When will you make an end? When I am finished! And so it be that that is the often repeated exchange between Rex Harrison's Pope Julius II & Charlton Heston's Michelangelo, and thus we have the basis for the film version of Irving Stone's novel The Agony & The Ectasy. This is a fictionalised account of how Michelango came to paint his masterpiece on the roof of the Sistine chapel, focusing solely on the two…
From the age of magnificence comes a new magnificence in motion pictures.
During the Italian Renaissance, Pope Julius II contracts the influential artist Michelangelo to sculpt 40 statues for his tomb. When the pope changes his mind and asks the sculptor to paint a mural in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo doubts his painting skills and abandons the project. Divine inspiration returns Michelangelo to the mural, but his artistic vision clashes with the pope's demanding personality and threatens the success of the historic painting.
Top Cast
Charlton Heston
Michelangelo
Rex Harrison
Papa Giulio II
Diane Cilento
Contessina de'Medici
Harry Andrews
Bramante
Alberto Lupo
Duca di Urbino
Adolfo Celi
Giovanni de' Medici
Venantino Venantini
Paride de Grassis
Tomas Milian
Raffaello Sanzio
John Stacy
Giuliano da Sangallo
Fausto Tozzi
uomo
Maxine Audley
Woman
Andrea Giordana
aiutante di Michelangelo
Furio Meniconi
contadino
Adolfo Pezzini
uomo alla cava
Paolo Magalotti
guardia svizzera
Alec McCowen
Cardinal
Reviews
Depending on the version you see, this film starts with a gorgeously scored trip around some of the museums of Italy and of the Vatican allowing us to put the sheer magnificence of the talent of Michelangelo Buonarroti into context - and the volume and quality of that body of work, condensed into ten minutes or so, makes this worth watching just as a lesson in the history of art! The story is set during the Papacy…
FAQ about The Agony and the Ecstasy
What is The Agony and the Ecstasy about?
During the Italian Renaissance, Pope Julius II contracts the influential artist Michelangelo to sculpt 40 statues for his tomb. When the pope changes his mind and asks the sculptor to paint a mural in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo doubts his painting skills and abandons the…
When was The Agony and the Ecstasy released?
The Agony and the Ecstasy was released in 1965.
What genres does The Agony and the Ecstasy belong to?
The Agony and the Ecstasy is categorised as Drama, History.
Who stars in The Agony and the Ecstasy?
The cast of The Agony and the Ecstasy includes Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews, Alberto Lupo.