I agree that it is beautifully paced. you have the opportunity to sink into the film and become involved in (to be quite frank) the lives of others. the stark contrast between the very non-human lifeless captain, a figure entirely void of love and art, and the vivid witness of the fearful but brave playwright makes it quite emotionally powerful while making political, humanitarian, and art statements. what i loved most about the film was the not the history and political expo shown, but the illustration of the artist as a beacon of truth, a social reformer, a warning to the wayward ways of man, a lone voice shouting against convention and society. whether faced with death or mere trivial confrontation, the artist is called to be bold, unafraid, convicted, prolific, and outside the confines of time and space. Combine all of this with a beautiful slice of human emotion and valid connectivity and you have what is in my opinion a very good film.