SYNOPSICS
Agora (2009) is a English movie. Alejandro Amenábar has directed this movie. Rachel Weisz,Max Minghella,Oscar Isaac,Ashraf Barhom are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2009. Agora (2009) is considered one of the best Adventure,Biography,Drama,History,Romance movie in India and around the world.
Alexandria, 391 AD: Hypatia teaches astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. Her student Orestes is in love with her, as is Davus, her personal slave. As the city's Christians, led by Ammonius and Cyril, gain political power, the institutions of learning may crumble along with the governance of slavery. Jump ahead 20 years: Orestes, the city's prefect, has an uneasy peace with the Christians, led by Cyril. A group from the newly empowered Christians has now taken to enforce their cultural hegemony zealously; first they see the Jews as their obstacle, then nonbelievers. Hypatia has no interest in faith; she's concerned about the movement of celestial bodies and "the brotherhood of all". Although her former slave doesn't see it that way.
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Agora (2009) Reviews
The Savagery of Religion
I remember hearing of Hypatia's tragic tale from Carl Sagan in his "Cosmos" TV series way back in 1980. I was appalled by the tale, and shook my head as any good reasoned young man would. It was a story that stuck with me for much of my life. And I often wondered if such an important biography would ever be published about this mysterious and remarkable historic figure. I truly did not think so, and believed that Hypatia's memory would have to live on with what little history there was written about her, and the blurb mentioned once or twice by Carl Sagan as he recounted the once magnificent library of Alexandria. People are stupid. I agree with Ridley Scott on this. They really and truly are. Whether it's the zealots portrayed in this film, or the Christian who sat behind me commenting on the film (he ACTUALLY APPLAUDED the Christians in the film), or just people in general, they really are stupid. It's how we get things like religion, and place not just some whimsical desire in them, but a devout belief, a serious conviction of some entity that is displeased by earthly decadence. Hence the crux of the story in "Agora". We have the absolute mind numbed moronic thinking of the masses verse the practicality of those who know they do not know everything, but have a thirst for knowledge, and to share that knowing with others so that they can live a life free of fear. But, we see that it is fear that wins out. Not reason. Not logic applied to a simple problem with a simple solution. But pure, unmitigated fear. Everyone from the heads of state, the heads of religions, the heads of mobs, the heads of any social entity in Roman Imperial Egypt is gripped by fear. Knowledge. Reason. Logic. Understanding. Education. Those are the true weapons that can assail the most ardent of foes. But fear is primal, and infects everyone and everything like a plague spread by rats. The notion of imaginary beings who, in spite of being all powerful and all knowing, are vested in a patch of desert and how its human female population dresses should be a warning sign. Does this not sound familiar? We have the same concerns today, and although codified and addressed by legislation for local morays, and investigated and codified by alleged behavioral experts, people are still pretty touchy about anything remotely informative that doesn't gybe with their ideals: as a for instance; sex in this case. Hypatia thinks like a man, despite her sexual makeup. She is the one who calls reason, as any good leader or scientist would. The rest merely cower to the polity dominating the social terrain. But she is optimistic. Even so, the times tragically overwhelm her. The story of Hypatia has been somewhat elongated, no doubt for dramatic effect. Regardless, it's a good watch. Buy yourself a ticket, or grab the DVD when it comes out. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy! :-)
More historical reconstruction than drama as such
The parts that were historical reconstruction were good, where they invented characters and drama it was weaker. It's good that this story has been told in a surprisingly historically-accurate way. On questions of historical accuracy, and correcting inaccuracies that other reviewers have said about the film: -Some people have falsely said there were no positive Christian characters in the film. There are very many. Of the main characters, there are more positive Christians than negative. Certain people seem to think that any negative statement about any Christian must be historically false and biased. Some reviewers actually said that Orestes in this film was a pagan: he was a Christian, just one who did not persecute others: does that disqualify him from Jesus's grace? The historical Orestes was a tolerant Christian, just as in the film. -Yes, the story is remarkably true to the historical record: read Socrates Scholasticus (a liberal Orestes-type Christian). Yes, Cyril and the Parabolani did exist, just as described: yes, the fanatics were opposed to philosophy and "pagan" science. If anything, they were considerably more extreme than shown in this film. Sozomen, a cheerful "Cyril"-type Christian historian, talks about the killing of philosophers with great relish. Read Augustine on astronomy and science, and on toleration of dissent. Or Lactantius or Tertullian: "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?", "This is our primary faith: there is nothing we ought to believe besides." Not all Christian leaders and writers were wise and humane. For conservative Christian cosmology, look up Cosmas Indicopleustes (admittedly a hundred years later). The views of Ammonius in the film follow Cosmas. For general background, try Synesius, Ammianus Marcellinus, or Zosimus. -The Library of Alexandria. Wise people judge others on their actions themselves, and not on the affiliations they profess. The library was mentioned up to Hypatia's time, and not mentioned after. Some people try to blame it on Julius Caesar (although Antony later rebuilt it), and then desperately on anyone other than on someone who carries a label they identify with. After the Arabs conquered Egypt, a story was then circulated in Medieval Europe that the Muslims had destroyed it. That one still gets airplay. As far as anyone can tell, Christian mobs destroyed it along with the rest of pagan institutes. Theodosius gave orders in 391-2 to destroy not just the Serapeum, but all pagan temples and worship. -The scene of the Christians distributing bread was good, convincing and historically accurate. Some reviewers have used it to imply that pagans would not do this. It was true at the time. But remember that during the pagan empire there was dole of bread in cities: normally nobody was short of bread. Constantine nullified the urban bread ration with a stiff poll tax. There are many places where the film is bravely historically accurate: even at the cost of risking mass appeal. -Hypatia's chastity. It was brave to have purely intellectual romance without any sex or even kissing. -The religious aspect of her astronomy. -The lack of any modern political correctness for the main characters. Also good was the direct historical reconstruction of key scenes: Cyril's biblical challenge to Orestes over advice from a pagan and a woman, the subsequent physical attack on Orestes, the persecution of the Jews, etc. As for things which actually were historical inaccuracies:
Beautiful film
a really engaging film looking at the clash of Christians & Pagans in 4th Century Roman AD. The loss of ancient knowledge and destruction by ignorant violent mobs Hypatia, a female mathematician, philosopher and astronomer in 4th century AD Roman Egypt - a most interesting historical character. & the important of tolerance and asking questions, the pursuit of knowledge. beautifully shot film as well, a window of a lost society. I love Ancient History & was nice to see it brought to the screen. just tragic the destruction of ancient knowledge by stupid mobs whipped up by crazy zealots just makes you wonder with the collapse of the Roman empire how much ancient knowledge was destroyed
A necessary movie.
I am so glad this movie was made and released is Spain, where the Catholic church still retains its grip on society. Other reviews have complained about this movie's lack of plot -- they miss the whole point. What this movie shows is what people were like in that time -- how ignorance and dogma ruled people's lives and how it caused misery and conflict. But in that fog of dull wits are always people, like Hypatia, who want to see further and understand more. As to the historical nature of what Hypatia herself did, I think the film goes too far. It seems highly unlikely to me that she bridged the gap between Ptolemy and Kepler essentially by herself just thinking about the problem. Prof. George Saliba and others have written extensively on the subject, and the thousand years of analysis primarily by the Arabs was actually necessary for Kepler to finally solve it. But the idea provides very well to the story to show the contrast of one people who spent their lives thinking and those the spent their lives praying, judging and persecuting. The movie does very well in putting religion in its proper place, and exalting science with the kind of devotion of one who is obsessed with it. It provides a comparison of the ultimate sacrifice of oneself to spreading understanding as supposedly Jesus sacrificed himself for the purposes of spreading ignorance and piety (this is not in the movie, but the parallel was so obvious). Hypatia actually achieves something that we all benefit from to this day, while Jesus achieved nothing. This film is exceedingly important in this era when the next generation is not as impressed by dogma, but still falls victim to it.
Extraordinary movie-making at its best.
Alejandro Amenábar's masterpiece is a breathtaking excursion into religious fascism and misogynistic tyranny made special by Rachel Weisz, who probably give one of the best female acting performances in years as a scientist who was light years beyond her generation. Weisz is amazing and her performance is the show and then some. She's back up by Max Minghella, who is a great actor in his own right and Oscar Isaac, who is just as good. The triangle between them in believable and touch by their struggles to find their destinies. Its a moving cinematic piece of art and Alejandro does the story proud in his way of capturing the time of struggles of that time. Far and away, the best film I have seen all year.