This film is part of Free

Leonardo Da Vinci The Tragic Pursuit of Perfection

A portrait of the artist as a "sublime demon with the archangel's face", with an innovative musique concrète soundtrack.

Documentary 1953 26 mins

Overview

Extraordinary subjects require extraordinary means. This film takes some interesting visual steps to compress a theory on the life, work and genius of Leonardo into a half-hour documentary. Based on a wide-ranging survey of his sketches and paintings, carefully conceived sequences use the art to investigate the man, while the overwrought voiceover wallows in the myth.

The best scenes give free reign to the progressive musique concrète soundtrack by French composers Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer, pioneers of experimental and electronic music.