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.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) is a drama and history film directed by Carol Reed, released on September 16, 1965 with a runtime of 2h 18m. It stars Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento and Harry Andrews. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 155 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Agony and the Ecstasy before you stream it.
Charlton Heston
as Michelangelo
Rex Harrison
as Papa Giulio II
Diane Cilento
as Contessina de'Medici
Harry Andrews
as Bramante
Alberto Lupo
as Duca di Urbino
Adolfo Celi
as Giovanni de' Medici
Venantino Venantini
as Paride de Grassis
Tomas Milian
as Raffaello Sanzio
John Stacy
as Giuliano da Sangallo
Fausto Tozzi
as uomo
Maxine Audley
as Woman
Andrea Giordana
as aiutante di Michelangelo
Directed by Carol Reed, written by Philip Dunne, Irving Stone and Philip Dunne, produced by Carol Reed.
Average viewer score of 7.0/10 from 155 ratings.
When will you make an end? When I am finished! And so it be that that is the often repeated exchange between Rex Harrison's Pope Julius II & Charlton Heston's Michelangelo, and thus we have the basis for the film version of Irving Stone's novel The Agony & The Ectasy. This is a fictionalised account of how Michelango came to paint his masterpiece on the roof of the Sistine chapel, focusing solely on the two main…
Reviewed on September 18, 2014
Depending on the version you see, this film starts with a gorgeously scored trip around some of the museums of Italy and of the Vatican allowing us to put the sheer magnificence of the talent of Michelangelo Buonarroti into context - and the volume and quality of that body of work, condensed into ten minutes or so, makes this worth watching just as a lesson in the history of art! The story is set during the Papacy…
Reviewed on January 7, 2023
1968
2018
1953
2024
2017
2006
1916
2013
1984
2010
1971
2018
1965
1959
1927
2015
2020
1953
2006
1957
2023
1972
2024
1995
1970
1992
1973
1973
2002
2002
1963
1961
2019
1992
2024
1971
2022
2008
2005
1994
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) includes Charlton Heston, Rex Harrison, Diane Cilento, Harry Andrews and Alberto Lupo. The film was directed by Carol Reed. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Agony and the Ecstasy was released on September 16, 1965 and runs for 2h 18m.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) holds an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from 155 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Agony and the Ecstasy trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
