from the famous portrait by Raffaello Sanzio, but in terms of character portrayals. Other cast, including Harry Andrews in the role of Bramante and great Italian (Sicilian) actor Adolfo Celi as Giovanni Medici are memorable and accurate. They and most of the other supporting cast prove the fact that THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY was truly a valuable mutual undertaking. The visual aspect, though sometimes flawed, wins thanks to wonderful sets in picturesque locations of Umbrian and Tuscan landscapes.In sum, the following reflection appeared after viewing the film: although true art appears to be vague for many, it steps powerfully throughout the ages of human history. That is why genius may sometimes be at the doorsteps of power in order to rise again being unpredictably given life by the Divine Hand. That is what we partly encounter in the glamor and splendor of the Sistine Chapel...A good film deeply rooted in the pains of the artist but well understood when combined with the essence of Michelangelo's masterpiece.