06-04-2010, 07:52 AM
Quote:Because of the usual film-makers warping of history? Exaggeration of the dichotomy?.....They really tried to present history as it must have been. OK, there are exceptionally ridiculous Roman soldiers and Synesius -who was never a really devout Christian- is presented inocrrectly, but that's not really important; it's a movie, and sometimes you must adapt things. Nor can it be said that the dichotomy between science and religious life/intolerance was too black-white. Hypatia insults a slave and you understand how men must have felt offended; on the same time, you can understand why those believers became less and less tolerant. Finally, it is simply untrue that the Christians are the bad guys, although some of them certainly are; but the ones who use violence first are -historically correct- the pagans, and the final catastrophe is introduced by Jewish excess violence.
No, the problem is that all subtlety is gone. At some point, shortly before the end of the movie, Hypatia makes an important scientific discovery. The way it is presented, with the music becoming pathetic and loud, is completely unconvincing. I do not know what it is, but movie makers always exaggerate. Compare that Gaugamela scene in Oliver Stone's Alexander. If only the music and that silly eagle would have been absent, it might have been a lot better.
