Directed by:
Alejandro AmenábarCinematography:
Xavi GiménezComposer:
Dario MarianelliCast:
Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar Isaac, Ashraf Barhom, Michael Lonsdale, Rupert Evans, Homayoun Ershadi, Richard Durden, Yousef 'Joe' Sweid, George Harris (more)Plots(1)
4th century A.D. Egypt under the Roman Empire… Violent religious upheaval in the streets of Alexandria spills over into the city’s famous Library. Trapped inside its walls, the brilliant astronomer Hypatia and her disciples fight to save the wisdom of the Ancient World… Among them, the two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes and Davus, Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians. (Transmission Films)
(more)Reviews (11)
On the one hand, I'm tired of a lot of movies taking place around the year 0, and Caesar or Jesus is at least mentioned everywhere. I was hoping for something completely different when they managed to make something set in 391 A.D., but in the end, it's just another old familiar clash on the theme of Quo Vadis - where do you go with Christianity now that religion is allowed? Unfortunately, the parallels with medieval obscurantism are many, and the story of Hypatia is as hopeless as Witchhammer. Maybe this is the way it was meant to be, but formally it's not that great, and aside from Rachel Weisz, there aren't any great actors to attract my empathy.
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The course of history sometimes takes sad directions, where in certain situations we have to wait 1,200 years to rediscover things. And yet, even after so many experiences, we are not able to think better of it and learn. This is a producer suicide and one mirror elegantly set to today’s Islam on how faith, so necessary for many, can easily be swept down a path of fanaticism that knows no bounds, nor respect.
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Quite possibly the best film by Alejandro Amenábar and a great serving of history from ancient Alexandria with the beautiful Rachel Weisz to boot. Very nicely shot, with some gritty scenes of people being stoned alive, nicely narrated, clearly told and rich in religion. There aren't many great historical films and I appreciate every one. Great. 85%.
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A beautiful historical film set in late antiquity Alexandria, featuring my beloved Rachel Weisz. The quality was a very pleasant surprise and the courage to show certain things full-on was also a shock. The world is still full of lunatics and if I were the godless Amenábar, I’d watch out very carefully for any stone flying in my direction.
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The story is almost timeless and definitely manages to captivate, the setting is grandiose, and the actors, led by the beautiful (Miss Teacher) Rachel Weisz and the fanatical Ashraf Barhom are very good. Amenábar is good at telling stories, and despite sometimes trying too hard to manipulate situations to reflect current problems, he navigates the story with a firm hand. I really appreciated that the sub-plot was devoted to exploring the universe (thanks to that we have breathtaking footage from space) and one of the most remarkable libraries of the ancient world.
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Gallery (200)
Photo © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
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