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Galileo

Play trailer Poster for Galileo PG 1973 2h 25m Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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Revolutionary Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (Topol) makes a series of observations of the Venetian night sky that he believes confirm the veracity of the Copernican model of the universe -- a model that places the sun, rather than the Earth, at its center. As Galileo rises to prominence, he moves his base of operations to Florence, where his ideas, considered blasphemous, come under the increased scrutiny of officials in the higher echelons of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Galileo

Audience Reviews

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Udi T It's Brecht. You have to put some effort in. If you do, then you'll get your reward. Beyond that the acting, especially by Topol as Galileo, is sublime. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/24/23 Full Review Audience Member This provocative and meditative collaboration is a hidden gem of historical drama. The dialogue is so masterfully written by Brecht and translated by Laughton that one could feasibly listen to the film without a single peek at the screen and still enjoy the entire drama. There is a highly interpretive and gestural ballad / ballet interlude that reaches deep and wide to the fringes of how impactful an earlier age of enlightenment might have been for all of us. The stylized interlude is likely to stir cringes from the average moviegoer, and might explain the lack of activity surrounding this work considering it's heavyweight authors and contributors. Topol must have been granted access to everything he needed to revive the legendary 1947 performance that Laughton is lauded for - perhaps it is the more obvious connection, the common director for both Laughton and Topol, Joseph Losey. Topol does a masterful job with the role, but I can imagine a more empathetic and cathartic experience from Laughton. I imagine Laughton brought the tragedy of Galileo's censure to a more emotional climax, as opposed to Topol's equally passionate, but decidedly cerebral and rational reaction to the harrowing conclusion of Galileo's work. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member A marginally inspired yet straightforward setup that doesn't work all the time (they REALLY should have gotten rid of those singing boy narrators), but Topol's magnetism holds it together well enough. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member The cast (especially the dynamic Topol as Galileo) is great for this filmed stageplay...not all the singing stuff works for me. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Topol is one of my favorite actors, and this American Film Theater production of Bertolt Brecht's play is a tour-de-force for him. He's always wonderfully off-center, and he delivers one of the greatest comeback lines I've ever heard: 'What makes you think that I EVER eat my cheese absentmindedly?' Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Truely intelligent adaptation of Brecht's play. A must for philosophy students! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Galileo

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Movie Info

Synopsis Revolutionary Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (Topol) makes a series of observations of the Venetian night sky that he believes confirm the veracity of the Copernican model of the universe -- a model that places the sun, rather than the Earth, at its center. As Galileo rises to prominence, he moves his base of operations to Florence, where his ideas, considered blasphemous, come under the increased scrutiny of officials in the higher echelons of the Roman Catholic Church.
Director
Joseph Losey
Producer
Ely Landau
Production Co
The American Film Theatre
Rating
PG
Genre
Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 11, 2007
Runtime
2h 25m
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