MovieChat Forums > Agora (2009) Discussion > I hoped to see more of the Alexandria li...

I hoped to see more of the Alexandria lighthouse

posted 9 years ago by henrimaine
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I expected this film to take the opportunity to recreate the great Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the world. But we only got brief shots of it from the distance and one shot of the top of the lighthouse. Did the filmmakers not have the budget to do the lighthouse properly? Or was it a deliberate decision to avoid falling into "visual spectacle"?

Actually, the film was still rather impressive visually. But I think it would have benefited if they had included the lighthouse into the story, somehow.

Classic movie Cleopatra (1963) included a shot of the lighthouse from the distance. I don't know any other appearances of that lighthouse in cinema.

[–] Clusium 9 years ago

If you want to see the Lighthouse, watch Decline of an Empire, which was about St. Catherine of Alexandria, & about Constantine, before he became Emperor.

Totus Tuus O Maria!!! Totus Tuus O Jesu!!!!

[–] kaskait 9 years ago

I don't think the film had that kind of money to do a whole CGI sequence of the Lighthouse. But I have to say the film looked gorgeous. It really captured the time and the look. It was also a perfect mix of CGI and practical effects.

It's too bad that the story itself (Hypatia's murder due to religion) prevented it from better notice.