I wasn't thrilled about "Copernicus", but it kept me interested. A film is a biography of the scientist, made on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of the birth of the great astronomer, covering 50 years of his life. Let me quote what this movie contains: Copernicus studies in Cracow and Italy, then he returns to Poland and works in Frombork. He organizes the bishop's estates and directs the defense of Olsztyn during the war with the Teutonic Knights. After the death of his uncle and protector, Bishop Watzenrode, he returns to Frombork, where, living in solitude and poverty, he finishes his work and entrusts it to his student Rheticus. Finally, Copernicus dies without seeing his work published. I am not an expert in history, but the facts seemed true to me, especially since the film was co-produced by two countries: Poland and East Germany. I remember liking the scenography and acting. Each of us has his own advantages and disadvantages, and taking this into account, the filmmakers failed to create a convincing portrait of Copernicus as a human being. Their Copernicus was simply "too good to be true". Also to me, "Copernicus" was more a collection of single episodes than an inspired biography. The filmmakers seemed to have assumed that it would be enough to show the biographies of Archimedes, Pythagoras, or Johannes Gutenberg and everyone would sing with delight. This is certainly not true. People are generally more interested in the work and legacy of great individuals than in their detailed biographies.
