Consolations of Philosophy

Agora (2009) has been on my list for a while - it seemed to be very 'for me'. A period drama set in late Antiquity, starring Rachel Weisz as famed teacher, philosopher, mathematician and female role model Hypatia. But I was pretty sure Ms. Spenser wouldn't care for it. So when she was busy, I put it on.

It is set in 5th-century Alexandria, a part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Hypatia (Weisz) is the daughter of influential scholar Theon (Michael Lonsdale). She runs a school of philosophy, where she teaches math, astronomy, and the principle that all persons are equal. One of her students is Orestes (Oscar Isaacs), the handsome and talented son of a wealthy family. He frequently professes his love for Hypatia. To discourage him, she "gifts" him with a handkerchief soaked in her menstrual blood. Another student is Davus (Max Minghella), a slave in Hypatia's household. Although she works him as a slave, she treats him as an equal in the classroom, and encourages his scientific research. He is also in love with her, although he keeps it quiet.

Alexandria is going through changes, with Christianity becoming stronger. A fanatical Christian rabble-rouser, Ashraf Barhom, begins riling up mobs against the pagan gods. When the elders of the city, like Theon, resist, the mobs attack them. Davus gets caught up in the religious fervor, to the point that he rebels against his master, screaming, "I am a Christian!" as he stabs Theon.

And so it goes. One of Hypatia's other students, Synesius (Rupert Evans), advances in the Christian hierarchy, to become bishop of Cyrene. He is an open-minded, diplomatic sort. But the more rabid and intolerant type of Christians gain more and more power in Alexandria. But Hypatia seems more interested in the motions of the planets than in the foment in her city - and certainly more than in the men who are in love with her.

I went into this expecting a strange sort of movie - small and philosophical. I feel like I got what I expected. The setting was lush and exotic, a mix of Greek, Roman and Egyptian buildings, clothing and mores. (Historical realism level: so-so.) The actors are first-rate. But considering the amount of actual blood, the story seems somewhat bloodless - maybe due to Hypatia's philosophical stoicism. The story of violent Christianity vs. decadent paganism vs. nascent science is interesting, but doesn't get the blood boiling. Even Davus' somewhat kinky fixation on his mistress (timidly reaching out to touch her foot when she is sleeping, later attempting to force himslef on her) is observed, but not dealt with.

I choose to believe that this was director Alejandro Amenabar's intention - to show us all of this at a distance. He often pulls the camera back to show the blue globe of the Earth floating in space, and at the end lets us knmow that one thing all of these people have in common: They are all now long dead. It's an interesting choice - not one that I expect to be popular, but I'm glad I got to enjoy it.

In conclusion. we know almost nothing about the historical Hypatia. Who can say how true any of this is?