Rossellini’s History Films - Renaissance and Enlightenment: Blaise Pascal, The Age of the Medici, Cartesius

Synopsis

"In 1963, Rossellini announced that he had abandoned cinema and would start working in television. He directed nine telefilms on historical subjects and six short documentaries, claiming TV could be used as an educational device" (Hugo Salas, Senses of Cinema). Included in this boxed set are three of Roberto Rossellini’s boldest attempts at deconstructing cultural history.

BLAISE PASCAL (Italy/France, 1972, 129 mins.) is a finely detailed portrait of the17th-century French religious philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal, as well as a speculation on the nature of knowledge, cultural development, substance, space and time.

With a script based on 15th-century Florentine texts, THE AGE OF THE MEDICI (Italy, 1973, 255 mins.) furthers Rossellini’s exploration of the artistic, social, economic and political forces that extend into our modern world. The three-part Medici project consists of THE EXILE OF COSIMO, THE POWER OF COSIMO, and LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI

CARTESIUS (Italy/France, 1974, 162 mins.) is about mathematician, scientist, and writer Rene Descartes (1596-1650), the "father of modern philosophy." In French and Italian with optional English subtitles.

DVD extras include notes by Tag Gallagher, author of ‘The Adventures of Roberto Rossellini: His Life and Times’

Series

Eclipse Series, No 14

Language

French (Standard); Italian (Standard) (French/Italian with optional English subtitles)

Country

France; Italy

Year of release

2009

Year of production

1972-1974

Subjects

French studies; History; Italian studies; Philosophy

Keywords

Enlightenment; Pascal, Blaise; philosophy of science; Renaissance; philosophers; Descartes, Rene; Medici, Cosimo de’

Credits

Director

Roberto Rossellini (1906-177)

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 1

Price

$59.95

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

546 minutes

Year

2009

Sections

Title

Blaise Pascal

Synopsis

In this evocative, atmospheric biography, Rossellini brings to life philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal, who, amid religious persecution and ignorance, believed in a harmony between God and science. (1972).

Duration

129 mins

Title

Age of the Medici, The

Synopsis

A 3-part series like a Renaissance painting come to life: a portrait of fifteenth-century Florence, ruled by the Medici political dynasty. With a score from composer Manuel de Sica. (1973).

Duration

255 mins

Title

Cartesius

Synopsis

As profoundly simple as its hero’s famous statement "I think, therefore I am," Roberto Rossellini’s Cartesius is an intimate, psychological study of obsession and existential crisis. (1974)

Duration

162 mins

Production Company

Name

Criterion Films

Email

http://www.criterion.com/order_support

Web

http://www.criterion.com/ External site opens in new window

Address

Attn: Jon Mulvaney
215 Park Avenue South, Fifth Floor
New York
NY
10003
USA

Distributor

Name

Facets Multi-media Inc.

Email

sales@facets.org

Web

http://www.facetsdvd.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

+1 773 281 9045

Fax

+1 773 929 5437

Address

1517 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
60614
USA

Notes

A pioneering US distributor of over 65,000 international, animated, independent, art, classic, documentary, silent, and experimental films on DVD, some of them exclusive to the Facets label.