Too much exposition, giving the viewer a vot too much perspective of the history of the period, and perhaps too little revelation of what lead to the conflict between Pope Julius II and Michaelangelo. It's a great chance to pair two titans of the stage and silver screen, Rec Harrison as Julius and Charlton Heston as Michaelangelo. the film starts off with a 12-minute documentary exploring Michaelangelo's work, showing the modern settings of where everything took place, and giving the film an interesting start. But from there, for at least the first hour, the film is a dull exposition of the series of events leading up to the finish of the Sistene Chapel in the Vatican, and once the conflict between the pope and the artist explodes, it becomes more character related and much more interesting. Much detail is presented as the film develops into the two historical figures inner torment, and Harrison is brilliant in expressing groves his brutality and his spirituality. He is obviously a man greatly tormented by human failings and a desire to be a great serviceman to God. Harrison is brutal one minute, striking Heston with a stick in fury for standing up to him, and then looking at him in a combination of resentment and regret as he passes by him in a parade while everyone around him kneels at a simple human being.
As for Heston, he is no different here as he was as Moses, Ben Hur or John the Baptist. It's not a one-note performance, but it's obvious that he really didn't give much thought about the little details that would make Michelangelo stand out in his repertoire of classic real life historical personalities. Under the direction of Carol Reed, the film is gorgeous to look at with reconstruction sets looking exactly like the Vatican awe inspiring. But until the film begins to truly develop the working relationship between the two men, it is often pretentious and wordy and slow-moving. Diane Cilento has a major supporting part as Heston's love interest, placed in the background when Michelangelo becomes determined to get his job in the chapel completed. There are many moments when the film is overpowered by the musical score which doesn't aide at all in the film's frequent slow pacing.
It's interesting to hear that the more interesting character is the more sinister one. Harrison's character is quite unsympathetic at times, the type of high powered official that men both fear and hate, one who has a ton of enemies who would like to see him dead. This doesn't paint the Catholic Church of the middle ages in a very good light, but by the time that the film is over, you really feel like you've gotten to see every aspect of Pope Julius and gotten a sense of atonement. Heston's Michelangelo seems to just be there as a reactor, overpowered by the greatly conflicted Julius, one of the most controversial popes of all time. Had the film not changed its course halfway through, I would have probably rated this at a four rather than a six.
As for Heston, he is no different here as he was as Moses, Ben Hur or John the Baptist. It's not a one-note performance, but it's obvious that he really didn't give much thought about the little details that would make Michelangelo stand out in his repertoire of classic real life historical personalities. Under the direction of Carol Reed, the film is gorgeous to look at with reconstruction sets looking exactly like the Vatican awe inspiring. But until the film begins to truly develop the working relationship between the two men, it is often pretentious and wordy and slow-moving. Diane Cilento has a major supporting part as Heston's love interest, placed in the background when Michelangelo becomes determined to get his job in the chapel completed. There are many moments when the film is overpowered by the musical score which doesn't aide at all in the film's frequent slow pacing.
It's interesting to hear that the more interesting character is the more sinister one. Harrison's character is quite unsympathetic at times, the type of high powered official that men both fear and hate, one who has a ton of enemies who would like to see him dead. This doesn't paint the Catholic Church of the middle ages in a very good light, but by the time that the film is over, you really feel like you've gotten to see every aspect of Pope Julius and gotten a sense of atonement. Heston's Michelangelo seems to just be there as a reactor, overpowered by the greatly conflicted Julius, one of the most controversial popes of all time. Had the film not changed its course halfway through, I would have probably rated this at a four rather than a six.