Sunday, February 20, 2022
- Commentary: I've had this dvd series forever, since before my mother died. Yes, she saw it, and marveled at it, too, along with me. I can't imagine why I didn't enter it into the "catalog" I have here, but, perhaps, when it was on my mind, we simply watched it, yet again.
You'll notice that, instead of attaching a write-up from one of my usually favored reviewers to the title above, I've attached a review from an Amazon customer. That's for one of two reasons: either none of my favored reviewers commented on the series or those reviews were behind paywalls. Turns out, I'm okay with that. The Amazon customer review is informative, interesting, even provocative at times, and well written.
For that reason, I'm not adding much more about what either my mother or I thought, except to say both of us enjoyed the series enough to keep it by the dvd player so it was handy when we couldn't get interested in anything else.
The series is divided into eight segments, each focusing on one artist and chiefly devoted to one of that artist's masterpieces. Each segment also features entertaining vignettes in which the artist's words and circumstances are dramatised. Simon Schama is the Presenter, as himself, in each episode.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio - David with the Head of Goliath
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Paul Popplewell |
Carravaggio |
Andrew Garfield |
Boy with Fruit |
Christine Bottomley |
Fillide |
Jalaal Hartley |
Onorio Longhi |
Massimiliano Davoli |
Italian Waiter |
Dave Hill |
St. Matthew |
Alex Noodle |
Corporal |
Iain Pearson |
Card Sharp |
Gian Lorenzo Bernini – Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
| Actor |
Name |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Andrea Gherpelli |
Bernini |
Meirko Ficca |
Bernini as Child |
Valerio Aprea |
Borromini |
Marco Furiozzi |
Luigi Bernini |
| Laura Mercatali |
Bernini's Mother |
Elio Marconato |
Baldanucci |
Guilia Mombrelli |
Costanza |
Federica Santoro |
Saint Theresa |
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn – The Conspiracy of Claudius Civilis
Although there are at least two scenes in which actors are used in this segment, I could not find a list of acting credits available, not even on the disc program.
Jacques-Louis David – The Death of Marat
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Aubrey Wakeling |
David |
Oliver McLelland |
Young David |
Grégoire Bonnet |
Figaro |
Tim Frances |
Danton |
| Tom Godwin |
Robespierre |
Nigel Nevinson |
Mayor Bailly |
Steven Matthews |
Marat |
Mercedes Grower |
Charlotte Corday |
Joseph Mallord William Turner – The Slave Ship
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Joe Van Moyland |
Younger Turner |
Mark Hyde |
Older Turner |
Hollygale Millette |
Life Model |
Melanie Pappenheim |
Woman Singing Song |
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Sandra Evans |
Mary Turner |
Adam Cole |
William Leighton Leitch |
Vincent Willem van Gogh – Wheatfield with Crows
| Actor |
Role |
| Andy Serkis |
Vincent van Gogh |
Pablo Ruiz Picasso – Guernica
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Pep Cortés |
Picasso |
Anna Coll Miller |
Dora Maar |
Pep Brusca |
Gestapo Officer |
Pep Brusca |
Marie Therese |
Mark Rothko – Black on Maroon
| Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
Actor |
Role |
| Allan Corduner |
Mark Rothko |
Actor Name |
Role Name |
Actor Name |
Role Name |
Simon Quarterman |
Young Simon Schama |
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film, which is also unusually and delightfully informative, with many links to articles about the individual pieces and artists.
Release Date: 2006
Directed by five different people, whom I won't bother to mention, although the Wikipedia article, linked just above, does.
# posted by gail @ 19:09
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All material copyright at time of posting by Gail Rae Hudson
