Life Of Leonardo Da Vinci, The (1972) Rating: Starring: Philippe Leroy, Giulio Bosetti, Ann Odessa, Glauco Onorato, Filippo Scelzo Director: Renato Castellani Category: Documentary Studio: Questar Subtitles: Length: 270 mins     The Most Brilliant Mind In History He was the Renaissance's unfinished masterpiece: a supreme artist who completed some of the most memorable paintings the world has ever known and a brilliant thinker of modern ideas and inventions. Who was Leonardo Da Vinci, and what are the secrets behind his genius? This Italian masterpiece directed by Renato Castellani, with a cost of over 25 million dollars, was shot using 100 actors, 500 extras and many of the actual locations where Da Vinci lived, worked and dreamed. We witness his most historic triumphs, including the creation of The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, paintings that have become embedded in our collective consciousness. We experience his most bitter defeats, from the crash-landing of his beloved flying machine to the fiery liquefaction of his Battle of Anghiari. We see - and come to understand - the bitterness of his rivalry with Michelangelo, perhaps the only Renaissance artist who was Da Vinci's equal. Based on eyewitness accounts, documentary evidence and informed speculation, this beautifully acted, richly photographed film adds compelling brushstrokes to the Da Vinci legend.