Caravaggio - The Soul and the Blood - Art Beats Series 2018 (12)

After groundbreaking success in terms of audiences and critics of “The Vatican Museums” and “Florence and the Uffizi Gallery”, and after the release of “Raphael – The Lord of the Arts”, here it comes a new documentary dedicated to an Italian Master: Caravaggio – Soul and blood.

A journey through life, works and struggles of Michelangelo Merisi from Caravaggio. His existence, no less than his art, is characterized by lights and shadows, contrasts and contradictions, genius and sobriety. Revolutionary artist, he was often not so beloved by contemporaries. He travelled Italy in search of luck or perhaps in search of himself, escaping the enemies that he always found at his passage. Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, Malta, Sicily. His death seems a twist of faith: he died in Porto Ercole, one step away from Rome, one step away from salvation.

According to the Longhi’s lesson (the main Caravaggio expert), his work will be read with strict reference to his existence, finding in his masterpieces the echo of personal experiences.

The narrative unfolds on two levels:

The artistic digression, in which the commentary of the main artworks will be entrusted to an illustrious art historian from the first painting: Bacchus and Boy with a Basket of Fruit. Through the roman period artworks: Cardsharps, Judith Beheading Holofernes to the last works as David with the Head of Goliath.

"Photographic" scenes that, accompanied by the voice of Caravaggio himself, evokes an object or a situation symbolizing his life and his works. A basket of fruit, a musical instrument, a sword, a grate of a cell etc. These emotional and evocative moments - thanks to the use of light and cinematic techniques such timelapse and slowmotion - help the viewer to go deep inside the mind and soul of Caravaggio, empathizing with his impulses and fears.

Director: Jesus Garces Lambert