I Finally Watched The DaVinci Code

And Syriana and V is for Vendetta and The Merchant of Venice and Walk the Line - ahh the joys of being crippled by exhaustion

A few years ago Dan Brown published a book called The DaVinci Code and it swept through the beach-reading crowd like a fire (or the plague, if you're one of the Vatican types). I never read the book itself but I had read the work from which Brown cribbed his ideas, Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, itself a page turner (by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln).

I have a tendency to reading religious works including several others by Baigent, Franklin, and Leigh (The Holy Place and The Dead Sea Scroll Deception to name two). It's not a fault or serious character flaw, I swear. I never go off on long-winded conversational tangents of a religious nature. But with a subject matter like this, who could blame me if I did? But I don't.

If you haven't read Holy Blood and the Holy Grail or read or seen The DaVinci Code I may accidentally divulge too much information and ruin the suspense for you or the ending (Jesus didn't die on the cross and Opus Dei is hunting down his descendants and killing them, for instance). So, here's a SPOILER ALERT.

Yes, yes. I'm an ass. Perhaps even a friend of Satan, hmmm?

I also have a soft spot for religious films. The Last Temptation of Christ (barely watchable), Pasolini's The Gospel of Saint Matthew (very nice, if a little quiet), the bombastic and highly entertaining Ben Hur, the equally entertaining Moses (although I've conflated the Heston from Moses with the Heston from Bowling for Columbine for a thunderous, "When you pull these 10 commandments from my cold dead fingers"). I recall John Huston's Genesis and story of the Ark (the film is apparently called The Bible but Huston only completed one of the books of the bible - it was the 60s and he should have done a least one more with a psychedlic version of The Book of Ezekiel).

And let's not forget, Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary.

So, I come to The DaVinci Code experienced in the story of the Catholic Church, the history of Christianity, the theories of Baigent et al, and a love of mysteries and whodunits. I think DaVinci's is an excellent film as entertainment. It's well written, very well directed by Ron Howard, excellently well acted, beautifully shot. It's a great film.

However, it's terrible theology and silly history but so was Ben Hur, Moses and Jesus Christ Superstar ("What's the buzz, tell me whatsa happening").

The film's main plot is a scholar from Havard gets embroiled in a murder mystery and tries to stay one step ahead of Opus Dei in the search for The Holy Grail (AKA the tomb of Mary Magdelan). Opus Dei are not above executing those who stand in the way of their search for the Grail. But why do they want to seize it? In order to destroy it, of course. For the Grail holds the DNA of Mary. The DNA could prove that Jesus didn't die on the cross as we long suspected but lived 'til old age and sired children who became the rulers over Europe and thus the whole foundation and premise of the Catholic Church crumbles.

Except it wouldn't because Christianity is more than a literal story. It's a complex history, a mysterious revelation of the spiritual force in all life; it's a way home for millions; an enigmatic portal into eternity. Remove the film's premise and it makes its urgency a little less worth risking one's life for or wasting all that gasoline driving around Europe. Also, if Catholics (and others) can believe in 6000 year old dinosaurs can you really expect them to quake at a few coincidences in DNA patterns. Hmm, no.

Ron Howard's choice of shots in The DaVinci adds considerable depth to the film, allowing several readings of the thoughts and emotions of the film's characters. When they are overwhelmed with the magnitude of their situation they don't have to emote³, gnash teeth, tear their garments, or rub themselves down with ashes; the director helps them. The scriptwriter, Akiva Goldsman, did an excellent job moving the story forward unexpectedly with misdirects and clever dialogue. Although I was annoyed by the film's seeming misunderstanding of the true message of hope, forgiveness and spiritual understanding offered through Christianity the primary emphasize was on the action of running here and there trying to get to the next clue before the blood crazed monk did (or the French police, or the various other players).

I would have to give the film an overall two fluish thumbs up for entertainment but a 'cor blimey - go fack y'selves' for religious relevance (while my neighbour, The Mighty Quinn, is convinced it's all true).

xoxo

M

PS: Merry Christmas! Lotsa love for you and yours!