Ralph R
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.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
12/07/24
Full Review
Carson P
Terrible movie, just as most religious movies are, another terrible performance from Rachel weisz can’t believe she still gets payed to star in films her acting is so godawful I litteraly wanted to hit someone!!
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
08/18/24
Full Review
Celtic R
The story of Hypatia is one of the great stories from the ancient world. Like some of the other stories about ancient religion and philosophy, the tale has been interpreted, and reinterpreted, and twisted around, and "improved" by factions that have something to sell. This movie has its faults. Historians have made their complaints. Still, the movie introduces one of the great women in intellectual history and it raises important questions about coexistence, government, education, and other topics that need attention in the 21st century. Some thinking will be required. If you're searching for easy answers and entertainment, this is not a movie that you'll enjoy. If you're trying to understand how and why today's bigotry started, it's a film that will be helpful.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
10/02/23
Full Review
Andy L
Such a thought provoking and beautiful film. Even though there are some rather large inaccuracies, it captivates the upheaval and thrill of the time. I love the aerial shots and how they set the tone for you to simply observe a the world that we are simultaneously from and not from (our planet and the world we inherited and inhabit but in a different time). It's interesting how the arena is the same. A very thought provoking film.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
07/31/23
Full Review
Nicolas S
Splendide.
A movie who need to be study in colege and school.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
06/07/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A superb movie about religious intolerance -- Finally, a movie has been made that shows the loss of freedom of inquiry and of religious belief that took place in the late 4th Century early 5th Century C.E. (Common Era) as Christian fundamentalists took political power. We see how these fanatics ruthlessly attacked pagans, Jews, and secular philosophers who didn't follow the "true religion." The movie focuses well on the historical events that occurred in Alexandria, Egypt, at that time with brief mentions of what's going on in the rest of the Roman world, such as the edicts from the emperor. Rachel Weisz is brilliant as Hypatia.
The movie is also a great reminder of what happens when religious fundamentalists have their way. No freedom of religious belief or inquiry existed for hundreds of years in Europe while Christian clerics were in control. But we need only look at events today in Saudi Arabia and anywhere else in the Islamic world where Sharia law has been imposed to see the barbarism that unfolds. In Afghanistan, women are beaten or even executed for being outside alone or for getting an education. When the Taliban ruled the country in the 1990s, they also suppressed the teaching of math and science, and tried to wipe out the country's history through the destruction of records, films, and monuments. In Saudi Arabia, rape victims are whipped.
I'm sure there are some Christians who are uncomfortable with this movie's reminder about Christianity's early history. Fundamentalist leaders like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham denounce the spread of Islam through conquest in the 7th and 8th Centuries. Yet they turn a blind eye to the tyranny and loss of freedom that occurred when Christians gained political power in the late Roman era.
Agora is quite a change from the old movies from the 1950s that had a religious overtone. Several of them, such as The Robe, Quo Vadis, and Samson and Delilah, depicted all pagans or anybody who isn't a Jew or Christian as morally depraved and decadent. Christians were always portrayed as good and pure. The focus was only on biblical-related stories that ignored the world outside the Bible. As far as they were concerned, nothing good came from pagan Egypt, Greece or Rome. Fortunately, movies of that nature aren't being made much anymore or are bombs at the box office.
It's a shame that Agora did not get much advertisement in the United States. In the Washington, DC area, it was shown at only two theaters. I only found out about it from an email list I'm on.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
Full Review
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