Product Details

• Actors: Philippe Leroy, Giulio Bosetti, Ann Odessa, Glauco Onorato, Filippo Scelzo
• Directors: Renato Castellani
• Writers: Renato Castellani
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Questar
• DVD Release Date: April 1, 2003
• Run Time: 270 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000950XR
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,370 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

He was the Renaissances unfinished masterpiece: a supreme artist who completed some of the most memorable paintings the world has ever known and a brilliant thinker of modern ideas and inventions. Who was Leonardo Da Vinci, and what are the secrets behind his genius? This Italian masterpiece directed by Renato Castellani was shot using 100 actors, 500 extras, and many of the actual locations where Da Vinci lived, worked, and dreamed. We witness his most historic triumphs, including the creation of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, paintings that have become embedded in our collective consciousness. Based on eyewitness accounts, documentary evidence and informed speculation, this beautifully, richly photographed film adds compelling brushstrokes to the Da Vinci legend.

Extra Features:

* The Rise of Renaissance Italy  In the richest era of artistic and intellectual achievements ever known, an amazing confluence on brilliants shaped our today: Michelangelo, Dante, Botticelli, Rafael, Machiavelli and more. Marvel at the Renaissance Men and the impact they had on art and thought for eternity.
* Leonardos Masterpieces  Centuries after his death, Da Vincis paintings still touch, haunt, and intrigue us. This examination of the Mona Lisa, the Adoration of the Magi, The Last Supper and other masterworks remind us of his remarkable and timeless style.
* Da Vincis Inventions  In trying to discover how the world worked, Leonardo sketched out amazing ideas that wouldnt be invented for hundreds of years. This feature looks at the early genius of his tank, parachute, scuba technology, and more.
* The Maestro Vs. Michelangelo  Did the aging Maestro finally meet his match in Michelangelo, an aggressive young upstart whose name would become synonymous with Renaissance art? This feature looks at the work and contrasting styles in this bitter rivalry of the brilliant.
* The Works of Two Great Masters: A Timeline

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Life of Leonardo DaVinci... great video vs chopped up DVD, February 14, 2005

By	Tony DeCaro - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When The Life of Leonard DaVinci first aired on American Television, I believe it was on ABC, my wife and I had only been married a few months. But, every Sunday night as I recall, for about four or five weeks, we watched this fantastic production.

Years later, we saw it again on PBS. When I began teaching, I found that our local educational resource center had this program on VHS. As a graphic arts teacher, I felt that Leonardo and this documentary were of such great importance, I would show a chapter or two to my students during the course of a term. And, I would take it home at watch it again and again.

Not only was Leonardo, as one of the Amazon reviewers describes, a bit weird, he was also brilliant and interesting. Brilliant and interesting also describes this entire Italian production. As much as I dislike foreign films with the out-of-sync English dubbed voices, I was able to over look it in this extremely informative and superbly produced film. I really liked the occasional interaction of the characters as they sort of stumble into the narrator; I thought that to be very clever and nicely executed. So, after seeing that it was available in DVD, I purchased a copy.

I am so disappointed... What inept producer, or editor, of re-release material thought that he or she had the requisite skills to chop up so much of this production? I was so angered by this that I'm sorry I bought the DVD. The complete version deserves a FIVE STAR +, the DVD... TWO, if that much! This great program, unfortunately placed in the hands of a flaming IDIOT, ruined the overall presence and personality of this presentation by IGNORANTLY cutting away some wonderful clips that brought such a meaningful and complete story to an eager audience.

I really love the quality of DVD, but for this, I'll just go check out the VHS version and watch it from time to time. Oh, just an afterthought... Is there a COMPLETE version of this available on DVD? Hey, you, bonzo with the editing shears... Do you still have the original? Well, how about releasing that for some of us - "I-want-to-see-the-whole THING" fanatics!

Tony DeCaro
Graphics Design/Video Production Instructor

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Life of Leonardo da Vinci, March 2, 2000

By	Alan T Kolling (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life of Leonardo Da Vinci (3pc) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Originally telecast by PBS stations in 1972 as "I, Leonardo" this five-part series earned a Golden Globe award for Best TV Drama in 1973. I loved it then and was thrilled to be able to finally see it again after so many years. The program is simply outstanding, stunning, superb, bellissima . . . I've run out of superlatives to describe it. A vividly illustrative, highly-detailed, historically accurate, only-occasionally-sentimental account of the life of an incredible human being, the program provides a great deal of information about all facets of Leonardo's life and the personal, political, and artistic challenges that confronted him. I enjoyed the detailed background provided about his mother Caterina,about whom very little is known, and the balanced handling of his relatonships with the two primary disciples in his life, Salai and Francisco Melzi. The video also provides a wealth of information about the historical events that forced him to leave and return to Florence and Milan, the political intrigue of the leaders he had to collaborate with, and the bitter rivalry between him and Michaelangelo in his later years. It's a show I can and will watch over and over and over again . . . and again.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Warning!: Bastardized Leonardo, November 27, 2005

By	Curtis M. Harrell, Jr. (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

I would normally write a much longer review of this DVD, given the subject matter, AND would have given it 5 Stars. But, considering that this release by Questar is pointlessly a cut up, BASTARDIZED version of the original mini-series (which can still be had in its entirety on VHS, also from Questar), I am forced to focus more on what's wrong with this particular release, rather than extoll the astonishing merits of the wonderful film. Please avoid this version at all costs, and if you can, get the full version on VHS. Questar has cut out some of the best moments of this film series for no valid reason I can discern - maybe just to save 2 bucks on the overall package price. They have done great damage to this film, by removing, amongst other key scenes, the important in-story narrator. This element added much charm and charisma to an already fasicinating film - and was one of the many reasons it is, in its original form, so enchanting. Removing the in-story narrator also necessitated removing some key speculations concerning important areas of Leonardo's life and thought. I, personally, am glad I still have my VHS copy, and would like to submit a separate review on that one. This one, you can skip.