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Trailer

The Agony and the Ecstasy

1965Movie2 h 18 min

DramaHistory
79
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.2Rotten Tomatoes86%78%

A slow-burning, wondrous drama movie about history and a real life story.

Good for date night · friends night · teens

Skip it if you want fast pacing

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for laughs or scares.

Movies with

Story

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.

Feels like

  • Historical Drama
  • Renaissance Art
  • Biographical
  • Michelangelo
  • Sistine Chapel
  • Artistic Vision
  • Political Intrigue
  • Slow Burn
  • Character Study

Cast

18 of 18

Crew

Directed by
Carol Reed
Written by
Philip Dunne, Irving Stone
Produced by
Carol Reed
Music by
Alex North

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

September 16, 1965 · 2 h 18 min · Drama, History

Released
September 16, 1965
Runtime
2 h 18 min
Genres
Drama, History
Original language
English
Also spoken
Latin
Made in
United States
Budget
$10 million
Box office
$4 million
Available in
19 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Prolonged Prologue, Epic Movie, Running Gag +9

  • Prolonged Prologue
  • Epic Movie
  • Running Gag
  • The Noun and the Noun
  • Warrior Monk
  • Age Lift
  • Church Militant
  • Deadpan Snarker
  • Determinator
  • The Film of the Book
  • Intermission
  • Last-Name Basis

12 of 21 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

5 questions, like "Where can I stream The Agony and the Ecstasy?"

Questions about The Agony and the Ecstasy

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Agony and the Ecstasy?

In the United States, you can rent or buy The Agony and the Ecstasy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It streams in 2 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is The Agony and the Ecstasy worth watching?

79
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 79 (IMDb 7.2 and Rotten Tomatoes 86%). Critics rate it higher (86 out of 100) than audiences (75).

Is The Agony and the Ecstasy plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (8 of 10) and dialogue centrality (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was The Agony and the Ecstasy a box office flop?

Budget$10 million
Box office$4 million

Yes: it cost about $10 million to make and earned $4 million worldwide, 40% of its budget.

What tropes does The Agony and the Ecstasy use?

Prolonged PrologueEpic MovieRunning GagThe Noun and the NounWarrior MonkAge LiftChurch MilitantDeadpan SnarkerDeterminatorThe Film of the BookIntermissionLast-Name Basisand 9 more

TV Tropes lists 21 tropes for it, including Prolonged Prologue, Epic Movie, and Running Gag.