The facts where, by far, the most interesting part of the film. For instance, the origin of his name, DaVinci, literally means that he was born from the town of Vinci, in Tuscany, Italy. I was also intrigued by the idea that he wrote in a 'mirrored' script handwriting. I am a teacher by trade & have often witnessed my students perform this style at the young ages of 4-6 years old. They are excited about learning to write & often experiment with different ways to write their name, including this 'mirrored image' style. During Parent-Teacher conferences, I often get concerns from parents on this subject, as they assume it's a sign that their child might have dyslexia. I assure them that this experimenting is just a sign of a creative mind. The case apparently holds true for the likes of Leonardo, as well.
Nearly as fun as the facts throughout the film, were the conjectures about Leonardo's life. I was surprised to learn that Leonardo might have led a gay lifestyle (however, other history lessons have taught me that this practice was rather common in this era, even though it was considered a crime - punishable by death). And the fact that several of Leonardo's works could include self-portraits is interesting to ponder. Finally, it was refreshing to hear that he likely had a difficult time completing his projects - perhaps he had ADHD as well? Alas, this is something I also witness as a teacher. Perhaps all of my 'behaviorally challenged' students are future artists and/or master sculptors...
As for the film making itself, the scenes of Italian (& later, French) countrysides and cityscapes were quite breathtaking, and made fitting segues for this film about the beauty Leonardo brought to Europe in the late 15th & early 16th century. The beauty of his works, like the Italian landscapes, have stood the test of time, as he is still regarded as one of the masters of creative thinking, to this day.
Unfortunately, even though the appreciation of Leonardo's art still exists, the condition of some of his works has deteriorated over the centuries. "The Last Supper", painted for a monastery, so the monks could have something to look at in their dining room, has only 20% of the original painting left, despite ongoing restoration and precautions such as humidity control and even high tech air locks. But the realistic details, perspective and the way the painting tells a story, make "The Last Supper" one of the most revered paintings ever created. And, I'm sure that the subject matter has something to do with it's popularity as well.
Although he is also known for studying the architecture of the human body, exploring the mystery of flight and designing weapons for warfare, Leonardo's painting techniques, which he first developed under the instruction of his mentor, Verrocchio, were unlike any that had ever been seen in Italy. Verrocchio is said to have retired from painting when he realized that Leonardo's talents had surpassed his own. Leonardo used light and shadows and dissolved contours to capture an essence of his subjects that had never been done before. His distinct style made it possible for a recent painting to be discovered during the time this film was made. If historians and art restoration experts had not recognized these Leonardo-esque techniques, they may never uncovered this hidden gem.
Perhaps his most famous portrait, the "Mona Lisa", is a perfect example of his use of shading and light. He mixed glazes on the skin portions of this painting, creating shadows and subtle highlights that are said to bring the painting to life. Art Historian, Martin Kemp described this when he stated "She's uncanny. It lives in a very extraordinary way. This is... it sounds pretentious, but there's no other way of describing it. The figure seems not just to be inert pigments on a surface, but seems to be living and breathing."
I admire Leonardo DaVinci even more than I did before, if for nothing else, because he seems more 'real' to me, now that I have watched this video. Perhaps he was a procrastinating, ADHD man with homosexual tendencies, but what he created left a mark on this world - unlike any artist before him or since.
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