Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen

The movie follows the life of Hildegard Von Bingen a famous medieval nun/magistra/convent founder who had religious visions and was interested in science, music, medicine, and much more...

The cinematography was absolutely beautiful and the story captivated me even with its modern feminist sensibilities every where....from the suitably milque toast priest Volmar to her renaissance passion for all intellectual pursuits....The cliché over veneration of books learning etc comes off as nerdy and dumb when exaggerated too much as it was in this movie. That said I wish I had read up on Hildegard before watching; there was apparently much substance to the woman--the movie fails here..having her oohing and aawing over stacks of books or staging an avant garde (for the era) play doesn't do her credit.

The part of her that captivated me of course were the visions. Everyone hopes things like that are not mental illness. You grow to really like this woman and that is the key to good cinema no?

The character of Richardis is good too...more than a hint of female homosexuality that was sublimated by both parties.

This movie would have been a 10 if the visions had been shown better and the pseudo intellectual nerd and feminist stuff toned down.

RECOMMEND

Independent German film was for decades the mainstay of the European cinematography. Brave, original thinking and the courage of the expression made it a breath of fresh air for the movie lovers. Unfortunately these days are long gone. Almost everybody tries so hard to be hip and Hollywoodlike. If we explode few things and simplify the plot for every simpleton, how can we miss? Well, we miss time and time again. The eternal beauty of filmmaking is about trying and having an idea, and a story to tell. It seems that there are no stories left to tell, or there are no people left who like the stories to be told to them." Vision" is a strange, unfinished movie, but it is an honest attempt to feel and think, and that is all one needs in this art form.

Woman's Work is Never Done - This movie, a true story about an unstoppable12th century woman who advanced theology, philosophy, music and women's rights is interesting and informative. Hildegard von Bingen rose above the men around her to forge changes. The oppressive patriarchal atmosphere in which she functioned is almost tangible. The prevailing religious mood of 12th c. Germany is so vividly portrayed as to sting the senses, and underlines the importance of Hildegard's opposition. She preached love and refused to endorse the harsh religious practices of the day. Mercy was better than sacrifice she said, and she was passionate about the right to self-determination. The movie captures this pure emotional passion, (not sexual), by its brilliant casting and fine acting.

The film "Vision, from the Life of Hildegard von Bingen," written and directed by Margarethe von Trotta, is an inspiration, and we are grateful she brought the accomplishments of this woman to the screen. Barbara Sukowa in the title role convincingly portrays the commitment of a woman compelled to live out her destiny.

This is an opportunity to learn about a woman a thousand years ahead of her time. Living within the walls of the Benedictine order, Hildegard von Bingen accomplished so much in so many areas of life, and the history of the whole era comes to life in this film, much like the history of John Keats' era came to life in "Bright Star." The powerful insights von Bingen received from her visions of God are shown being recorded in manuscripts by her male secretary - Volmar sympathetically played by Heino Ferch. The healing powers of her music are witnessed in the film and remain available for all to enjoy today, but what a treat to see it all happen in Technicolor in 2010 in America.

I am not sure what to think of this depiction of Hildegard von Bingen, about whom most people (self included) know nearly nothing. One might think that if you're going to bother making a film about someone who lived hundreds of years ago, that must be because, either she has been neglected in the annals of history, or she has been misconstrued by historians up until now. Because hardly anyone knows anything about this woman, Vision may be their first introduction to her life. So what is shown ends up being very important, as it shapes the viewers' opinions of the woman.

Was Hildegard a petty lesbian who feigned illness to get her way? That is the image I find here conveyed. There is no actual coverage of what she may have accomplished. What did she accomplish, pray tell? My impression is that the filmmaker is not religious and so wanted to reveal the human-all-too-human of a woman who may have suffered from schizophrenia and would surely have been dosed with some sort of happy pills, were she alive today.

beautiful. in profound sense. for the recreation of atmosphere. for the acting. for the different perspectives about a delicate subject, for the delicate force of image. for the image of a woman against her period expectation who wins and gives a nuanced definition to the sainthood. it is a film who propose more than gives. it propose the reflection about society from the XII century and from today. it propose an useful example of courage. and a not ordinary expression of the faith. a film who propose many questions and who rediscover an impressive figure of Middle Age who change the perspective about her time.Barbara Sukowa propose a Hildegard von Bingen who becomes heroic step by step, scene by scene, in a precise and convincing style.