Educational Media Reviews Online

Leonardo Da Vinci is often thought of as the quintessential Renaissance Man. His interests and study range from art and anatomy to aeronautics and weapons. Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance is an excellent introduction to Da Vinci as manifest throughout his life and study. The film does not delve deeply into any one area of his life; rather, the film is set up in chronological order starting with his birth in Vinci and ending with his death in Cloux. This film quotes from Da Vinci's notebooks to move the viewer though Da Vinci's mind. A few major pieces of art are quickly touched on; for example, the Last Supper and its use of gesture as a means to embody story, or the Virgin on the Rocks use of light to create a blending of one color area into another. The filmmakers combined images of Da Vinci's notebooks, paintings and drawings with actual shots of landscapes reminiscent of Da Vinci's paintings. The film is a visual treat. The technical quality is excellent: Both the film's narration and the reader of the Da Vinci notebooks are easy to listen to and clearly understood. Leonardo Da Vinci: the Mind of the Renaissance would enhance any type of collection. The film's broad perspective provides any viewer with an opportunity to learn more about the man and how he thought.