Simon Schama's Power of Art

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  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

  
  → andy-serkis
  
  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.