NOVA : Galileo's Battle for the Heavens (2002)
Directed by Peter Jones
Genres - Science & Technology, Historical Film, Spirituality & Philosophy |
Sub-Genres - Biography, Physical Sciences, World History |
Run Time - 120 min. |
Countries - United States |
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Synopsis by Mark Deming
Galileo Galilei was one of the first truly revolutionary men of science; between 1585 and 1638, this pioneer was one of the first to employ mathematics to determine laws of motion, develop a telescope to help chart the heavens, observe the movements of stars and planets, and declare that the Earth moved around the sun, rather than the sun around the Earth. While many branded Galileo as a dangerous heretic in his day, today he's regarded as the father of modern physics and astronomy. Galileo's Battle for the Heavens stars Simon Callow as the great scientist; he reconstructs and re-creates many of the crucial moments in Galileo's career, and explains the methods behind his pioneering work. The film also examines letters Galileo wrote to his illegitimate daughter in which he discusses his personal feelings about his work and the measures taken to silence him.
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Keywords
controversy, daughter, frustration, illegitimate-child, Inquisition, intelligence [knowledge], mathematics, persecution, re-enactment, scientific-theory, scientist, stars [astronomy], trial [courtroom], universe, visionary