This movie is a biopic of Hypatia a mathematician, philosopher and astronomer. The story is set in Alexandria, 391 A.D so the stage is set for a visually beautiful film. It does deliver on this and much more.
Cinematography and Art department are the best in this movie. The perfection achieved in these two departments makes the viewer feel as if we are part of Alexandria.
Rachel Weisz has given a stunning performance. As an astronomer who believed in science and philosophy, Hypatia had to face the wrath of the raising Christian church. History proves that people who went against the church were termed as Heretics and were sentenced to death. The story delves into the complexities of people, people who follow different religions and beliefs. Christians might find it difficult to digest this movie.
The film is two hours long which might be a drag for some, but it sure is worth a watch. The good thing is, it doesn’t preach against any one particular religion. As a fellow blogger pointed out with her comments, I'm not sure about the historical facts but the movie sure made me interested in learning more about Hypatia.
As the story evolves to its tragic end, one can’t help but wonder how much the situation is still the same. It’s ironic that humans, the most intelligent beings in this world [at least we think so] have progressed so much but yet we cling on to medieval myths. "Let there be light" both in our minds and our hearts :)
Cheers
Pradeep
PS: To know more about Agora and the real Hypatia please refer to the excellent articles written by Faith L Justice [links given below]
I saw the film when it first came out in NYC and loved Weisz' performance as Hypatia. As you say, it's beautifully shot. Amenabar distorts some history in service to his art (the Library didn't end that way and Synesius wasn't a jerk), but that's what artists do. I don't go to the movies for history. For people who want to know more about the historical Hypatia, I highly recommend a very readable biography "Hypatia of Alexandria" by Maria Dzielska (Harvard University Press, 1995). I also have a series of posts on the historical events and characters in the film at my blog (http://faithljustice.wordpress.com) - not a movie review, just a "reel vs. real" discussion.
ReplyDeleteHi faith, thx for your comments. I'm really interested in learning more about hypatia and its because of the movie. i agree movies do distort history at times, thats y biopics are a tough genre. I'm goin thru ur blog in detail.... to learn more. thx
ReplyDeletecheers
pradeep
Thx fr te wishes maria :) glad u liked it.
ReplyDeletewill chk te link and u too hav a great evening
cheers
pradeep