Monday, August 4, 2014

Cartesius (1974)


Directed by Roberto Rossellini
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Rene Descartes spends much of his time in bed reflecting on mathematics, science and metaphysics, ultimately writing a treatise that combines them all, radically altering the course of philosophy. However, his theories about God attract the attention of theologians in Rome, the same ones that banished Galileo for writing similar "heresy". Descartes lays low in the Netherlands with other scientists who think like him, occasionally venturing out to nearby universities for long discourses on his philosophy. Almost completely devoid of any dramatic thrust, Rossellini relies on dialogue for his structure, which, like his other made-for-TV histories, makes for a rather lackluster viewing experience for all but the most diehard Descartes fans, assuming there are any left.

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