Galileo (1975 film)

Galileo
Theatrical release poster (1974)
Directed by	Joseph Losey
Produced by	Ely Landau
Written by	Joseph Losey Barbara Bray
Based on	Galileo by Bertolt Brecht with Charles Laughton (trans.)
Starring	Topol Georgia Brown Edward Fox John Gielgud Margaret Leighton
Music by	Hanns Eisler Richard Hartley
Cinematography	Michael Reed
Edited by	Reginald Beck
Distributed by	American Film Theatre
Release date	January 27, 1975 (US)
Running time	145 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Galileo is a 1975 biographical film about the 17th century scientist Galileo Galilei, whose astronomical observations with the newly invented telescope led to a profound conflict with the Roman Catholic Church. The film is an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's play of the same name. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted several plays for a subscription-driven series of films from 1973 to 1975. Brecht's play was recently called a "masterpiece" by veteran theater critic Michael Billington, as Martin Esslin had in 1960. The film's director, Joseph Losey, had also directed the first performances of the play in 1947 in the US — with Brecht's active participation. The film is fairly true to those first performances, and is thus of historical significance as well.

The film closely follows the "American" version of Brecht's play Galileo. In 1609 Galileo is a mathematics professor in Padua, Italy. While his salary is inadequate, he possesses the freedom to pursue controversial scientific studies under the protection of the Venetian republic. Part of his work involves the use of a telescope, a relatively new scientific instrument brought from the Netherlands. Using the telescope, Galileo seeks to test the theories put forth by Nicolaus Copernicus that place the sun – and not the Earth – at the center of universe. As his research progress, Galileo accepts a more prestigious academic position in Florence, Italy. But his new position does not come with the government protection he enjoyed in Venice, and his friends in the higher echelons of the Roman Catholic Church refuse to come to his aid when he is summoned before the Inquisition.