Da Vinci Code movie, banning and Jesus Christ
I think it’s the first in movie history that a film caused so much of an uproar in the religious sectors of our society. That even the local Catholic Church started its commercial ad moves as not to dismay their follower’s fate by accepting ideas from this movie. Honestly I haven’t read the “Da Vinci Code,” but have heard much about it since a couple of years back. There was also a time it was so popular that almost everyone in the MRT were reading the said book. But somehow I didn’t get a chance to read it despite the hype.
About the movie I’ll try to be objective at this point on. I haven’t read the book, even its synopsis for that matter; I won’t have a point of reference whether the movie was faithful to the book or not so I’ll solely base my opinion on the movie itself.
With a great ensemble cast, I expect much great acting here. Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon was somehow off, I mean he’s great actor but I didn’t get to see his greatness here since the character somehow didn’t fit him. Audrey Tautou is a favourite of mine since I saw Amelie, and it’s the first time I saw her act in an English Film. She did quite well here as Sophie Neveu, I almost forgot about her previous movies wathcing her here. Despite the great actors on the protagonist role, they were overshadowed, in terms of acting, by the other characters here like Ian Mckellen as Sir Leigh Teabing who never seem to disappoint me with his roles and Paul Bettany as Silas, the assassin flagellant monk, where you could actually feel his self inflicted pain just watching him.
The pacing of the movie was disappointingly monotonous throughout. Yes, there are rare gripping moments when I even heard some people watching actually scream from surprise, but at moments when you thought the action was about to escalate, it somehow fails to do so and quickly goes down back to its monotonous tone. I think Ron Howard was being to careful on being faithful to the book that he didn’t risked adding some flavor or spice to the movie as not to be criticized by the book loyalist that it was too Hollywood-ish. But this resulted in a somehow dragging sequence. There was actually a guy snoring at the front seat!
Good thing, if not for the story, mysteries and problem solving plot of the movie, I would have dozed of. What more, I think, for those who have read the book, who already knew what happened. I could imagine it was just a read-through of the novel. But despite the story’s twist and turn, chase and run, it didn’t seem to deliver the intensity we were hoping to see through the end.
The musical score wasn’t even that great. I felt it wasn’t even there, but the ones I’ve heard were not something new to the ears or it’s quite similar to some movies of the past. Not that ground breaking.
I did enjoy some of the historical flashbacks, and thought they were well made, but it wasn’t enough to delve into that “Da Vinci” idea, that this great artist was part of a secret society to protect te holy grail. In truth I thought this moview was more about Leonardo Da Vinci and his works. I guess it I thought wrong and it was all about the holy grail
If this was an Oscar-pruned intended movie, it would seem to fail its purpose for me as it seemed just an ordinary movie, not spectacular at that.
Now my opinion about the banning of the movie, this I’ve got to say. The more you held a movie like this banned or taboo, the more people would want to watch this. If the religious sectors, catholic or not are confident of what they are preaching or teaching is the Truth. They shouldn’t be afraid of any ideas that may dissuade their follower’s beliefs.
The movie somehow hit a nerve since it deals with a major historical and religious icon, Jesus Christ. It’s like the reaction of the Muslims when Mohammed was illustrated in a cartoon. But whether you believe what the movie says (Dan Browns already said this is a fiction) or not, it’s up to each person to search the truth themselves.
Tags: Movies
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Monday, May 22nd, 2006 at 2:59 pm 
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May 23rd, 2006 at 1:22 pm
medyo disappointed din ako sa movie. excited pa naman akong panoorin. mas okay pa pala siyang basahin.
May 23rd, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Da Vinci Code is all fiction. A great Deception.
The best resource of absolute truth is the bible itself.
By the way, bro. I’m going to Israel this October. I’ll get you a 2,000yrs old artifacts:-)
1 Corithians 1:18
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
May 23rd, 2006 at 2:35 pm
so far, consistent ang *negative* feedback na narinig ko from friends ah, including this review. parang tinatamad na tuloy ako panuorin hehe para mas nakatatak sa utak ko yung excitement na binigay nung book. tipong hindi mo siya bibitawan talaga eh unlike this movie na naging dragging.
i enjoyed reading “angels & demons” more than “da vinci code”, medyo disappointed nga ako nung ito yung ginawa nilang movie… well, mas sikat kasi si da vinci hehehe!
May 23rd, 2006 at 5:59 pm
well ferdz, it was foretold naman in the Bible that believers will be misled. i’m not even going to go into endtimes scenarios but it feels like hollywood can play a role in deceiving people and move them away from their faith.
it’s not the first time a book attempted this. way, way back, there was “holy blood, holy grail”. in any case, i’m disappointed that tom hanks, one of my favorites, decided to take on this role. i’ve read the book, among other works by dan brown, and honestly, i find it a work of “faction” or what we call the hybrid of fact and fiction. michael crichton does it all the time with his techno-thrillers but mr. brown tethers dangerously because it plays with people’s faith.
May 24th, 2006 at 11:29 am
i havent watched the movie yet. thou i have read the book… it didnt excite me as much, mas nagustuhan ko pa nga ang angels & demons, like eye…
i guess with the feedbacks ive heard & the movie being banned here in manila, ill have second thoughts going to makati or qc just to see it. hintay ko na lang ang dvd copy hehehehe
May 24th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
- probably, for those who will watch it, the decoumentaries made by the national geographic should be a prerequisite view just for them not to be that “shocked”. anyway, it did seem just an ordinary movie to me.
May 25th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
i was dissapointed as well when me and my mom watched the movie. they deleted certain key points based on the book - especially the cryptex, when it should have been 2 instead of only 1.
when i read the book, that’s where i felt the mystery and suspense of the story (although knowing dan brown, all of his ‘good guys’ turned out ‘bad guys’ in the end.) i almost fell asleep while watching it. lol.
as for the faith, hmm let’s just say that there’s no strong foundation to be shook. hehe
May 26th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Books are always better than movies!
I read the book in one day. I couldn’t stop!
But I took it for what it was. Fiction and along the way I learned a few things. Don’t really want to see the movie. I am sure I will be disappointed!
May 29th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
The movie was not as impressive as I expected. Like others, I was expecting more of Leonardo’s work showed to really see the argument presented in the book; however, I was dismayed to see only few and not even suffucient. I watched the movie because I was curious why the catholic church banned it. I wanted to see the effect of the movie to me, but after seeing it, I’d better read the book to answer my questions. I haven’t read the book yet and I guess I have too, now. I am a believer of Christian Faith, so, to help people understand well this fiction, I must know it myself. Brown said it is merely a fiction, so, I suggest, instead of being afraid for your faith to fluctuate, better see it with young ones and see the fiction delibrated in the movie.
May 29th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
isa lang po ang masasabi ko bro..
THE H UMANITY OF JESUS,HIS IDENTITY,HIS MINISTRY AND THE SPECULATION ABOUT HIM IS NO SECRET…
IF YOU WOULD STUDY THE BIBLE AND DIG IT DEEPER YOU WILL FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF THAT: THERE IS REALLY NO CODE; NO SECRETS.
GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM
Take care dude
May 29th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
yung boardmate ko tinanong ko kung maraming siyang kasabay na nanood, sabi niya puno daw sinehan noong pinanood nya da vinci, tapos tinananong ko siya ano ang reaction ng mga nanaood nung tapos na palabas, sabi niya, wala lang, tahimik daw lahat, hehehe. ano kaya ibig sabihin nun?
May 31st, 2006 at 11:48 am
I havn’t watch the movie yet pero pra yta tungkol ky Jesus na pinapalabas nilang “TAO” na commited flesh relationship with other people. Da Vince is only a human kung nkagawa cya ng mga religious paintings ‘di dpat sapat n basis yun pra patunayan all of what he says is truth. Ang artist may pagkakataon malikot ang isip me dagdag or bawas. Read the bible or old scrolls dito me sapat na basis. Tama si Ferdz bkit k naman bsta mag papanic (religious affiliations) kung ang members in church may panindigan sa kanilang paniniwala o natatakot kyo dhil ‘di solid doctrines nyo?
June 1st, 2006 at 4:59 am
i just saw the movie last weekend…kinda disappoint, not look like i expect…..feel like watching national treasure part 2, but worse than that:-P maybe i’m buddhist and not get into the deepest of the christianity. only one thing i like the locations in the movie r fantastic, beautiful setting:-))
December 19th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
the movie only plays with your faith if you let it
January 21st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
The Da Vinci code movie is amazing so don’t you dare diss it.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:10 pm
The Da Vinci code movie is amazing so don’t you dare diss it.