There is a documentary about Michaelangelo and his work before the movie begins. And the last scene between the two men is unforgettable. The somewhat hokey one in the mountains, when Michaelangelo looks at the heavens and receives his inspiration is nevertheless a gorgeous scene the incredible scene when Michaelangelo discovers the Pope alone at night with a candle studying the ceiling is perhaps the best, as Michaelangelo explains his concept of God and faith. After Michaelangelo says that he cannot match her feelings, he looks at a sketch of a nude man. ![]() The book hints at Michaelangelo's homosexuality, and it's covered with one line. He explains that he cannot love her because of the commitment he has made to his true love, his art. She plays a woman in love with Michaelangelo. There is hatred, resentment, a battle of wills, love and admiration between them, the agony and ecstasy of connecting with another, as Diane Cilento says in the film. The two spark one another, and the result is an exciting screen teaming. It's buoyed by the magnificent work of Rex Harrison as Julius II. Charlton Heston is a convincing and strong Michelangelo in what may be his best performance. The color and scenery in this film are truly beautiful, but I'd love to see a restored print, as I imagine the colors would even be richer. Most of all, it's about the complicated relationship of two determined men, Michaelangelo and Pope Julius, which is adversarial and even violent. But it's really about so much more - the connection between art and the artist, faith, will, and the quest for perfection. "The Agony and the Ecstasy" is the story of Michaelangelo and his painting of the Sistine Chapel at the behest of Pope Julius II, a warrior and Patron of the Arts.
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