The Battle of San Romano (La Bataille de San Romano) Review

★★★

Directed by: #GeorgesSchwizgebel

Written by: #GeorgesSchwizgebel

Film Review by: Ian Lunny

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The Battle of San Romano is an impactful and dramatic study of the 15th century masterpiece of the same name by Paolo Uccello. Georges Schwizgebel uses his years of experiences in animation to create a transformative piece that presents that brutality and violence of war in a distinctive style.

Schwizgebel’s folding animation of Uccello’s piece brings a new lens to a classic painting, highlighting the linear perspective that had become famous in Italian Renaissance paintings. This is beautifully demonstrated as the art continues to repeat itself returning us back to the start of the piece, until we reach a point in where we finally see the painting (Niccolò Mauruzi da Tolentino unseats Bernardino della Carda at the Battle of San Romano) in its full glory.

This progression is emphasized with an intense, stirring score by Judith Gruber-Stitzer. An almost violent string section floods the room as you witness the painting twist and turn into life.

The Battle of San Romano is a fascinating look into Renaissance art, using a unique art style and a powerful score.