Agora Research Paper

As a filmmaker, I am very keen on movies. Though, we could say that about most of this generation and the arts, but I am also interested in history paired with movies. Are they ever accurate, or are they just made to be flashy images to reminisce of times past? Certainly no film depicting history can be one hundred percent right on. Unless they are a documentary, a Hollywood or even Independent film are there to entertain us, not necessarily educate us. Despite this, some facts seep through the edges, and truly open our minds to something that we didn’t know before. The term agora is an Ancient Greek term defined as “a public open space used for assemblies and markets.” “Agora” is a film surrounding the female philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer Hypatia of Alexandria in Roman Egypt, 391 AD. She teaches a class her theories, all the while dismissing the romantic advances of one of her students, Orestes.
Her theories and beliefs go against the Christians, and they decide that she is a witch. A mob overtakes her, despite her former slave Davus trying to warn her, and they capture her. They decide they are going to stone her. Everyone goes to collect stones to throw at her, and to spare her a most painful death, Davus suffocates her. When the Christians return, he claims she has fainted, and they begin to stone her. Many films that are made about historical events, are changed to fit the director’s vision. Something that they would claim is more “entertaining” than what truly happened, or if they don’t know what happens, they make it up. “Agora” is one of those films that in the first look, doesn’t seem to be changed to fit anyone’s idealized perception of history, such as representing the Christians or pagans as a certain way. “Good guys” versus “bad guys” was not a theme apparent. It was as if all the people had both good and bad in