Looking Inside the Mind of Leonardo

By Marcina Zaccaria

Peter CapaldiInside the Mind of Leonardo, a new movie from History Films, is a stunning motion picture in 3D, featuring Peter Capaldi and directed by Julian Jones.

The documentary film takes place in Florence and Milan, and features potent monologues performed by BAFTA Award winning actor Peter Capaldi. Capaldi plays Leonardo in the film. The slim actor who received an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for his movie, Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life, reveals the emotion behind Leonardo, the man who many regard as a genius.

Image after image, monologue after monologue, the film doesn’t fail to disappoint. So much is known about Leonardo da Vinci. The inventor, the artist, and the military theorist had over 6,000 pages of notebooks. Da Vinci’s notebooks feature visionary drawings, musings on experience and causation, and mundane lists of food items. Holding information about beauty, flight, and war, da Vinci’s musings make exceptional sense when spoken by Capaldi. Throughout the film, the Scottish actor brings life and meaning to Renaissance concepts and ideals.

Peter CapaldiDa Vinci’s life was also full of anguish and desire. After having grown up on the Tuscan countryside, he became a crucial figure in Florence, where over 400 artist studios flourished. The film follows da Vinci’s work and his emotion. Producer History Films does not flinch from the darker points of da Vinci’s life. Sometimes broken, but never devastated, Capaldi as da Vinci discusses his impulses, including his sense of loss and admiration. Capaldi, the actor known for his work in the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, breezes through the difficult parts of the film, including da Vinci’s time with the Sforza family building war machines.

Inside the Mind of Leonardo is more than just a character study of the man who painted The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Inside the Mind of Leonardo is an exploration of Renaissance philosophy. Emmy Award nominated director Julian Jones is attentive to the subject matter. Though the film looks back in time, many of the images are from contemporary Italy. The movie is shown in stunning 3D HD, and is to be viewed with 3D glasses. With the 3D technology, the inner landscape of da Vinci’s mind are revealed. Da Vinci’s bird in flight seems to come right off the screen. Pictures of the rolling Tuscan countryside continue for miles, and there are also some outstanding overhead photos of the public squares in Milan.

Capaldi delivers monologue after monologue against a monochromatic background, and never fails to bridge the distance between myth and man. His insights and fears, scripted in handwritten notes, shed light on the person behind the powerful theories. The film is a must see, for fans of da Vinci and those who would appreciate the stunning 3D technology in the film.

Submarine Deluxe will release Inside the Mind of Leonardo in New York on October 17th. A nationwide theatrical rollout will follow.

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