The Agony and the Ecstasy

The film opens in documentary style, chronicling the life and work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. It follows him as a renowned Cinquecento sculptor from the Republic of Florence and sets the stage for his early career in the city. The narration frames his stature within the broader Renaissance art history.

The narrative follows Michelangelo in Rome, where he works on monumental sculptures near St. Peter's Basilica. The scenes emphasize his growing reputation and the intensity of his studio practice in the early 16th century.

Pope Julius II hires Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel, despite the artist's initial misgivings about the paneled layout of the Twelve Apostles. He is reluctantly compelled to take the project, stepping into a demanding and transformative commission. This decision marks a turning point in Michelangelo's career.

During the first attempt, Michelangelo is unhappy with the results and destroys the frescoes. He flees to Carrara and retreats into the mountains, where he searches for inspiration in the natural world and begins to rethink the project.

Michelangelo returns and is given permission to paint the entire vault with Genesis scenes based on the Book of Genesis. The work progresses nonstop, even through Mass; however, he faces opposition from the pope's cardinals who criticize the nudity in the depictions.

Months turn to years as Michelangelo labors at the height of his exhaustion and collapses. He is nursed back to health by Contessina de' Medici, daughter of his old friend Lorenzo de' Medici, and slowly returns to work.

On his recovery, Michelangelo learns that he is at risk of being replaced by Raphael, who has been commissioned to paint the papal reception rooms. The looming replacement raises the stakes for Michelangelo as he continues the ceiling project.

The War of the League of Cambrai threatens the Papal States, casting a shadow over Rome. In response to the crisis, the Pope terminates Michelangelo's contract and the scaffolding is torn down, imperiling the progress.

Raphael, impressed by the work in progress, asks Michelangelo to show humility and finish the ceiling. Michelangelo travels to see the ailing Pope and pleads for restoration of patronage so that work can resume.

The Pope believes an invasion is inevitable but raises the money needed to resume work on the ceiling. The tide of war turns in the Papal States' favor as allies pledge support, enabling renewed effort on the project.

One night, the ailing Pope inspects the portrait of God in The Creation of Adam, declaring it a proof of faith yet expressing doubt about Michelangelo's mercy and the portrayal of Adam. The Pope then collapses and becomes bedridden, curtailing his ability to influence the work.

A Mass is held to celebrate the completed ceiling, drawing a positive response. After the ceremony, the Pope agrees to let Michelangelo start on the Pope's tomb but then changes his mind, offering instead a new fresco behind the altarpiece and presenting Michelangelo with subject options like the Crucifixion or the Last Judgment. The Pope also affirms that Michelangelo's conception of God is accurate and spurs him to continue.

As the Pope departs, Michelangelo turns to the space behind the altarpiece where he will later paint the Last Judgment, a project he would undertake about 25 years after the ceiling's completion. This moment foreshadows the enduring evolution of his work and legacy.