Leonardo da Vinci was not only the father of “the Mona Lisa”.
And he wasn't just a painter.
The Florentine master was also a sculptor, engineer, town planner, he made musical instruments, tools for observing the moon or for flying and he liked to dissect corpses to understand the human body and learn more about the human soul.
It is the portrait of this genius that “Léo, the fabulous story of Leonardo da Vinci”, a fantastic animated film by Jim Capobianco, paints with great inventiveness, in theaters this Wednesday.
The story begins in Rome in 1516. Leonardo da Vinci designs machines to explore the moon.
But one thing bothers Pope Leo X: the dissections that the master practices on human bodies.
The Bishop of Rome finds these works subversive, even contrary to the Christian faith.
During a visit to Italy, Francis I, the King of France, expressed his admiration for Leonardo da Vinci.
When the pope's brother, for whom he worked, dies, "Léo" decides to accept Francis I's invitation to join his court.
Installed at the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, Leonardo da Vinci tirelessly continued his research.
And plants blades in dead bodies whenever he can... Because he wants to be inspired by his findings on human anatomy to imagine “the ideal city”.
If Francis I was obsessed with the idea of having a statue in his likeness, his sister, Marguerite de Navarre, encouraged Leonardo da Vinci in his town planning work.
“The story that follows is inspired by the real events in the life of Leonardo da Vinci,” warns the feature film in the introduction… In fact, the story of the painter’s stay in France is largely fictionalized.
But “Léo, the fabulous story of Leonardo da Vinci” pays homage to the insatiable curiosity of this slightly mad scientist through a film which combines 2D animation and volume animation, with puppets with round heads wearing strands of wool. and special effects.
Director Jim Capobianco, who co-wrote “The Lion King”, therefore puts magnificent drawings and delightful visual discoveries at the service of a fascinating story.
Editor's note:
4/5
“Léo, the fabulous story of Leonardo da Vinci”,
French animated film by Jim Capobianco, with the voices of André Dussollier, Stephen Fry, Marion Cotillard... 1h37.
Starting from 7 years old.