Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen

The movie follows the life of Hildegard Von Bingen a famous medieval nun/magistra/convent founder who had religious visions and was interested in science, music, medicine, and much more...

The cinematography was absolutely beautiful and the story captivated me even with its modern feminist sensibilities every where....from the suitably milque toast priest Volmar to her renaissance passion for all intellectual pursuits....The cliché over veneration of books learning etc comes off as nerdy and dumb when exaggerated too much as it was in this movie. That said I wish I had read up on Hildegard before watching; there was apparently much substance to the woman--the movie fails here..having her oohing and aawing over stacks of books or staging an avant garde (for the era) play doesn't do her credit.

The part of her that captivated me of course were the visions. Everyone hopes things like that are not mental illness. You grow to really like this woman and that is the key to good cinema no?

The character of Richardis is good too...more than a hint of female homosexuality that was sublimated by both parties.

This movie would have been a 10 if the visions had been shown better and the pseudo intellectual nerd and feminist stuff toned down.

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beautiful. in profound sense. for the recreation of atmosphere. for the acting. for the different perspectives about a delicate subject, for the delicate force of image. for the image of a woman against her period expectation who wins and gives a nuanced definition to the sainthood. it is a film who propose more than gives. it propose the reflection about society from the XII century and from today. it propose an useful example of courage. and a not ordinary expression of the faith. a film who propose many questions and who rediscover an impressive figure of Middle Age who change the perspective about her time.Barbara Sukowa propose a Hildegard von Bingen who becomes heroic step by step, scene by scene, in a precise and convincing style.

Films about spiritual teachers tend to be solemn affairs, although anybody who has spent time with a mystic knows they often possess charismatic charm and a subversive sense of humor. 'Vision' is an uninspired biopic about Hildegard Von Bingen, who was a Benedictine nun in medieval Germany. History relates she taught her own method of contemplation, became the 'magistra' of her order, founded two convents, and wrote books on medicine and musical composition. Her teachings discouraged severe ascetic practices, reflecting her belief that God intended humans to pursue contented lives devoted to hard work, charity and spiritual invocation.

'Vision' focuses on various intrigues within Hildegard's world of nuns, monks and bishops, as well as the nobility who provided financial backing for cloistered orders. No doubt there was some jealousy within that circle which obstructed some of her endeavors, but she was a formidable figure in 12th century Germany, traveling widely on preaching tours at a time when women were traditionally banned from such pursuits. Hildegard's contemplative disciplines were a crucial aspect of her life's work but being impossible to film, they are mostly ignored in favor of her worldly activities. The acting and cinematography are sufficient for the task at hand, but anyone hoping to learn about Hildegard's esoteric philosophy is likely to be disappointed.

I am not sure what to think of this depiction of Hildegard von Bingen, about whom most people (self included) know nearly nothing. One might think that if you're going to bother making a film about someone who lived hundreds of years ago, that must be because, either she has been neglected in the annals of history, or she has been misconstrued by historians up until now. Because hardly anyone knows anything about this woman, Vision may be their first introduction to her life. So what is shown ends up being very important, as it shapes the viewers' opinions of the woman.

Was Hildegard a petty lesbian who feigned illness to get her way? That is the image I find here conveyed. There is no actual coverage of what she may have accomplished. What did she accomplish, pray tell? My impression is that the filmmaker is not religious and so wanted to reveal the human-all-too-human of a woman who may have suffered from schizophrenia and would surely have been dosed with some sort of happy pills, were she alive today.

The film is named Vision. It is very appropriate as the music that weaves the visuals to greater experiences by the viewer is from the CD of Hildegard's music by Richard Souther called by the same name, Vision. music) both stir the soul of her demographic to height upon height. Well done German filmmakers!!! The film was visually stunning. It is difficult to tell the tale of the most powerful female in Western Culture and do it in a universal manner. It is obvious that this film had a team that had their own Vision to do more than make a film, but create a digital film footprint of a globally known and loved academic, spiritual, and feminist historical icon and mentor.