Descartes

I saw it more than a good film but as magnificent trip. Not across a rich, beautiful life or great work of a remarkable director, but as a wise try to explore the meanings of life. It is more than beautiful, right or fair portrait of rene Descartes. It is one of films for who the term memorable has so many significances. So, just a profound useful experience.

The life of Rene Descartes ('Cartesius' in Latin) is quite interesting for many people. Considering his many contributions to mathematics, philosophy and science, it's no wonder that someone has made a film about him. However, and this is important, HOW many people will want to watch this?! In this age of "Batman", "American Idol" and the like, just which people will watch "Cartesius"? Certainly a small--a VERY small--minority of the population. Many won't understand his concepts but most simply won't care. So, although director Roberto Rossellini crafted a very fine film here, it just doesn't have a bit market. And, it's a shame, as it is a quality project throughout--a very quiet and intellectual project. So, if you are into math, science, philosophy or even history (and who isn't, right?!), then by all means watch and enjoy. Otherwise, you will find all this very tough going--though I did find the music very strange and distracting at times.

This film is excellent for intellectual history. I've studied Descartes and the history of his time, and this film is spot on accurate, so it seems to me. For those interested in the history of philosophy and the rise of modern science, it is well worth the two-and-a-half-hour watch. For instructors in the classroom: The acting feels a bit staged, and the film is almost entirely seventeenth-century philosophical and scientific debate. So sleep-deprived students would not be able to sit for long viewings without falling asleep. However, particular scenes, especially of key moments in the development of Descartes's philosophy can be selected out and offer terrific visuals to accompany the teaching of Cartesian philosophy and/or the rise of modern science in the seventeenth century. Certainly the whole film could be shown in segments in a course entirely on Descartes. The film also captures insights into the religious hegemony and theological debates in Europe at the end of the Reformation. Because the film is in Italian, it would also be an excellent exercise for those studying Italian since every scene is a matter of dialogue.

It's a deep sorrow when I saw meager votes and seven reviews concerning so prominent thinker that the world ever had, the French René Descartes is the father of modern philosophy and mathematics as well, dared bring the lights over the outdated scholastic system from Greece and developing later the Cartesian Method which comprises in the doubt and skepticism under the analytical thinking about everything.

The outstanding and prolific director Robert Rossellini already previously made others biographic movies over Socrates, Blaise Pascal and Agostino d"Ippona, on Descartes he had a broad scope of source materials to build up a best screenplay to make a movie with utmost genuineness, also embellished by so magnificent thoughts from their books.

The storyline spans since his final days at Jesuit School at La Fleche around twenty years old and moves to Paris, in this point the director skips Descartes on Universities that he attended, maybe by lack of source material probably, then he headed to Holland that period of time a most advanced place on the Europe in every facet, meeting with Isaac Beeckman who really aroused its interesting in Mathematics, therefore the fidgety Descartes soon travelled to Bohemia where gains the fondness of Princess Elizabeth, wherever he goes he found a shelter from the scholars and sages, due his wisdom whose preceded himself opening countless dors.

Meanwhile finishing his works and starting printing he was very concerned over the Church's reaction, due what had happened with Galileo arrested by the Pope, advised by his former Jesuit teacher, during this time he gets sexual involving with his servant Helena, who gave a girl named Francine, he never married her, nevertheless never drop out her, sadly the child died five years later, further the movies doesn't display his life at Sweden and his relation with Queen Christina, neither his remaining days at Stockholm and his death.

I consider Descartes a man from another world, someone which was born time after time with a regular gap until was born another genius, then we shall see how the mankind will drives along in steady progress, Descartes quite sure is one my favorite Philosopher, until unknown by the majority of the human race, as shown at IMDB where gathered one best brainy people which consist in this planet, the numbers of votes spoke for themselves!!

Thanks for reading.

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First watch: 2021 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.25

Part of Roberto Rossellini's Italian TV series on philosophers in history (other titles: Socrates, Blaise Pascal), this three hour chunk of television is, like the other titles, riveting in its own unique way. Granted it is a talk fest, but imagine listening to the leading lights of Renaissance Italy, Holland, and France talking for three hours on the subject dearest to their hearts: scientific investigation and its relation to the Church (which meant only one thing at the time, of course: the Roman Catholic church). It is an edifying three hours, but, this may surprise you, a very entertaining three hours as well. Negative points, however, to the rather annoying Mario Nascimbene score (though annoying in a way that doesn't really distract from the action). Rossellini's attention to quotidian detail is always fascinating. (In "Socrates," for example, Socrates goes to market, and his fish is wrapped to go -- in a piece of lettuce!) Shown at the Cinematheque Francaise in a Rossellini complete retrospective, in a print that was, unfortunately, badly faded. But that's videotape for you. FOLLOW-UP, summer 2009: My title is no longer valid, now that the Criterion Eclipse series has released this in a pristine print. The score (now that I have recognized that all the Nascimbene scores for Rossellini are rather interesting wallpaper) annoyed me not at all. While less well-sustained than "Blaise Pascal" (a major masterpiece), "Cartesius" is still quite interesting, though maybe not exactly riveting, for Descartes, it would seem, was not as fully integrated a personality as was Pascal. This is nicely summed up in a scene where Descartes is about to abandon (for work) his child and her mother. "She is beautiful because she is perfect," he says. "For me she is a miracle," says Helene, the mother. "No, she is not a miracle. She is a perfect machine of nature."