Viggen Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Agora is a good movie, but perhaps not for the reasons it wants to be. As a historical piece, it is mixed at best. As a political statement it works well, though with all the subtlety of a blow to the head. As a visual experience, it is glorious. Directed by a Spaniard but with a broader European production crew, it does contain an intelligence and emotional resonance all too often lacking in American made films. Alexandria in Egypt is the second largest city in the Roman Empire, with an outstanding tradition of arts and sciences in the Hellenic tradition. Hypatia is a beautiful but virginal woman. As the daughter of an intellectual, she dedicates her life to mathematics and astronomy. Her school includes both Christians and Pagans (no Jewish students; apparently they prefer their synagogues). She suffers unrequited love from two men: Orestes, a pagan aristocrat who is also her student, and Davus, her man slave.... ...read the full review of Agora (2010) by Alejandro Amen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viggen Posted May 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 ...i really like to congratulate Ursus for this really well written review, beautiful job Ursus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Excellent review, Ursus! As you say, Rachel Weisz is a talented actress and can be forgiven for featuring in silly movies like "The Mummy". For instance, she gives a stunning performance in The Constant Gardener (one of my favourite movies!) for which she received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Thank you for the free copy, Viggen. As always, my pleasure to review it. Aurelia, I'll have to check out that movie, I never saw it. Sounds interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 VERY good review Ursus :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guy Posted May 18, 2011 Report Share Posted May 18, 2011 VERY good review Ursus :thumbsup: I agree! It was very well written. Not wanting to hijack this thread, I found this quote thought provoking: Christianity is most popular with the poor and slaves, giving it the feel of a proletarian uprising against the pagan aristocracy. The quote is why I am among the few who feel that the figure of about 10% of the empire being Christian at the time of Constantine's "conversion" is probably an underestimation. I've written about this point before, but the question remains: "How do we know what the poor, females, and slaves believed since their points of view and beliefs are so poorly documented throughout history?" I think the movie gave some insight behind the potential motivations and beliefs of the poor and dispossessed who embraced the Christian movement. Once again, excellent review: guy also known as gaius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludovicus Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 (edited) Agora is a good movie, but perhaps not for the reasons it wants to be. As a historical piece, it is mixed at best. As a political statement it works well, though with all the subtlety of a blow to the head. As a visual experience, it is glorious. Directed by a Spaniard but with a broader European production crew, it does contain an intelligence and emotional resonance all too often lacking in American made films. Alexandria in Egypt is the second largest city in the Roman Empire, with an outstanding tradition of arts and sciences in the Hellenic tradition. Hypatia is a beautiful but virginal woman. As the daughter of an intellectual, she dedicates her life to mathematics and astronomy. Her school includes both Christians and Pagans (no Jewish students; apparently they prefer their synagogues). She suffers unrequited love from two men: Orestes, a pagan aristocrat who is also her student, and Davus, her man slave.... ...read the full review of Agora (2010) by Alejandro Amen Edited May 22, 2011 by Ludovicus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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