French-language biopic filmed in Italy about a female Italian painter. It was originally rated NC-17 for its strong sexual content and nudity, but was re-rated R on appeal.
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, led her to the knowledge of sexual pleasure. But she was also well known because in 1612 she had to appear in a courtroom because her teacher, Agostino Tassi, was suspected of raping her. She tried to protect him, but was put in the thumb screws…
Per IMDb:
The movie is a biography of the painter Artemisia Gentileschi, but many major details of her life were changed, leading to widespread criticism. In the movie, the relationship between Artemisia and Agostino is portrayed as a beautiful love affair, and the reason Artemisia is is tortured is because she refuses to testify that he raped her. In reality, Agostino really did rape Artemisia (and other women), and the reason she was tortured was because she DID testify in court that he had raped her.
I haven’t seen this video in HD. Here is a DVD rip from 20+ years ago.
Video –
From what I’m reading, her “torture” was a common practice used to verify testimony. It had to do with a cord being tightened around fingers. So she wasn’t tortured for saying he raped her. If you read that then it was probably an article pushing something that just isn’t true for effect. Very common practice in our wonderful media business.