Susan Hated Literature

Aug 20 2006

The Agony and the Ecstasy

Published by Fence under Books

Author: Irving Stone
ISBN: 0099416271
DDC: 813.54
See also: LibraryThing; Wikipedia on Michelangelo; Michelangelo.com; Art of Florence
Read with Historical Favorites - group site

He sat before the mirror of the second-floor bedroom sketching his lean cheeks with their high bone ridges, the flat broad forehead, and ears too far back on the head, the dark hair curling forward in thatches, the amber-coloured eyes well-set but heavy-lidded.

This is a big book; over 750 pages of small print and crowded pages. So when I began to read and wasn’t all that impressed I thought I’d end up tossing it. The prose felt forced, stilted and somewhat boring. But as I read on I did get more and more interested. At the same time however, the style of prose doesn’t really improve. I enjoyed the book while reading it, but it was never a case that I simply couldn’t put the book down. In fact on a few occasions I wasn’t all that bothered to pick it up.

Tags: 813.54, biography, C15th, C16th, de Medici family, fictional bio, group read, Historical Favorites, historical fiction, Irving Stone, Italy - Florence, Italy - renaissance, Michelangelo Buanarotti, Renaissance, stilted, The Agony and the Ecstasy

7 responses so far

Jul 28 2006

Renaissance

Published by Fence under Moving Pictures

Dir: Christian Volckman
Writ: Alexandre de La PatelliÃ¨re, Jean-Bernard Pouy, Jean-Bernard Pouy & Patrick Raynal

Daniel Craig - BarthÃ©lÃ©my Karas
Catherine McCormack - Bislane Tasuiev
Romola Garai - Ilona Tasuiev
Ian Holm - Jonas Muller

It is 2054, Paris and a young woman has just been kidnapped. Karas, a police captain specialising in kidnapping is charged to find her, and to find her alive. The company she works for, Avalon, are very insistent that this researcher be found.

But if I’m honest the plot isn’t really all that interesting. Run of the mill sci-fi detective noir, if such a thing exists. You’ll quickly guess that the big “concerned” company isn’t all puppies and squishy kittens. But it doesn’t really matter that the plot is a little boring, because you can just enjoy the visuals.

This is a motion-capture film, then transformed into an animated one, all in black and white. Well, apart from a few colour scenes toward the end, and it looks fantastic. Like a comic book in motion. There have been comparisons with Sin City, but I don’t see it, apart from the comic book/noir aspect. The storyline and characters are all very different.

But there is a slight coldness, or distance in the film. It’s hard to engage with. Whether this is the fault of the plot, or the technical aspects taking away from the performance/art I’m not sure.

Go to enjoy the pretty noir pictures, but don’t expect a masterpiece.

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