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      Blaise Pascal

      TV-PG 1972 2h 11m Biography History Drama List
      Reviews 65% 50+ Ratings Audience Score This biographical film focuses on French mathematician, philosopher and inventor Blaise Pascal (Pierre Arditi), one of the greatest thinkers of the 17th century. While devoted to math and science for much of his short life, Pascal eventually embraces religion, though only after much questioning. Due to frequent illnesses, he relies greatly on his sister, Jacqueline (Christian De Sica), but even with her help, he can't ward off a steady decline in his health. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      Fernando F. Croce CinePassion Rossellini honors both sides of the era's metaphysical split Nov 15, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The biopic covers the life of the 17th-century French religious philosopher/mathematician/physicist Blaise Pascal. Rated: A- Oct 21, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Actors walk in, and say their lines, then they leave the room. Rossellini lets you see actors shuffling in and then out of a room after they have quoted Pascal. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Rotten, or rather, ridiculous. Should have known this was so during the very first scene when the horse-drawn "coach" knocked off a large piece from the base of the well and, apparently, nobody in the production staff either noticed or cared! Wooden script, even worse wooden acting, "Blaise" appears to smirk throughout, much posing/standing about trying to look interested, lighting inconsistent with action in several cases, the apparent belief that long, slow movements of either camera and/or actors somehow convey gravitas; overall, much more to be pitied than praised. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member Roberto Rossellini's reverent, painstakingly precise life of the philosopher/inventor. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review walter m Directed by Roberto Rossellini, "Blaise Pascal" starts in 1639 as Etienne Pascal(Giuseppe Addobbati) is appointed to govern Normandy by the king, in the wake of a civil war, to keep order and collect taxes. After he fires an assistant for being corrupt, he turns to his 17-year old son Blaise(Pierre Arditi) for help with the accounts. Not only can the young man do figures in his head, but he also completes a difficult geometry proof that brings him great renown. That is only the beginning as Blaise also invents an adding machine. While not the most lively of productions, "Blaise Pascal" intelligently recreates history and the everyday life of the 17th century where superstition was the explanation for everything, especially for any ill, blaming such on Satan and his representatives on earth, witches. There were so many such cases that there was a months long backlog.(Of course, being a woman in general at this time meant having absolutely no rights. For example, Blaise's sister Jacqueline(Rita Forzano) has to even get permission to enter a convent and is kept away from any higher learning.) What Blaise Pascal does in his short lifetime is innoculate humanity from such backward thinking with scientific inquiry and observation, allowing humanity to accurately observe the natural world around them and make their lives that much better. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I agree that this film is very hard to watch, due in part to its absolute objective formalism, that makes this more dispensable than a non-fiction film would have done. also, it's constant juddling with faith and science, and its usage of instances to verify it is done methodologically, in term, making film into an investigation, using Ockham's razor to slice the fluff and presenting the truth as truth should be, the simplest, for that is truth understood by all. Creepy and yet fascinating, a film that haunts our soul and forces a consequence, even the death of Monsieur Pascal is done in such ambiguous manner, as to cloud what reasoning there might be for his death, one of the finer vague points in this great film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member If I specialized in this area, I would have more interest in it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Blaise Pascal

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis This biographical film focuses on French mathematician, philosopher and inventor Blaise Pascal (Pierre Arditi), one of the greatest thinkers of the 17th century. While devoted to math and science for much of his short life, Pascal eventually embraces religion, though only after much questioning. Due to frequent illnesses, he relies greatly on his sister, Jacqueline (Christian De Sica), but even with her help, he can't ward off a steady decline in his health.
      Director
      Roberto Rossellini
      Screenwriter
      Jean-Dominique de la Rochefoucauld, Marcella Mariani, Renzo Rossellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luciano Scaffa
      Production Co
      RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana
      Rating
      TV-PG
      Genre
      Biography, History, Drama
      Original Language
      Italian
      Release Date (DVD)
      Jan 13, 2009
      Runtime
      2h 11m