I am quite sure this movie doesn't rank among Mel Gibson's favourites – although he probably never heard of it. Thank God for that, because if he had, he'd probably have made a movie about how vile everyone involved in the making of the movie was.
Based on Brecht's play, "Galileo" is an enjoyable and satisfying portrayal of how awful it must be for a scientific genius to be surrounded by stupidity, decadence, and primitivism. And where could there have been more of that than in the Vatican? (Did I really use the past tense? "Been"?) Galileo Galilei is played charismatically by Topol, an Israeli actor. (Yes, a Jew. Not one of Mel Gibson's favourite people. And let's not forget about the English; he dislikes them, too.) "Galileo" moves at a slow pace, but the dialogue is never boring. Only the occasional, but mercifully brief, musical numbers bore a bit. The tone of the movie is light, humorous, in spite of the dire threat Galileo is constantly under: of being tortured and killed by the Catholic intelligentsia. The supporting cast is top-notch, too: Edward Fox, Patrick Magee, Michael Lonsdale etc.
Had Mel lived in the 17th century, he would have probably directed plays about Galileo whipping and beating Christ to death. He would have certainly been screaming for his death. My advice: watch "Galileo", or read the play, rather than waste your time on "The Passion of the Christ". I, for one, prefer Galileo's passion to Mel's "passion".
Based on Brecht's play, "Galileo" is an enjoyable and satisfying portrayal of how awful it must be for a scientific genius to be surrounded by stupidity, decadence, and primitivism. And where could there have been more of that than in the Vatican? (Did I really use the past tense? "Been"?) Galileo Galilei is played charismatically by Topol, an Israeli actor. (Yes, a Jew. Not one of Mel Gibson's favourite people. And let's not forget about the English; he dislikes them, too.) "Galileo" moves at a slow pace, but the dialogue is never boring. Only the occasional, but mercifully brief, musical numbers bore a bit. The tone of the movie is light, humorous, in spite of the dire threat Galileo is constantly under: of being tortured and killed by the Catholic intelligentsia. The supporting cast is top-notch, too: Edward Fox, Patrick Magee, Michael Lonsdale etc.
Had Mel lived in the 17th century, he would have probably directed plays about Galileo whipping and beating Christ to death. He would have certainly been screaming for his death. My advice: watch "Galileo", or read the play, rather than waste your time on "The Passion of the Christ". I, for one, prefer Galileo's passion to Mel's "passion".