Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen (2009)

"Vision - Aus dem Leben der Hildegard von Bingen" was shown in the U.S. with the shortened title Vision (2009). It was written and directed by the excellent director Margarethe von Trotta.

As the German title tells us, this film is about the life of Hildegard von Bingen, one of the most fascinating historical figures of the Middle Ages. Von Bingen was a nun, a mother superior, a mystic, a healer, a theologian, and a composer. (Her musical works have survived, and they are still popular among lovers of early music.)

The gifted actor Barbara Sukowa plays von Bingen. Sukowa possesses the skills to make it clear to us that von Bingen was not only brilliant. She was a strong, forthright person. She did not hide behind her nun's habit--she used her status as a Mother Superior to interact with many of the other great personages of the 12th Century. She corresponded with bishops, theologians, philosophers, and members of the royal families of Europe.

This movie shows us some beautiful scenery, and so it would be better seen on the large screen. However, in my opinion, this is a must-see film. If DVD is your only option, go for it!

Note: If you read the other reviews for Vision, you'll see that I'm not the only IMDb reviewer to like it. However, the average IMDb rating of the film is a dismal 6.6. I find this inexplicable. It's one of those situations where I ask myself, Did those people see the same film I saw? My advice--ignore the low rating and decide for yourself whether this is a movie worth seeking out or not.