The Inventor 2023

In Rome, 1516, Leonardo da Vinci, Stephen Fry, curiously experiments with a mirror-based device that resembles a telescope, peering at the Moon to uncover clues about oceans, life, and the soul. The moment is watched by members of the Papal Court, and in a room where Zoroastro unveils a body for scientific probing, the Pope, Matt Berry, sternly orders Leonardo to halt further exploration of God’s works.

A soldier arrives with news of a Milanese defeat at Marignano and a shift in Leonardo’s role: he is named a military engineer for the moment. Yet his pragmatic mind pushes toward peace, and he persuades the Pope to consider an accord with Francis I, Gauthier Battoue. With that pivot, Leonardo travels to Amboise, where Francis invites him to the royal court and sets him on a path that blends spectacle with science.

On arrival, Leonardo and his assistant Cecco are sent to the ambitious Remorantin castle project, where he first encounters Marguerite, Daisy Ridley. Removing himself from Rome’s orbit, Leonardo continues his quest to understand the soul, and Marguerite becomes a collaborative partner in reshaping his ambitions. She helps steer him away from the castle’s traditional plans toward something bolder: an Ideal City that embodies harmony, proportion, and humanity’s potential.

As Francis plans a grand festival to impress leaders like Emperor Charles V and King Henry VIII, Leonardo faces a choice between grand architectural prestige and the deeper, quieter work of his own invention. He temporarily sets aside the sprawling Ideal City to craft practical devices and other showpieces that Francis can parade before rival courts, including an impressive equestrian statue of Francis himself.

Illness curtails Leonardo’s momentum, and when the Papal Court visits, he contemplates sharing his research on the soul. Cecco’s doubts echo in the room, yet Leonardo remains convinced of a profound discovery—the so-called “Secret to Life itself.” The tensions between faith, science, and power come to a head as he prepares a final, dazzling demonstration of the Solar System. In this sequence, the Sun is embodied by Francis in a bold performance that captures the era’s appetite for wonder and control.

The finale unfolds with a memorable musical moment—an interpretation of a song about a life well spent—while Leonardo’s journey culminates in a celestial ascent. He appears to drift toward the Milky Way, leaving viewers to ponder whether his departure marks a literal death or a dramatic crossing into a new realm of understanding.