Nostradamus
by Roger Christian
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Amanda Plummer, F. Murray Abraham, Julia Ormond, Rutger Hauer, Tch?ky KaryoDirector: Roger Christian
Writer: Roger Christian
Producer: David Mintz
Producer: Edward Simons
Producer: Gerry Levy
Producer: Harald Reichebner
Writer: Knut Boeser
Writer: Piers Ashworth
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Original recording reissued
Running Time: 119 minutes
Release Date: 2000-10-03
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
VHS Movie Reviews of Nostradamus
Movie Review: A flesh and blood depiction of the renowned prognosticator
Summary: 4 Stars
Working from the sketchy historical details that are known about him, and taking a certain amount of dramatic license, the film "Nostradamus" chronicles the life of Michel de Nostredame (Tcheky Karyo), who came to be known more for his prophecies than for his work as a physician and an apothecary toiling against the ravages of plague-decimated 16th Century Europe.
Nostradamus was born into a Jewish family that converted to Christianity in order to escape the religious persecution of the Inquisition. Even as a small child, he was tormented by visions of events surrounding the fate of loved ones and of doomed cities in the future being torn asunder. As a young adult in medical school, he railed against the primitive practices which incorporated 'bleeding' into any treatment course. More than 30 years before the first rudimentary microscopes built by Zacharias Jansenn and Anton van Leeuwenhoek and the discovery of bacteria, Nostradamus had the foresight to burn infected clothing and to wash his hands before and after patient contact. He argued for better hygiene and nutrition as a deterrent to illness, as well as discovering a "rose pill" which aided in the treatment of early-stage plague victims. For these activities, he was brought before the Grand Inquisitor on more than one occasion for practicing the black arts.
With the assistance of his mentor, Dr. Scalinger (F. Murray Abraham), Nostradamus struggled to decipher his overpowering visions with the use of astrology and books on mysticism outlawed by the Catholic Church. Nostradamus would later serve as an advisor to Catherine de' Medici after predicting the death of her husband, King Henry II of France. In his declining years, saddled with gout, Nostradamus would sit, night after night, sleep deprived and driven to feverishly write down his prophetic quatrains. He foresaw events far into the future--one of which many would come to interpret as the rise of Hitler and World War II.
Michel Nostradamus is represented in the film as a fallible man--driven as much by base passion as loftier emotions. Often in biopics the person is represented as too saintly or too villainous. Here, Nostradamus is just a decent man struggling with the everyday problems and issues of his time. The superb supporting cast includes Rutger Hauer (The Mystic Monk), Amanda Plummer (Catherine de' Medici), Anthony Higgins (King Henry II) and Michael Gough (Jean de Remy). The cinematography is simply lush and each frame looks like it could have been lifted from a Renaissance painting.
If I have any complaint about the film (and it's a small one), it is that Nostradamus' life was so full and rich that the nearly 2 hour running time doesn't do it justice. Sometimes it felt like you were getting a rushed, "just the highlights" version of an amazing life.
Whether or not you assign merit to his prognostications, Nostradamus remains a fascinating historical figure who lived in a tumultuous and perilous era. He improved the lives of those around him at great personal risk to himself. A thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating biopic. It should be noted that this is an adults only film. There is nudity and explicit sexual behavior throughout.
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