Da Vinci Hoax Blog

How is the movie different from the novel?

I've been meaning to write a bit on this question, but have been spared some of the time and effort by Greg Wright, who wrote this short but insightful review of TDVC movie when it first came out (oh so many days ago). Wright (who is not a Catholic, btw) observed the following:

Earlier today, MSNBC carried an AP story which reported that Ron Howard's movie "subtly softens" the material of Dan Brown's book. The Associated Press couldn't have it more wrong.

Yes, Tom Hanks' Robert Langdon does find some new dialogue in his mouth courtesy of screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, words that at least play devil's advocate with Ian McKellen's Leigh Teabing. But in the end, the cinematic Langdon becomes much more of a true believer than does his literary counterpart.

Three major innovations introduced by Howard's movie:

First, his film portrays Opus Dei and the "shadow council" of the Vatican as really being in cahoots, really conspiring to kill people in the name of God, really trying to supress intellectual inquiry, really turning its back on truth and righteousness. In short, Ron Howard turns the Catholic Church into a genuine villain. Shameful.

Second, the movie further fabricates ancient history, making the charge that history is unclear whether the Roman Empire or the Christians were the first agressors. Please!

Third, and most importantly, the film invests significant energy in validating the Magdalene myth. While in Brown's book Marie Chauvel basically leaves the existence of the Sangreal documents and Magdalene's bones to the world's imagination, Howard has Langdon and Neveu discover plenty of material evidence to back up the claim.

Where's the mystery that feeds the soul? Where's the adventure? You'll have to find it in the book, I'm afraid. There's no codebreaking here, just polemic.

These are excellent points — but they were missed (or ignored) by most other reviewers of the movie. For many reviewers, the unforgiveable sin of Howard's flick is that it is ponderous, boring, silly. But Wright is absolutely correct that movie, just like the novel, is much more about polemics than storytelling. Which is one reason the storytelling is so ponderous, boring, silly. Which, happily, blunts some of the polemics, but hardly exonerates the filmmakers from going to such lengths to disdainfully (or is it "dis-Dan-fully"?) attack the Catholicism, historical fact, and commonsense.

TDVC Movie: A Bungled (But Influential) Hate Crime

Here is a great review of the cinematic version of the Coded Craziness, written by Rev. Paul W. McNellis, S.J., an assistant adjunct professor of philosophy at Boston College. Excerpts:

Though thoroughly anti-Christian, it is such a bad movie it can’t even get the bigotry right. ...

Nevertheless, the movie pulls off what I would have thought was next to impossible: it is both  mind-numbingly boring and stridently anti-Christian. ...

As for recognizing blasphemy, we hear the objection, “But it’s only fiction.” Would the same defense be offered if Hollywood produced The Protocols of the Elders of Zion or The Satanic Verses? Furthermore, if Ron Howard had wanted to make a fast-paced murder mystery, there are many scenes he could have cut, all to the movie’s advantage. Scenes of a deranged, nude, sadomasochistic “monk” praying before a crucifix as preparatory to committing murder, intentionally mock Christian faith, and Ron Howard’s decision to include them shows that he shares Dan Brown’s contempt for Christianity. Any normal Christian would be offended. That many will not be offended is an indication of the extent to which our society has become post-Christian. ...

And the coup de grace:

A society incapable of recognizing blasphemy against the God that 80% of its citizens claim to worship, is a post-Christian society lacking self-respect. Those without self-respect will be incapable of seeing why their fellow citizens deserve respect. Such a society becomes capable of believing and tolerating almost anything if it contributes to comfort and demands no sacrifice. This is not a mark of sophistication or virtue; it’s evidence of profound decadence.

Sandra and I are interviewed by Ankle Biting Pundits

The interview can be read here.

U.S. News & World Report cracks TDVC with some help from...

... The Da Vinci Hoax. The May 22, 2006, feature article, "Debating Da Vinci," was written by Jeffery L. Sheler, who quotes from our book a couple of times in the course of addressing some of TDVC's main assertions. Entire article is available online here.

Meeting The Real Mary Magdalene | An Interview with Amy Welborn | May 12, 2006

Meeting The Real Mary Magdalene | An Interview with Amy Welborn | May 12, 2006

Amy Welborn is a prolific author and widely read blogger. She holds an MA in Church History from Vanderbilt University and has taught theology in Catholic high schools, and served as a parish Director of Religious Education.

Her writings have appeared in many periodicals, including First Things, Commonweal,Writer's Digest, Liguorian, Catholic Digest and Catholic Parent. Her books include the Prove It series, The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints, The Loyola Kids' Book of Heroes, and Here. Now. Two of her most recent books are De-Coding Da Vinci and De-Coding Mary Magdalene, both published by Our Sunday Visitor.

IgnatiusInsight.com recently spoke to Welborn about her books addressing the claims of The Da Vinci Code, especially the many assertions made about Mary Magdalene.

Continue reading...

Is TDVC "just a novel"? No way, says the Chicago Tribune

Back in 2003, the winner of the Most Gushing, Over-The-Top Review of The Da Vinci Code was probably the one written for The Chicago Tribune. It stated, in part, that Dan Brown's fourth novel is:

A thundering, tantalizing, extremely smart fun ride. ... Brown doesn't slow down his tremendously powerful narrative engine despite transmitting several doctorates' worth of fascinating history and learned speculation, "The Da Vinci Code" is brain candy of the highest quality -- which is a reviewer's code meaning, ''Put this on top of your pile.''

Wow — several doctorates' worth of fascinating history and learned speculation. And to think that I keep getting lectured about TDVC being just a silly novel (since, as you might know, Christians aren't as smart as librarians). So, has the Tribune lightened up on the PhD talk? Not at all, as this May 27, 2006 column demonstrates:

But why is "The Da Vinci Code" such a hit? What accounts for its sensational success?
 
Never content simply to observe a phenomenon from an envious distance, we've gone where angels fear to tread: into the heart of the "The Da Vinci Code" to explicate its irresistible appeal. And we've enlisted other scribes to help us solve the mystery.
 
"It is the inhalable book," declares Donna Seaman, associate editor of Booklist and author of "Writers on the Air: Conversations About Books" (2005). "Everything about it is so charming."
 
And so flattering: As Seaman notes, readers feel smart because often they're figuring out the clues before the book's characters do. "Dan Brown tricks people into thinking they're getting an education. It's `cultural history lite.' People feel they're benefiting."
 
Aside from the fact that its fans can claim honorary doctoral degrees in ecclesiastical history, how else does "The Da Vinci Code" weave its magic spell?

The column then goes on to briefly note the novel's use of puzzles/codes (challenging for those under the age of four), artwork, "enticing characters" (!?), clever cliffhangers, and sex:

OO-LA-LA!: It's a fact: Sex sells. Most popular novels have a goodly share of hot and heavy action. Brown, however, trumps 'em all. His book claims that Jesus -- the purportedly virginal founder of a major world religion, often considered a stunt double for God -- was a swinger. He not only had sex but also spawned a secret family line continuing in the present day.

There you go: marriage is dull and old-fashioned — unless we're talking about Jesus. Then it turns him into a "swinger", a person "who engages freely in promiscuous sex," exactly what you'd expect from a first-century Jewish prophet who denounced divorce and advocated adherence to the Law. Finally:

Want to make a splash, get some attention, sell a few books? Pick on a biggie. Brown's sensational assertion that the Roman Catholic Church has been lying about Jesus and his teachings for 2,000 years is absolute catnip to readers. The novel's popularity, says Nuala O'Faolain, the Irish memoirist and novelist, grows organically from "the scandals" within the Catholic Church. "The reading public has always loved stories that chip away at establishments.

But, of course, it's just a novel. A novel that provides readers with "honorary doctoral degrees in ecclesiastical history," describes Jesus as a sexual hedonist, and claims the Catholic Church is built on lies. Nothing to it. Just fiction. Or, in the words of one reader, who shared his newfound PhD-informed knowledge with me:

Carl and Sandy are justified in being terrified that their so-called ‘universal’ church, which is based on a political conceit that one actually needs any church to know Jesus, will unravel and die a well justified death. ...

Dan Brown is just a very happy coincidence. He said what many of us believe the orthodox church is all about power and nothing about God. Why would he debate with you?  Your noise sells more of his books!

So we are exploring the true Jesus without the incumberance of parisite-priests trying to keep their bellies fed. Light and sweet! We’re just the meteor at the end of the age of  ‘the church’.

Remember, Dan is a storeyteller capitalizing on a growing movement to bring Mary (the sacred feminine) back home again. He didn’t start it. Attacking him just shows your denial of what is really going on: ‘the Rock’ crumbling into sand as the Goddess commands. Evolution.  I love it.

Yep: absolute Coded catnip.

My March 10, 2006, talk in Sioux Falls, SD, about the Coded Craziness...

... can be accessed online here, at the Diocese of Sioux Falls website. It includes the Q&A session and is about 80 minutes in length.

Reactions, reactions, and more reactions...

... to the Coded Craziness.

• From the legal world:

Lawyers believe the verdict will have a major impact on other potential claims. One partner close to the case told Legal Week: "This is a landmark case, whichever way it goes, it will probably set the scene for some time to come." 

Reynolds Porter Chamberlain publishing specialist David Hooper said: "Lawyers always said in the pop music world, 'where there's a hit, there's a writ', and it could be that books are heading that way."

• From Opus Dei:

The impression of Opus Dei conveyed in Dan Brown's novel, "The Da Vinci Code," is "the complete opposite of what Opus Dei is about," said Brian Finnerty, U.S. spokesman for the international Catholic organization.

• From the producer of the Cinematic Code:

The producer of "The Da Vinci Code" movie says a flap with some Catholics over the upcoming film has been a blessing.

Brian Grazer says that's because it's sparking debate about religion, faith and belief. He talked about the movie on N-B-C's "Today" show.Some Catholic groups consider the movie insulting to their faith and want a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie stating it's a work of fiction. The film is to be released in May.

Grazer calls the movie "informed fiction" with "symbols that lead to certain clues that in some cases can be proved to be fact." But he says it's not a historic tale.

[Question: If "sparking debate about religion, faith, and belief" is so great, does Grazer support, say, cartoons that mock certain religions? Or is he only for making movies that misrepresent Christianity?]

• From Catholics near and in Boston:

No surprise that the Vatican has denounced the novel. [Actually, that is a surprise since it didn't happen. Yes, Cardinal Bertone has strongly criticized the novel. No, Cardinal Bertone is not "the Vatican." Newsflash to MSM: Just because a Cardinal in Rome says something, it doesn't mean "the Vatican" is behind it.]

Or that members of the Catholic clergy find it offensive.

“I’m not going to read something that’s a bunch of crap,” said the Rev. Bob Carr, of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville. “People are reading it and I don’t encourage it. It reflects an ignorance of everything that people have known about who Jesus is for the past 2,000 years.”

But what do parishioners think? In an unscientific sampling, most Boston-area Catholics looked at “The Da Vinci Code” as nothing more than a work of the imagination, and nothing to get upset about. [Well, yeah. But I bet a lot of Catholics in Boston (and here in Oregon, for that matter) feel the same way about Catholic doctrine: nothing more than a work of the imagination. But they do tend to get upset about it.]

• From Evangelical Protestants:

The impending release of a movie version of the blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code is stirring debate in Christian circles. To many, the release represents an attack on the Christian faith. Many others also see in it a door opener for sharing the gospel. The resulting impact will depend on how prepared Christians are to respond effectively. [I see it as both: an attack and an opportunity. After all, when attacked, a good defense does more than defend -- it reveals the weaknesses of the enemy and opens up avenues for invading his territory (keeping with the warfare theme). Why portray it as one or the other? It's both.]

• From angry albinos. Really. No kidding:

The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentationare is launching a campaign against the Tom Hanks film of "The Da Vinci Code."

NOAH had unsuccessfully asked film director Ron Howard to change author Dan Brown's "hulking albino" character Silas, The New York Post reported Sunday.

A California teacher who is albino wrote to Brown in 2003 voicing her concern over the "hateful" stereotypes assigned to albinos in literature and film, the newspaper said.

• From art historians.

• From angry Catholic women.

• And, of course, from us. Right here. On the Da Vinci Hoax blog.

The CODE goes to court: A running commentary

Readers who haven't visited IgnatiusInsight.com or the Insight Scoop blog might be interested in these posts about the lawsuit and trail in London involving two authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Dan Brown, and Brown's publisher, Doubleday. More posts about the trial coming soon...

   
• He copied. He didn't copy. He borrowed. He didn't borrow.
• Did Dan Brown do any of his own research? Any at all?
• The hero of The Da Vinci Code was inspired by...
• "I'm not much of a detail person. I like 'the big idea'."
• Brown acknowledges "reworking" passages, using ideas from HBHG
• Reader: Be like Jesus and stop fighting the Code
• Dan Brown: Resurrection, Maybe. Incarnation, No.
• Report: Judge tells Brown he is a "liar"
• The woman behind The Da Vinci Code
• Leonard da Vinci: Conflicted Christian or Passionate Pagan?
• Brown is "astounded" by plagiarism suit
• Tolerant Fan of the Code: "Throw eggs at those boycotting the movie.
• "Author Dan Brown got a date wrong in 'The Da Vinci Code'."