The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)




Synopsis

Adapted by Philip Dunne from the novel by Irving Stone, The Agony and the Ecstacy is the story of the 16th century war of wills between Renaissance artist Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) and "warrior pope" Julius II (Rex Harrison). Commissioned to paint a religious fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the independent-minded Michelangelo balks at the assignment. He is virtually strongarmed into accepting the job by Pope Julius, who wants to leave something for future generations to remember him by. Director Carol Reed deftly juggles screen time between the Pope's activities on the battlefield and Michelangelo's slow, arduous completion of his monumental task. The film also gingerly approaches the subject of Michelangelo's sexual orientation vis-a-vis his relationship with the Contessina de Medici (Diane Cilento). Too long and limited in subject matter to score at the box office, The Agony and the Ecstacy holds up pretty well when seen today, especially when viewed in a wide-screen print.

What Critics Say


No Hollywood.com review at this time
Spill.com puts a whole new spin on the "classic" movie review; turning dorky and dry into hilarious and hip. Spill's reviews are high-quality animated videos featuring a regular cast of comic personalities.

Rovi Data Solutions, Inc. - Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Data Solutions © 2009 Rovi Data Solutions, Inc.

Advertisement

Create a Fan Site
Are you a The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) superfan? Create your own fan site on Hollywood.com Click Here!
Advertisement

Whats on Hollywood.com

Actors 302,663

Photos 461,689

Videos 12,839

Fan Pages 128,090

Reviews 2,466

Trailers 5,117

TV 129,006

Movies 269,416




Isn't It Time You Went Hollywood ®
©1999-2012 Hollywood.com, LLC