http://www.dailyscrawl.com/agora
History
While many of the details are wrong, I found that the most unbelievable parts of this film were true to history. There’s a very strange scene involving a bloody rag that’s more-or-less true (the receiver of the rag is not known).
The open, appalling violence in the film is hard to swallow, yet Socrates said of Alexandria, it “is more delighted with tumult than any other people: and if at any time it should find a pretext, breaks forth into the most intolerable excesses; for it never ceases from its turbulence without bloodshed.”
Hypatia’s tragic story is true and somewhat accurate. Very few details of her life is known, but the facts in Agora are true to history in the general sense,with two glaring exceptions: She was most likely around 60 when she died, and there’s no evidence that she was on the verge of any monumental discovery. The film also appears to depict her as being more-or-less without religion, yet in fact she was a pagan.
The destruction of the library is a little confusing, historically speaking. Is it supposed to be the Great Library of Alexandria, or one of the city’s smaller libraries? From the movie’s depiction it would appear to be one of the smaller cities, making it historically accurate. Unfortunately, the film’s promotional material—and director himself—may be confused, because they both refer to it as Alexandria’s Great Library. My guess would be that the film’s historical consultants were successful in straightening out the film, but not so successful in educating the filmmakers.
Just shedding some clarity before it becomes a leaping point toward how much belief has halted scientific progress ;). I really enjoyed the movie, personally.
Zid, I haven't watched your video yet. When I do, I'll get back to you.
Peace,
tammy