First, I have to applaud the producers of this movie for daring to go into unfamiliar territory. It is exceedingly rare to see historical movies from the ancient era, especially the 4th and 5th centuries. The movie's production values were superb and the tone of the movie was serious. The story does seem a little choppy at times (it actually is two stories in one) but the movie never fails to engross us.
Unfortunately, the message of the movie was far from subtle and I must proclaim gratuitously anti-religious. Already I can see atheists puffing out their chests and declaring religion as poison. They should also look at themselves in the mirror because such talk is dangerous, and can lead to more of the intolerance this movie is ostensibly decrying.
Intolerance is cyclical: those on top eventually find themselves the victim and vice versa. The Pagans start the bloodshed in this movie and for over 200 years mercilessly killed Christians with impunity, often as a form of entertainment. Now the Christians have the power and it is payback. Yet intolerance and violence is not religion - one need have no beliefs at all to be a murderer - and the real purpose of religion is to transcend one's ego, not increase it.
Now, let's set the record straight. Hypatia was NO atheist but a Neoplatonist. She was not a materialist or iconoclast like atheists today. She had deep-felt beliefs but they were decidedly more philosophical and metaphysical. Nor was she a hedonist and actually remained a virgin, as this movie implies. I am certain that Hypatia, were she alive today, would be disgusted by atheism which believes in absolutely nothing.
Second, I am highly skeptical that Christians were dressed like Taliban and that they were salivating, blood-thirsty barbarians. To be fair, the movie depicts pagans, Jews, and Christians as all intolerant and murderous but in the end the Christians with their black clothes and philistine attacks on culture and learning was a bit too much and felt unbalanced.
Now, intolerance to other faiths was certainly a reality. Neoplatonism itself would be outlawed within a century of this time period when Emperor Justinian closed all the pagan schools and the pagans had ruthlessly murdered thousands of Christians with impunity for a good two centuries. I'm not sure about the Jews but I'm sure they were not innocent either (nor were they in this movie).
Little is known about Hypatia's teachings. She is a very minor character in the history of philosophy, even Neoplatonism, but she will always be remembered for two reasons: she was a woman and she was martyred.
Unfortunately, the message of the movie was far from subtle and I must proclaim gratuitously anti-religious. Already I can see atheists puffing out their chests and declaring religion as poison. They should also look at themselves in the mirror because such talk is dangerous, and can lead to more of the intolerance this movie is ostensibly decrying.
Intolerance is cyclical: those on top eventually find themselves the victim and vice versa. The Pagans start the bloodshed in this movie and for over 200 years mercilessly killed Christians with impunity, often as a form of entertainment. Now the Christians have the power and it is payback. Yet intolerance and violence is not religion - one need have no beliefs at all to be a murderer - and the real purpose of religion is to transcend one's ego, not increase it.
Now, let's set the record straight. Hypatia was NO atheist but a Neoplatonist. She was not a materialist or iconoclast like atheists today. She had deep-felt beliefs but they were decidedly more philosophical and metaphysical. Nor was she a hedonist and actually remained a virgin, as this movie implies. I am certain that Hypatia, were she alive today, would be disgusted by atheism which believes in absolutely nothing.
Second, I am highly skeptical that Christians were dressed like Taliban and that they were salivating, blood-thirsty barbarians. To be fair, the movie depicts pagans, Jews, and Christians as all intolerant and murderous but in the end the Christians with their black clothes and philistine attacks on culture and learning was a bit too much and felt unbalanced.
Now, intolerance to other faiths was certainly a reality. Neoplatonism itself would be outlawed within a century of this time period when Emperor Justinian closed all the pagan schools and the pagans had ruthlessly murdered thousands of Christians with impunity for a good two centuries. I'm not sure about the Jews but I'm sure they were not innocent either (nor were they in this movie).
Little is known about Hypatia's teachings. She is a very minor character in the history of philosophy, even Neoplatonism, but she will always be remembered for two reasons: she was a woman and she was martyred.