share with you what would be my next article in the MAAC Cine. By the way, gentlemen of the "Ocho y Medio", "will not give me as a columnist chamba?
THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" film is not alien to us. Surely, many readers have in their childhood memories of TV in Holy Week. Especially, the voice of Pope Julius II yelling "When do you end?" And the magnificent Michelangelo Buonarroti responding with unusual ear superiority of the Pope, with a resounding "When it's finished!".
However, seeing this movie with the filter you are an adult and years, is another matter. The film reflects many shades temporary. It can feel the spirit of two seasons. One is the historic milestone of the Italian Renaissance, which took its maximum Michelangelo expression. The other time is the decade of the sixties, which spawned both the film industry, like the novel that served as inspiration for their implementation.
could say that 1965 is a year that was provided with a series of interesting coincidences, which reflected a delicate balance, perceptible in the film. Art in the West was in the middle of the second movement of art. The "Picassos", their presence gradually gave way to "Wharhols" but they do not deserve such a seat. The "Joyce" had saved his feathers, and "Keruacks" and the "Dylans" poked took their positions. The Beatles retouched final recordings of "Rubber Soul" and in the midst of all this, the film refused to lose his epic wasteful and pompous. Moreover, even clinging to it with nails and teeth. The explosion propelled the era's artistic curiosity about the past, in which art played a role similar or greater importance.
At that time, Charlton Heston had left behind the glory of "The Ten Commandments," "El Cid" and "Ben-Hur", but this has not yet entered its decadent phase, which ended with shouts films so heartbreaking as false, like "You Maniacs! You blew it up! "Or" Soylent Green is people! ".
Rather than being a "story about history," "The Agony and the Ecstasy" is about stupidity. The folly of Bounarroti, crashing against the foolishness of Pope Julius II. From "Big Bang" produced by this clash of titans, arise frescoes decorating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, drunk beauty to the planet Earth today.
The Directorate of the film was given by Carol Reed, who had by then directed films such as "Our Man in Havana" or "The Third Man" two works inspired by novels of Graham Greene. Phillip Dunne was on hand to make the play script to write eponymous biography Irving Stone, for Michelangelo. Dunne rightly opts into your script by changing the focus of the literary work of Stone, turning this into a narrative biographical work supported by facts and historical characters. Thus, "The Agony and the Ecstasy" passes to the big screen as the story about the meeting and the conflict between Michelangelo and Julius II, and especially what that job entailed both united and confronted them.
The tape shows a less Heston bully, capable of overcoming, at least momentarily, the whole myth generated around himself as a cinematic icon. Gives the impression that the actor was able to capture their smallness under the weight of a character is as monumental as Michelangelo. Only this can explain the transformation in this Renaissance foolish and arrogant, but able to stand on your back as shovels and the capricious authority of the Pope. Buonarroti Heston gives us a passion for art, his art spurred on by the warmth of worldly life, but stubbornly determined to leave everything, so to keep alive within him the gift of turning the stone and pigments in solemn events of beauty.
The casting of this film gives the impression of having been made with the intent to prevent the presence of Heston to be eclipsed. English actor Rex Harrison, who had formerly been involved in works such as "Cleopatra" and "My Fair Lady" is the charge of being a counterweight histrionic in this film, playing the Pope Julius II, known in the history books as "The Warrior Pope. " Harrison, training and good English actor, manages to be at the 
Three characters make up the immediate surroundings of Michelangelo: the Duke of Urbino, who inherits his father's stormy relationship "Patron-Artist" with Michelangelo, and the sister of the Duke of Medici Tessina. These roles are played by Alberto Lupo and Diane Cilento, respectively. Both were very important presence in the real life of the famous sculptor. However, these interpretations are far from satisfactory. Of these, only the beautiful face of the actress will be in the mind of the beholder.
Those who do are worthy of honorable mention are those people that make the artistic counterpart Miguel Angel: Old Bramante (Harry Andrews) and the young Raphael, played by Tomas Milian. A Bramante is shown as an old hulk, disciplined and submissive. In a way, Bramante is the future that patrons crave for Buonarroti, and he in turn rejected. Although questions of timing should not be done, the comparison between this character and the Maestro Salieri of "Amadeus" is inevitable. In contrast, Rafael is given a larger role in the film, because he who plays a dual role in the plot; of enemy and competition at first, and then fan and motivating.
Perhaps the highlight of this character is when he opens the eyes of Michelangelo, inviting him to leave his pride aside to apologize to the Pope. Rafael's youth contrasts sharply with his wisdom. "What is the artist in this world, but a servant, a lackey of the rich and powerful? Long before starting our work, to feed our hunger, we must find a powerful lord, a merchant, a prince ... or a Pope. " It is a pity that the capacity of Milian and actor to a character is so strong. To interpret his youth, he set aside his strength, his dynamism. Is the script which is responsible for giving its relevance, with phrases such as set out above.
However, the simplicity of the supporting actors and is very well covered by the main actors. The pinnacle moment of the film occurs near the end, when Michelangelo was surprised to find the pontiff climbed on scaffolding, surpassing their recent war wounds and decipher the cool of Creation. At that moment, there is a passionate and unusual kind of religion, the priest being a student and artist teacher. "Is that how you see Him? "Asks the pope, referring to the figure of the Father, strong and powerful, but absent from all anger. Buonarroti responds sharp and humble, and often the responses based on the simplicity that governs the Cosmos: "This is a God who knows the anger. It is powerful, but the creation is an act of love. "
All these things have made "The Agony and the Ecstasy" has earned its place in film history. Is a production worthy of being seen and repeated months after Easter, to rid it of so heavy and simplistic cliché.
After "The Agony and the Ecstasy, came lower things. Heston began his films end with horrible screams, the epic movie succumbed to the fashion of the psychedelic and "A go-go" still waiting for real authors of films, that are far from cliché. Then the search began front-sixties art, by art as it did centuries ago such a Michelangelo.
