Surprisingly progressive and regressive.

Interesting and stoic film.

incredible film...must see for women of faith, feminists and history buffs

From what I have read about Hildegard von Bingen, she was a true visionary in her time. I was really looking forward to this film and learning more about her. While it is superbly acted, the film was surprisingly hollow. There seemed to be so much missing that would have given a better depth to the main character. A real letdown.

very interesting and beautiful scenery

Very complicated movie. Good to learn about the live if this composer. For many years I have listen her compositions.

Hildegard von Bingen was a fascinating woman, and this movie shows some of her character, but of course this is life is little more than fiction with some biographic facts -- but it does have some of her music.

Long an admirer of her music, I was naturally predisposed either to love or to hate any dramatic film presenting itself as an overview of the life and work of Hildegard von Bingen. I'm pleased to say that this one moved me to the former. Of course, two hours traffic of no stage (or screen) can truly do justice to so remarkable a polymath; but the beautiful cinematography, eloquent screenplay, heartfelt performances, and gently wry humour here combine to offer an admirable and heartfelt attempt -- one which hopefully will move viewers to explore for themselves more of the legacy of this extraordinary woman!

I suspect that there was much more to Hildegard von Bingen's life than her relationships with the other nuns. But I didn't find it "a profoundly inspirational portrait of a woman who has emerged from the shadows of history as a forward-thinking and iconoclastic pioneer of faith, change and enlightenment" like the studio's press release said about it.

Having experienced the "God told me" card as a manipulative tool way too many times in my younger years, my eyes rolled every time Hildegard received a "vision" that promoted her desires and authority in the face of resistance from her superiors. The deathbed scene, where she is miraculously restored to health upon receiving word that the Bishop granted a request, despite the disapproval of local clerical authority, was a classic eye-roller. Even so, I found the portrayal of medieval clerical life interesting.

German biopic of the famous nun Hidegard von Bingen (1098-1179) who, among many other things, composed some of the earliest music we have written by a known author. Great movie if you like the middle ages, though methinks everyone's a bit too clean...

There is not much about the film we in a contemporary world can relate with, but the example of life as a deeply devoted Christian in the 12th century, is portrayed with accuracy and beauty.

Sturm und Drang wit Nuns

Absolutely beautiful on all levels. There may be a few things missing in terms of history; but as a film it's very well done.

Has some of the most realistic scenes of a medieval scriptorium I've encountered. For those medievalists among us, it would be a great teaching tool!

Fantastic movie about the life of this little known saint.

This was a really beautiful and well-made film, focusing (as the title suggests) on Hildegard's biography. Unfortunately I know very little about her life, so I can't say how accurate it is. The things I do know about her were there, though. Obviously, as a singer, I would have liked to have seen more about her work as a composer, but of course she was a polymath, philosopher, abbess, and more as well.

This movie is wonderful in many ways, the acting and the setting/atmosphere being the two key components contributing to the "wow" factor. The story moved slowly, it ended anticlimactically, and at times the action seemed slowed down for no apparent reason. Even still, the more important thing is the beautiful message it carries about gender roles before the eyes of God (or the differing views of the Divine). Hildegard was a woman who wasn't afraid to challenge the misogynistic bureaucracy of the religion to which she vowed to adhere; deep inside her soul, she won out in the end.

I have always been a fan of director Margarethe von Trotta since I discovered her earlier works at a film festival nearly thirty years ago. She's created a slew of characters, most often based onreal -life women, who've been determined, defiant and way ahead of their times, most commonly fighting some false system of government or the injustice of humanity, against all odds. Yes they more often than not end up as sacrificial lambs. It's been a winning if not depressing formula that has mostly worked for von Trotta over the past four decades. And true, it's been a while since her last feature film, having mostly worked for European television throughout the last years. So one would expect this leading auteur of what was once the burgeoning New German Cinema [along with Wenders, Fassbinder and her ex-husband, TIN DRUM director Volker Schlondorff] to make a heady comeback. That she does not entirely succeed is unfortunate but this is not to say that VISION is without its virtues of which there are plenty. A fierce performance by von Trotta's stalwart collaborator Barbara Sukowa is delivered as expected but it's a rebelious cold facade that we witness rather than the embracing warmth you'd expect from a portrayal of nun whose self proclaimed mystical powers both enraged and enregized and at times even enhanced the lives around her. The film's main flaw is that it opts to forego the origins of its protagonist altogther and not explain what's brought her to this point of illumination by jumping forward by thirty years right after its initial pre-title set-up. Which means we get to witness the aspiring contributions of a woman who's challenged the church by becoming an inspirational leader to many women of the clothes [and a few ardent men too] who later became a physician, scientist, poet, playwright [name it, she's accomplished it] in the 12th century no less, claiming her awakening came via a message from God which mo hastivated her efforts since childhood, to spread the word. Unfortunately a pivotal aspect of the movie that we never get to see but one that could have helped the film build up much more momentum. As such, there's conflict but little tension in what we do see. By the end we get to know a woman misunderstood putting on a iron-willed facade which upsets a clergy of men and enlights a lot of the women. Sadly not much different than, let's say, MADE IN DAGENHAM but with a nun's habit on.

Is Hildegard a modern career woman disguising herself as a pious servant of the Lord? This is an uncomfortably divisive question that the movie raises, yet avoids like the forthcoming plague. Full review at http://blogs.kitschmag.com/movies/