Da Vinci Code -- The Movie
Well, I saw it last night. My friend, Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer, invited me to join him at the movie and then a conversation about the movie afterwards. So, what do I think? Without spoiling the surprise -- there are some differences between the movie version and the original. It seems that Ron Howard tried to soften the edge of the book by making the character of Robert Langton less committed to either the divine feminine principle and Priory of Sion. That is left to Leigh Teabing -- who ultimately is the bad guy. Opus Dei comes off poorly, as does the Catholic Church -- except that Howard again softens things by suggesting that the bad guys are a small council operating on its own to keep the Priory of Sion underground. The ending is different as well from the book -- but I won't give that away if you've not seen it.
The issues remain, however, the way Dan Brown either does not know the history of Christianity or has chosen to play fast and loose with it. Then there is the question of biblical scholarship. The role of women needs to be addressed -- especially regarding Mary Magdalene. Finally, there is the whole issue of paganism, Judaism, and their interactions with Christianity. So, whether you read the book or see the movie, we should have the conversation!
Well, I saw it last night. My friend, Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer, invited me to join him at the movie and then a conversation about the movie afterwards. So, what do I think? Without spoiling the surprise -- there are some differences between the movie version and the original. It seems that Ron Howard tried to soften the edge of the book by making the character of Robert Langton less committed to either the divine feminine principle and Priory of Sion. That is left to Leigh Teabing -- who ultimately is the bad guy. Opus Dei comes off poorly, as does the Catholic Church -- except that Howard again softens things by suggesting that the bad guys are a small council operating on its own to keep the Priory of Sion underground. The ending is different as well from the book -- but I won't give that away if you've not seen it.
The issues remain, however, the way Dan Brown either does not know the history of Christianity or has chosen to play fast and loose with it. Then there is the question of biblical scholarship. The role of women needs to be addressed -- especially regarding Mary Magdalene. Finally, there is the whole issue of paganism, Judaism, and their interactions with Christianity. So, whether you read the book or see the movie, we should have the conversation!
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