Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Socrates

Author(s): Manos Peponakis
Location: Greece

“Socrates"

Produced by Saul Zaentz
Directed by Milos Forman
Written by John Logan
Music by Vangelis
Song: "All for truth" written and perfomed by Enya

Principal Cast:

Stellan Skarsgaard (Socrates)
Emile Hirsch (Plato)
Orlando Bloom (Alkiviades)
George Clooney (Phaedon)
Ian McKellen (Protagoras)
Kathy Bates (Xanthippe)
Anthony Hopkins (Kritias)
Woody Allen (Aristophanes)
Angelina Jolie (Diotima)

Tagline: “All I know, is that I know nothing" November 2006

Synopsis: The life of the great Greek philosopher Socrates on screen by Milos Forman. Socrates is played by Stellan Skarsgaard. The movie focuses on Socrates' doctrines, his philosophical duels with sophists like Protagoras (McKellen) and Gorgias (Hopkins), his attitude towards the satire of Aristophanes (Allen), the intriguing love story between him and Alkiviades (Bloom), Plato's (Hirsch) admiral of Socrates and especially the trial and the choice of Socrates to drink the conium

What the press would say:

"Philosophy can win Oscars!!!" New York Times
"A movie of thought and wisdom" Los Angeles Times
"Skarsgaard: a performance of splendor" Rolling Stone

For the first time in Hollywood history, a movie on a Greek philosopher. Socrates was a man of distinction. The philosopher that brought reason into thoughts. Skarsgaard was heavily maked-up to impersonize the ugly figure of Socrates. His perfomance is superb and wisdom is expressed on his face. Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins are two philosophers that enter in a dialogue with Socrates and Socrates proves them wrong. The whole dialogue is taking place on a symposium accompanied with music (Vangelis' score is impeccable), beautiful boys and girls and wine. Kathy Bates is Socrates' wife, a stubborn woman that never accepted her husband's peculiar personality. One of the most entertaining scenes in the film is the opening night of the play Nefeles by Aristophanes in which Socrates is satirized. Woody Allen is giving a powerful comedic perfomance ridiculing Socrates and Skarsgaard stands up among the audience showing that he is the one who is ridiculed. Orlando Bloom uses his beauty to play the most beautiful boy in Athens, Alkiviades who is in love with Socrates. The most powerful scene is Socrates' apology on the court in which Skarsgaard gives a tremendous and intense perfomance. Clooney plays Socrates' pupil Phaedon who tries in vain to persuade Socrates not to suicide. The whole story is narrated by Plato (astoundingly perfomed byEmile Hirsch) , Socrates' beloved pupil.

Socrates is a directorial and screenplay achievement. Forman uses a lot of short cuts to intensify the intellectual climate of ancient Athens. Logan's screenplay inspired by Plato's dialogues is historically and philosophically accurate. Awesome work in Costumes, Cinematography, Art Direction and Make up. Ancient Athens is depicted magnificently thanks to Visual Effects.

Socrates is a film of excellence that must be seen by everyone. A thought-provoking film that can't be ignored by the Academy

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Best Picture
Best Director (Milos Forman)
Best Original Screenplay (John Logan)
Best Actor (Stellan Skarsgaard)
Best Supporting Actor (Ian McKellen, Anthony Hopkins, Woody Allen, George Clooney, Emile Hirsch)
Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates)
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Makeup
Best Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Sound
Best Sound Editing
Best Original Score (Vangelis)
Best Original Song (All for Truth- Enya)

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