The Agony and the
Ecstasy is a story of two relationships: That of an artist and his work,
and that of the artist and his patron.
Michelangelo Buonarroti
(Charlton Heston) of Florence, already famous for his sculptures of David, the
Pieta, and Moses, is commissioned by Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) to
“decorate” the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, named after its builder
– Pope Julius’ uncle, Pope Sixus. The pay? A mere 2,000 ducats, with deductions
made for Michelangelo’s housing, of course.
From the start, Michelangelo butts heads with the Pope’s
chief architect, Bramante (Harry Andrews). It doesn’t help that the Vatican’s
coffers are bleeding out as it finances the Pope’s frequent Holy wars as he
strives to unite Italy under one church.
Michelangelo has no choice but to accept the commission, and
to argue constantly for payment. The work begins, and soon the images of the
Apostles begin to appear on the chapel’s side panels. But he’s not happy with
his work, and one night, heeding the observation of the local tavern owner that
if the wine is sour, it should be destroyed, he lays waste to his work and
disappears.
During his self-imposed exile, staying ahead of the angry
Julius’ soldiers, he receives his needed inspiration while gazing upon a sunset
and seeing in his mind’s eye the
now-famous image of God creating Man, reaching out to touch fingers with Adam.
Returning to work after receiving the forgiveness and
blessing of Julius, Michelangelo pours his heart and soul into his work,
painting around the clock, day and night, night and day, until he collapses
from malnutrition and exhaustion. If not for Contessina “Tessina” de’Medici
(Diane Cilento), the sister of his Florentine sponsor, who nurses him back to
help and provides inspiration when it is much needed, he would have walked away
from the project.
On and on the work goes. On and on and on, much to Julius’
consternation and frustration. Over and over again, we hear this conversation:
“When will you make an end?” “When I am finished!” (In fact, it was four years
before Michelangelo stopped working on the frescos, satisfied that he had
finished his masterpiece).
The relationship between artist and Pope often teetered
precariously on the edge. In fact, at one point, Michelangelo was ready to
leave the project, having been struck by Julius with a stick. If not for Rafael
Sanzio of Urbino (Tomas Millian), who was supposed to be his successor but
declared he could not complete the work because he admired Michelangelo and was
not capable of finishing the ceiling, he would have left.
But the ceiling is completed. And there is glory … glory
that soothes the agony of the years.
I remember seeing this movie when it came out while I was in
college, and reacting with awe. After having read the Readers’ Digest condensed
version when I was in high school, the movie did justice to the grandeur of the
Renaissance architecture and art work. I was mightily impressed with Rex
Harrison’s portrayal of the impatient Pope with an inner mission in his life.
The plaster that drips onto Michelangelo’s face in the movie
was actually chocolate pudding. Because Michelangelo had a broken nose,
Charlton Heston had a steel rod inserted in his nose to make it appear as
though HIS nose had been broken. He
and Rex Harrison didn’t get along well during production, and years later, when
they made Crossed Swords, Harrison
purposely avoided contact with Heston.
Burt Lancaster was originally chosen to play Michelangelo,
and Laurence Olivier was the first choice to play Pope Julius II. However, they
were unavailable when the movie was finally filmed.
The movie actually tanked. Filmed at an estimated cost of
$10 million, it had a total box office of $6 million worldwide, which included
$4 million in the United States.
The Agony and the
Ecstasy was nominated for five Academy Awards, mostly in the technical
categories, but won none.
Grade: A
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