Most movies about the Roman Empire are unsubstantial, entertaining in the best cases. Have a look at the titles produced in Hollywood recently and you will see what I am talking about. We do not have many movies that offer an intimate study of a brilliant female intellectual. We do not have many movies in which women are treated with respect or not presented subordinated to men. However, Agora does just that - the contrary.
This is a movie about the decadence of Rome not about the Roman Empire. The movie shows with great easiness and without lecturing, the decadence of the Roman Empire, and the processes of conversion of pagan societies into Christianity.
This is a movie about Early Christians, but not the victimised heroes that we are usually presented with in old Hollywood and European films.
This is a movie about a woman who was intellectually respected and revered by men, a woman who preached by example and was true to herself until the last moments of her life.
This is a movie about an epic quest for knowledge and understanding, not about epic battles.
This is a movie about ideas not about special effects.
This is a movie against fundamentalism, dogmatism, intolerance, ignorance and irrationality, about the necessity of Philosophy and Science to advance and build a better world. The movie shows that mobs are never right or understanding, just a bunch of stupid animals, even if the principles that brought them together are valid in essence and origin.
Rachel Weiz really shines in this movie, despite the Mathematics of it! She looks beautiful beyond words. Most importantly, she wholeheartedly embraces her character and portrays Hypatia with talent, class and conviction. Oscar Isaac also offers a heartfelt convincing performance as Prefect Orestes, as well as Michael Lonsdale as Hypatia's father Theon. I had a mix of feelings regarding Max Minghella's performance as freed slave Davus, whose dramatic intensity I considered overbearing at times. The same can be said of some of the actors playing the fanatic Christian characters in the movie.
The digital reconstruction of Alexandria is beautiful and realistic. Malta Landscapes beautiful. The sets, the lighting, the colours, the dresses, the actors' characterisation, the mood and cinematography of the films are all wonderful.
Agora has also some flaws. 1/ Firstly, that it is a little too long and slow-paced. 2/ Secondly, all the explanatory texts that link different periods in the movie are too long and distracting, and very TV-series-ish; I agree that the viewer needs of some historical contextualisation, but I am not sure that this was the best way to do it. 3/ Thirdly, although the space-to-earth shots showing the roundness of Earth before falling onto Alexandria are relevant to Hypatia's quest about the shape and movement of Earth, they are unnecessarily repetitive, and a final single scene with this would have sufficed and served as a modern thoughtful epilogue. 4/ Finally, the movie has historical inaccuracies, artistic licences that can be taken by the word by many viewers; still, this happens in almost any American historical movie and nobody seems to care, perhaps because they are sugar-coated and more easily digested.
The depiction of the Christian mobs made Agora unmarketable in the American market, where Christian fundamentalism has power, and the movie had a very limited release. Christian fundamentalist groups all over the world, infused in their own dogmatism, were unable to see beyond the obvious and publicly complained about the film.
Agora is, despite its flaws, a great movie with good acting, magnificent atmosphere, a powerful message, and a big heart. If you are looking for just entertainment, battles, action, and erotic moments in the Roman Empire this film is not for you. Still, there are hundred reasons to watch this movie, especially if you are seeking for something different to feed your mind.
