‘’There are more things that unite us than divide us’’ says Rachel Weisz / Hypatia, teacher of philosophy/science, trying to convince all her students, and especially to Oscar Isaacs / Orestes, future Roman prefect, and Rupert Evans/Synesius, future Christian bishop, in an early scene of the movie. 

That moment encapsulates what Agora, a English-speaking Spanish movie released in 2009, is all about. 

Back in the late 2000’s, Alejandro Amenabar, talented Spanish director (Abre los Ojos; the Others; Mar Adentro), wanted to do a movie about science and astronomy. He knew it would be challenging; he’d have to find the right story, the right angle, so that his movie wouldn’t become neither too complex, nor too boring. “`

After some research, he learnt about Hypatia of Alexandria, philosopher/astronomer who lived in the 4^th Century, at a time when a new religion, Christianity, sees its power becoming a threat to the Old Roman Empire. Amenabar, right away, knew there was something in her story worth making a movie… 

The 4^th Century is the beginning of the end for the Roman Empire: constant threats of invasion by Germanic tribes; people/subjects starting to question the authority of the Roman Empire, specially in the provinces far from Rome (like Alexandria) … This period of turmoil is perfect for a new religion, born only approximately 300 years before, to get an increasing influence over the general population of the Empire. 

Agora is set in this period of turmoil, and focuses on four characters; and each one of them represent a social class and/or an ideology: 

Hypatia, a philosopher and teacher of science (specially astronomy); she is an inspiring, smart and independent woman, who believes in one thing and one thing only: philosophy (best career performance by Weisz by the way)  Orestes, one of Hypatia’s students; a cocky, charismatic Roman, who is destined to great things in the Empire; he’s in love with Hypatia; she is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. He will quickly realize that his political power is incompatible with his love for his teacher/friend. Synesius, another one of Hypatia’s students; a devoted Christian, who will eventually make a choice between his admiration and respect to Hypatia, and his faith 

Davus (played by Max Minghella), Hipatia’s slave; a smart man with no hope for his future; until he meets someone (a Christian preacher) who will introduce him to Christianity , a religion and a movement that can give him everything he always wanted. 

He too will have to choose between Hypatia, his faith, and his own survival. 

Their fates are intertwined: all 3 men were gravitating around Hypatia when they were young. But as they grow up, they change, and the world around them changes as well 

In the first half of the movie, the political and social situation of Alexandria is kind of stable: there is only one ruler, the Roman Empire, which monitors the increasing influence of Christianity among its subjects. The Roman Empire is the symbol of Ancient History, of paganism. The rule in Alexandria is that the Great Library is almost ‘’sacred’’, because it is where all the knowledge of Ancient History (like Greek history) is gathered. 

But radical Christian groups get more and more violent. And the number of their followers keep increasing. 

Hypatia and all the philosophers in the Library represent everything the radical Christian groups would hate: the philosophers question the world around them, constantly. Unlike Christians, who only need to follow the words of God. 

There is a great scene later in the movie between Synesius, now a bishop, and Hypatia. She tells him that he doesn’t/cannot question his beliefs. And she says she must question hers. 

And during all those times, Hypatia remains the symbol of tolerance, peace, knowledge. So many times, in the movie, while you see through the eyes of Davus (the slave) the rise of religious obscurantism; on the other side, we have amazing, inspiring scenes where we see Hypatia continue her research. 

Her main goal has always been to understand the movement of the planets. Remember that, back then, the Earth is supposed to be in the middle of the Universe. Hypatia knows that this is wrong (but expressing her opinion when Christians are around could cost her life) 

There are specially two amazing scenes. The first one is when Hypatia and the philosophers, after running away from the Christian mob, are on the stairs of some temple, in the outskirts of the city, in the middle of the night. They observe the stars, and they talk about astronomy. About the heliocentric model. The direction and the score make that scene truly beautiful: we are witnessing human beings trying to solve the mysteries of the universe, with ideas so much in advance of their time. 

Later, in another scene, Hypatia, finally, with the help of one of her servants, understand that a heliocentric model could only be possible if planets move in ellipses, not in circles. 

As a viewer from the 21^st century, those ideas seem pretty ‘’obvious’’. But remember that those events are set in the 4^th century. Nicolaus Copernicus will be born  1100 years later; Galileo Galilei more than 1200 years later… What they all have in common – Hypatia, Galileo, … – is that they all had to believe in science and their own research in a world where doing scientific research was a crime (sometimes punishable by death) 

I personally admire scientists who are curious about the world around them. In Agora, Amenabar clearly pays homage to science, and its 2000 years battle against religious obscurantism, and its quest for truth. 

To be fair, Agora is not a movie that is saying ‘’religion is bad’’; it is not a movie made to anger Christians. There are a couple of great scenes that show how religion is such an important and beautiful thing for a lot of people, specially people who are desperate and/or poor.  

Amenabar, a few times in the movie, does very big wide shots, where people look like ants on Earth. To show how small and ignorant we all are. Although this movie is clearly a love letter to Hypatia, to science, to Reason, there is also message in the subtext: we all want to know the meaning of life, of our presence on Earth.  

Amenabar, more than saying that only scientists are the ones who get all the answers, is trying to show that what matters the most is always questioning what you’re being told. It doesn’t matter if you’re a religious person or not. Don’t be blinded by your faith. In the end, religion and science had always had the same goal: the quest for truth. 

And even if a minority of religious fanatics still exist, the relationship between religion and science has got better since the Renaissance. Because more people understand now that open-mindedness and tolerance are more important than ever if we want to be able to live together. 

Remember: ‘’There are more things that unite us than divide us’’ 

The messages and teachings of philosophers like Hypatia still resonate today.