THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY
1965,
20th Century Fox,
140 min,
USA,
Dir: Carol Reed
"When will you make an end?" asks desperate, paint-spattered pontiff Julius II (Rex Harrison) as he gazes mournfully at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo’s answer? "When I am finished." Director Carol Reed (THE THIRD MAN, OLIVER!) adapts Irving Stone’s best-selling historical novel, which features one of Charlton Heston’s most complex performances as the tormented master artist. Featuring stunning cinematography by Leon Shamroy (THE KING & I) and a marvelous score by the great Alex North (SPARTACUS).