The Agony and the Ecstasy
“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.
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Cast
19 people
Charlton Heston
Michelangelo
Known for
Planet of the Apes
Ben-Hur
Rex Harrison
Papa Giulio II
Known for
My Fair Lady
Cleopatra
Diane Cilento
Contessina de'Medici
Known for
The Wicker Man
Hombre
Harry Andrews
Bramante
Known for
Battle of Britain
Jack the Ripper
Alberto Lupo
Duca di Urbino
Also in
Atom Age Vampire
La Cittadella
Adolfo Celi
Giovanni de' Medici
Known for
Thunderball
My Friends Act II
Venantino Venantini
Paride de Grassis / Paris De Grassis
Known for
The Sucker
The Restaurant
Tomas Milian
Raffaello Sanzio / Raphael
Known for
Traffic
Don't Torture a Duckling
John Stacy
Giuliano da Sangallo
Known for
Ace
Revenge of the Dead
Fausto Tozzi
uomo / Foreman
Known for
The Valdez Horses
The Black Stallion
Maxine Audley
Woman
Known for
Peeping Tom
A King in New York
Andrea Giordana
aiutante di Michelangelo
Known for
Sandokan
Carol Reed Director · Philip Dunne Screenplay Irving Stone Author
Worldwide gross $4M · Budget $10M · United States release October 7, 1965
Box office
Budget
$10,000,000
Worldwide gross
$4,000,000
Gross vs. budget
0.4×
Production
International Classics
Production
20th Century Studios
Studio · Production
Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica
Production
United States · Italy
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Latin
Release dates
Germany · September 16, 1965
Theatrical · West Germany
United States · October 7, 1965
Theatrical
Argentina
June 1, 1966 · Theatrical
Australia
November 17, 1966 · Theatrical
Brazil
December 25, 1965 · Theatrical
Denmark
May 9, 1966 · Theatrical
Finland
September 24, 1965 · Theatrical
France
April 12, 1966 · Theatrical
Iceland
January 17, 1970 · Theatrical
Japan
February 12, 1966 · Theatrical
Mexico
May 18, 1967 · Theatrical
Netherlands
October 20, 1965 · Theatrical
Portugal
November 1, 1965 · Theatrical
South Africa
March 9, 1966 · Theatrical
Spain
December 21, 1965 · Theatrical
Sweden
November 1, 1965 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
October 27, 1965 · Theatrical
XC
October 3, 1969 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.