Agora - Die Säulen des Himmels

As a well-crafted and historically accurate chronicle of Alexandria in late antiquity, this movie compares favorably with HBO's *Rome,* and it actually trumps *Rome* in its fidelity to fact. Without sentimentality or smarminess, without intrusive soundtrack music, we see the life and death of Hypatia, one of the greatest astronomers & mathematicians of the ancient world. The ever-lovely Rachel Weisz gives a thoughtful performance as the title character, and Max Minghella is very good as Davus, the brooding slave boy whose unrequited devotion remains as steady as the stars.

Although Davus is fictional, the other major characters - Theon (Hypatia's father), Orestes (her aristocratic suitor, played by Oscar Isaac), Synesius (her Christian student, later Bishop of Cyrene), Cyril (Bishop of Alexandria), and Ammonius the monk - were all real people who behaved more or less as they are portrayed. The story is extremely relevant to contemporary events, both in the U. S. and in the Muslim world, yet it never falsifies its source material. The destruction of the Serapeion, the religious policing of the Parabolani, the persecution of the Jews, the public attack on Orestes, and the high status of Hypatia in her native city are all recorded by authors who lived in that era.

Especially striking for me was the fact that Hypatia's disciples included both pagans and Christians, and that she herself considered such religious differences insignificant next to the humanity we all share.

I recommend this movie for anybody who enjoys historical dramas. For more details on the historical background, try *Hypatia of Alexandria* by Maria Dzielska.

Muddled film that has its sights set high in the right course but lacks focus and a direct script that can handle the subject matter. Alejandro Amenábar tries his best but comes up short in many ways with his narrative. The movie is a little too long and the script wavers from time to time but Rachel Weisz's performance is Oscar worthy and deserving of a better film that respects the effort she puts in it. She makes you stay with the movie, even when It sputters out of control during the last half of the film. She gets good support from her leading men (Max Minghella and Oscar Isaac) but its hard for the three of them to connect with how unfocused the script is and that's the film's biggest problem.

For Weisz's Oscar effort and the solid performances of her leading men, the movie gets a 7 but with out their performances, the movie would be much lower.

I highly recommend the film AGORA by Alejandro Amenábar (who also directed the Others) now out on DVD.

It's not a perfect film (the acting and dialogue is a bit clunky at times) but it is a very courageous view of the battle between rational science and "free thinkers" versus religious doctrine. And even if it takes place 1600 years ago, the frightening conflicts are still here today and the questions the film raises are, unfortunately, still very relevant.

The sets, photography, costumes etc are great, the use of shots of the earth from space give the film a slight "Kubrick" feel (not because of a parallel with 2001) but because down below, humans in their folly, are murdering each other over "my God is better than your God" fairy tales, meanwhile the universe, that we are slowly starting to understand through SCIENCE, remains there with many secrets waiting to be discovered.

The film is unbelievably sad in it's depiction of mobs of religious extremists destroying accumulated knowledge, a fact that has happen many times throughout history, delaying our progress in so many ways.

This is a truly a horror film for those whose value science, rationality, free thinking and feminism.

Unfortunately, this film got only a very limited theatrical release in North America.

I give it plenty of kudos and 8.5/10

Agora is a well-crafted film that manages to be both entertaining and educational. While the movie takes some creative liberties with the historical events, which is understandable given the gaps in recorded history, it does a great job of capturing the essence of the time. The writing feels solid, and despite some moments that might stretch historical accuracy, the story remains compelling and thought-provoking.

The acting is another highlight. Rachel Weisz shines as Hypatia, bringing intelligence and grace to the role. Her portrayal makes Hypatia's struggle with philosophy, reason, and the changing world around her deeply engaging. Most of the main cast delivered strong performances that added depth to the characters and their relationships.

The directing is to the point, keeping the narrative focused on the tension between reason and dogma. The production design deserves credit too. It successfully recreates the feel of ancient Alexandria, immersing you in the historical setting. From the bustling streets to the grandeur of the Serapeum, it pulls you into the world of the film.

Overall, Agora is a beautifully executed movie that is as educational as it is entertaining. It offers a glimpse into an important and tumultuous period of history while exploring timeless themes about knowledge, power, and humanity. Despite its fictionalized elements, it is a powerful film that is worth watching.

Spectacular and lavish film well directed by successful filmmaker Alejandro Amenabar . Historical drama concerning a slave (Max Minghella) who turns to the rising tide of Christianity in the hopes of pursuing freedom while also falling in love with his master, the known female philosophy and mathematics professor Hypatia of Alexandria (Rachel Weisz) .The mathematician and philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria was the daughter of the mathematician Theon Alexandricus (Michael Lonsdale). She was educated at Athens. Around AD 400, she became head of the Platonist school at Alexandria where she imparted the knowledge of Plato and Aristotle to any student. The picture is set in Alexandria, 391 AD . There Hypatia teaches astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. Her pupils included pagans, Christians , slaves (Max Minghella) and foreigners . As the city's Christians, led by Ammonius (Ashraf Barhom) and Cyril (Samir) , gain political and economic power . At the end Orestes (Oscar Isaac), the governor of Alexandria, and Cyril (Sami Samir) , the Bishop of Alexandria, found themselves in a bitter feud in which Hypatia would come to be one of the main points of contention . The feud, which took place in 415 AD, began over the matter of Jewish dancing exhibitions in Alexandria . Since these exhibitions attracted large crowds and were commonly prone to civil disorder of varying degrees . Then was published an edict which outlined new regulations for such Jewish gatherings . Soon after, crowds gathered against Jews and these angry over the new regulations that had been imposed upon them , which many people felt was an attempt to incite the crowd into sedition .

This intense drama is based on some hokey events , on a hand there are real deeds , but on other hand based on false facts ; as Christians are the bad guys when actually by that time Catholics were relentlessly pursued and massacred . A historical, epic film set in Roman Egyp with excellent acting , overwhelming set design , colorful cinematography by Xavi Gimenez , evocative musical score by Dario Marianelli and lavishly produced by Fernando Bovaira . Interesting and thought-provoking screenplay by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil , they wrote the script with Rachel Weisz in mind to play Hypatia, the lead character. Splendid performances all around and special mention to Rachel Weisz giving one of the best acting of his prestigious career . Originally, Alejandro Amenábar wanted Rachel Weisz, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jonathan Rhys Meyers to appear in the film. After reading the screenplay, Weisz did accept the part of Hypatia, however, Baron Cohen turned it down . Along with a notorious remaining cast such as Max Minghella as Davus , Oscar Isaac as Orestes , Ashraf Barhom as Ammonius , Michael Lonsdale as Theon and Rupert Evans as Synesius . Impressive production design , as the sets were built on the exact same spot , Fort Ricasoli, Malta, where the Coliseum was built for Gladiator . The fort was also used for Julius Caesar, Helena of Troy and Troy . Breathtaking visual effects , as the FX team designed the night skies accurately for the time period of the movie using a star chart software.

The picture is partially based on facts , as the texts written are varied : The contemporary 5th-century sources do identify Hypatia of Alexandria as a practitioner and teacher of the philosophy of Plato and Plotinus, but, two hundred years later, the 7th-century Egyptian Coptic bishop John of Nikiû identified her as a Hellenistic pagan and that "she was devoted at all times to magic, astrolabes and instruments of music, and she beguiled many people through her Satanic wiles". Not all Christians were as hostile towards her as John of Nikiu or the monks who killed her: some Christians even used Hypatia as symbolic of Virtue . Two widely cited, but divergent texts describe the feud between Orestes, the prefect of Alexandria and Cyril, the Bishop of Alexandria . The feud and the city-wide anger it provoked ultimately brought about the death of Hypatia .One source, the Historia Ecclesiastica was written by Socrates Scholasticus some time shortly after Hypatia's death in AD 415 . Scholasticus gives a more complete, less biased account of the feud between Orestes and Cyril, and the role Hypatia played in the feud that resulted in her death. The other source, The Chronicle, written by John of Nikiu in Egypt, around 650 AD, demonizes Hypatia and Orestes directly, while validating all Christians involved in the events Nikiu describes.