Agora Review
By David Kempler
Not A-bora, But Not Much Morer
Usually, when we see a depiction of what real life must have been like "back then", we walk away thinking that didn't strike us as particularly accurate. The great historical dramas are great because we believe that we have somehow been transported in a time machine and are watching the real events as they unfold. "Agora" is not great but it is not terrible, either.
Alejandro Amenábar attempts to show us Alexandria, in ancient Egypt under Roman rule. It's set after Jesus' arrival and departure on Earth. In the director's vision, the Christians of that era were a bunch of self-important, all-knowing pains-in-the-asses. This makes them exactly like the pagans who did not accept Jesus as their savior. The Jews get off a tiny bit better here but that might be because they are not a major part of the festivities.
Our central character is Hypatia (Rachel Weisz), a lovely and brilliant teacher of the youth in the area. Her passion is science, specifically astronomy. While violence swirls around her, she remains steadfast in her quest for truth and understanding. If I've made her sound oblivious, I don't mean to. She is painfully aware of the idiocy of violence that surrounds her, but her energy is devoted to learning, even at the cost of being able to form a bond with a man.
Two of her ex-students, Orestes (Oscar Isaac), and Davus (Max Minghella), yearn to win the affections of Hypatia but she is not interested. Orestes comes from a well-to-do family and is witty as can be. Davus is a slave, who feels torn between his love for Hypatia and his attraction to the blossoming of Christianity.
The precarious peace of Alexandria is crumbling because of the fractious differences between those who believe in different things. It all falls apart when the Christians and pagans take to the streets, ambushing each other every chance they get. But what will become of our lovely Hypatia? Can she be saved from the violence that surrounds her? Tune in next week. Well, actually there is no next week, so let's concentrate on the present tense where "Agora" takes place. As I stated earlier, it is neither a great film nor a terrible film. It just is.
