I am usually not a fan of art documentaries, however this movie came as a pleasant surprise! For me: the benchmark of how this kind of films should be like!
Many different correspondents appear throughout the film, each with a different take on how to fill the gaps in time. For me it was the diversity of the experts opinions, that showed me how little we still know about the Illustrations. However, each of the correspondents shown seem to be experts in their own field and put together, they give you a really good idea about the history of the Dante Illustrations!
I didn't know that much about the topic, but at the end of the film you have seen a pretty broad, but detailed picture of Botticelli's Inferno and his life. And does not feel like just a lot of information stuffed in to a format. I really liked the storytelling as well!
The illustrations themselves are displayed in such a good way, that this movie equals a trip to the museum and you probably see even more details here. The film takes you on kind of a journey, following the illustrations throughout time and Europe, creating a really nice atmosphere (props to the director!!).
I also liked the sequences when they asked random people in the street, how they would interpret Dante's Inferno from a toady's standpoint. Gives the movie a nice twist.
What I think they did really well is giving good context! The director managed to give you an idea of how Botticelli might have felt like at certain points in his life and during the process of creating. He does it by looking at the inconsistency in Botticeli's work and giving specific evidence. It seems pretty good researched!
I found it impressive to get such a good insight of the Vatican and the pictures of the Italien cities and landscapes alone, make the movie worth watching!
