The sun is shining and I’ve just left an early screening of ‘Agora’, Alejandro Amenábar’s Epic film of religious questioning. It had every ingredient of a future Bank Holiday TV movie and is sure to be repeated as often as ‘Ben Hur’ or ‘El Cid’ in 30 years. In every respect it’s an absolute delight. Yes it’s long, but it’s a classic epic, though I expect there to be a considerable backlash from certain religious groups when it goes on release.

Set against the fall of the Roman Empire in Egypt, and a powerful allegory for our oft disturbing times, Agora tells an imagined personal history of the Roman philosopher Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) as she attempts (1200 years early) to subvert Ptolemy and prove that the Earth rotates around the sun. Desiring her affections, yet unable to tempt her away from her theorising, are her slave Davus, a Christian torn between his unrequited love and the prospect of freedom Christianity brings, and Orestes, a brother in her philosophy class and later prefect of the falling province.

Her rational atheism and questioning nature result in her being branded a witch by the rising power of the increasingly bloodthirsty church, and both men go to considerable trouble to attempt to protect her. The film is unrelentingly violent, but never gratiutious. I doubt the raving anti-semitism and anti-paganism exhibited by the so-called early Christians here will be well recieved by all, but it’s certainly a poignant reminder of the blood shed by man through the ages by competiting religious doctrines.

The scale and breadth of this movie is unbelievable. Phenomenal cinematography, costume design and locations, a thankful lack of the glaringly obvious CG that has plagued recent attempts at such Epic films (e.g. Gladiator’s Amphitheatre crowds) and beautifully unnoticable and well paced editing (despite the film’s 2h20min length) combined with excellent performances from the films trio of Weisz, Max Minghella and Oscar Isaac produce a film that is a delight to watch from start to finish.

It’ll be interesting to see the reaction after tonight’s evening performance. I would be there myself but it’s getting increasingly difficult to get evening tickets and after queuing for 45 mins for Ang Lee’s ‘Taking Woodstock’ last night only to not get in, I’m not taking chances without having a shiny silver invitation!

More updates soon…

Gwyn.