Vatican Paper: 'Angels & Demons' Harmless

thedenverchannel.com ^ | May 6, 2009

[Alex Murphy]

VATICAN CITY -- Reviewers at the Vatican's newspaper have passed judgment on "Angels & Demons," finding the religious thriller commercial and inaccurate, but concluding it is "harmless" entertainment and not a danger to the church.

L'Osservatore Romano ran a review and an editorial in Wednesday's edition, critiquing the movie based on the Dan Brown best-selling novel of the same name.

"Angels & Demons" had its world premiere Monday in Rome, after director Ron Howard charged that the Vatican interfered with getting film permits to shoot scenes in the city -- a contention the Vatican said was a publicity stunt.

The newspaper wrote that the movie was "a gigantic and smart commercial operation" filled with "stereotyped characters." The paper suggested moviegoers could make a game out of finding the many historical inaccuracies in the plot.

However, L'Osservatore praised Howard's "dynamic direction" and the "magnificent" reconstruction of locations like St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Much of the film was shot on sets that painstakingly recreated church landmarks.

The film offers "more than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity," L'Osservatore's reviewer wrote. It's "a videogame that first of all sparks curiosity and is also, maybe, a bit of fun."

"Angels & Demons" features Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon of "The Da Vinci Code" fame, played by Tom Hanks. In the film, the Vatican turns to Langdon after an ancient secret brotherhood called the Illuminati kidnap four cardinals considered front-runners to be the next pope, and threaten to kill one an hour and then explode a bomb at the Vatican.

On Sunday, Howard said the Vatican had interfered with his efforts to get permits to shoot some scenes. A Vatican spokesman said the statement was designed purely to drum up publicity for the film.

Top church officials strongly objected to "The Da Vinci Code" because it was based on the idea that Jesus married and fathered children and depicted the conservative Catholic movement, Opus Dei, as a murderous cult.

[Alex Murphy]

The film offers "more than two hours of harmless entertainment, which hardly affects the genius and mystery of Christianity," L'Osservatore's reviewer wrote. It's "a videogame that first of all sparks curiosity and is also, maybe, a bit of fun."

[Hodar]

Best response the church could have made. Wise move on their part. They neither condemn, nor do they recommend this movie.

[Salvation]

Since the Vatican newspaper is quoted — you have another source, I beg to differ. This film is full of heresy.

[Salvation]

Angels and Demons posts -- and the truth is there!

[Brookhaven]

What is it with Ron Howard and Tom Hanks? Even the most ardent anti-Catholics have admited this DaVinci Code stuff is pure fiction with no historical basis. Yet they keep pushing it like it is of some import.

[golfisnr1]

People like intrigue.

[ClearCase_guy]

They should do a suspenseful movie about the desert con man from Mecca who dreamed up a scheme to make people worship Satan.

I wonder how that would do at the box office?

[Habibi]

Same controversy that came up when “The Golden Compass” came out. At that time, these same self-appointed “Mullahs” were squawking about how sacrilegious it was. It wasn’t, and the same Vatican sources said it was a harmless movie (which it was, good kids movie).

Oddly, at the time, I recall that the evangelicals were making it their cause. Odd that they would take it upon themselves to try to speak for the Catholics. Is this where the noise is coming from this time?

[ga medic]

“Even the most ardent anti-Catholics have admited this DaVinci Code stuff is pure fiction with no historical basis”

The books and movies are fiction. They have no historical basis, other than the few historical details on architecture, artwork, and the Vatican. Some people on both sides want to make this book non-fiction to support their position of outrage over the attacks on the church, or to support their anti-Catholic views. They are both wrong.

The reality is that the book is fiction, it is classified as fiction, and it is full of fictional information.

[napscoordinator]

Since the Vatican newspaper is quoted — you have another source, I beg to differ. This film is full of heresy.

When did you see the movie? I was unaware that it was even out yet? Did you go to one of the Hollywood premiers?

[Salvation]

Did you FR check the search link I posted above for Catholic information?

I have not seen the movie and would not pay to see it. I HAVE read a Catholic brochure about it, however.

Stay away from this film — don’t give them your money.

[MeanWestTexan]

I agree. Very smart response. Damn by faint praise.

[Ransomed]

How do folks on “both sides” want to make it non-fiction?

To my understanding the author says it is true, based on secret knowledge he has uncovered. I take it lots of stupid people believe him, and some folks are calling them on it.

Freegards

[Alex Murphy]

...the same Vatican sources said [The Golden Compass] was a harmless movie (which it was, good kids movie).

I don't know about "Vatican sources", but I do know that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops gave it their thumbs' up, and The Catholic League and others took them to task for it.

Oddly, at the time, I recall that the evangelicals were making it their cause. Odd that they would take it upon themselves to try to speak for the Catholics. Is this where the noise is coming from this time?

In regards to The Golden Compass, Southern Baptist Albert Mohler pointed out the book series' black-is-white invoking of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the author's atheist beliefs. Mohler echoed similar points made by this Catholic article:

The Golden Compass begins with Lyra and her daemon (her talking soul in animal form) hiding in the wardrobe of a renowned Oxford scholar. Readers may recognize this parallel to Lucy’s discovery of Narnia in C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe....

Pullman (the author) accuses God of being a liar. He denies Our Lord’s omnipotence and eternal presence, stating God was an angel created out of dust - the first angel, but a creation nevertheless - who then lied to the angels that follow, telling them that He was their creator. To ensure there is no confusion, Pullman references all of the names of Our Lord found in Holy Scripture. The series ends with Lyra and her friends attacking and overthrowing God’s kingdom.

In regards to The Da Vinci Code, Protestants and evangelicals stood toe-to-toe with their Catholic brothers and sisters in protesting the book & movie's core arguments: first, that Jesus had fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, and second, that the Church was founded on a deception, it having altered/falsified the New Testament scriptures to support the Church's claim to apostolic succession against Jesus' own son.

[ga medic]

The book is clearly listed as fiction. I haven’t heard the author say that the book is true. Honestly, I don’t see how the book could be non-fiction, when the characters are not real people. If you can show me a source for the author’s claim that the books are not fiction, that would change my opinion 180 degrees.

Thankfully, most people understand that the book is fiction. However, some claim outrage because it peddles lies about corruption of the Vatican and the Catholic Church. Others say that it is true, and use that information to support their Anti-Catholic/Christian views on how the church is corrupt.

Personally, I believe that as a work of fiction, the book is ok. A little unrealistic, but it kept my attention. If some people are offended by the use of the Vatican and the Catholic church as a basis for the novel, then they should not read it.

[Remole]

My problem with the book and the movie is the repeated claim that the Catholic Church and Science are irreconcilable, and the parade example of that is the Galileo trial.

Well, the Galileo trial was ordered by the Vatican to be put under review way back in the 1990’s, and the final report concluded that both sides were at fault; and in fact a dispassionate evaluation of that event would show that Galileo was no saint, and far from it.

And as for the Catholic Church and Science (and the Theory of Evolution, etc), the record is clear on this point, that the church has promoted true (not ideological) science for two millennia and the church (in the words of Pope John Paul II) acknowledges that Evolution is “more than an hypothesis.”

Dan Brown makes the Vatican the bad guys because then he can dress people up in fancy clothes and have Gregorian chant playing in the background. What profit would it be to have Evangelicals the bad guys? [duck]

[Alex Murphy]

Honestly, I don’t see how the book could be non-fiction, when the characters are not real people.

Even if no "real" people are portrayed, "real" councils and their decisions are specifically referenced (inaccurately, but referenced nonetheless). I can see how Catholics would interpret those as being a direct attack on the [infallibility of the] Magisterium. If there were no institutional claim to apostolic succession and magisterial infallibility, I don't think Catholics would be nearly as incensed as they are.

If you can show me a source for the author’s claim that the books are not fiction, that would change my opinion 180 degrees.

Under the section "Literary and historical criticism", Wikipedia's article on The Da Vinci Code calls attention to early statements by Brown, prior to the movie's release (statements that he has since backpedalled from):

Brown's earlier statements about the accuracy of the historical information in his book, however, were far more strident. In 2003, while promoting his novel, he was asked in interviews what parts of the history in his novel actually happened. He replied "Absolutely all of it." In a 2003 interview with CNN's Martin Savidge he was again asked how much of the historical background was true. He replied, "99% is true ... the background is all true". Asked by Elizabeth Vargas in an ABC News special if the book would have been different if he had written it as non-fiction he replied, "I don't think it would have."[14] More recently Brown has avoided interviews and has been rather more circumspect about the accuracy of his claims in his few public statements. He has also, however, never retracted any of his earlier assertions that the history in the novel is accurate, despite substantial academic criticism of his claims.

[Alex Murphy]

What profit would it be to have Evangelicals the bad guys? [duck]

What, you've never seen Escape From L.A.?

[Ransomed]

I would hazard that folks like Dan brown would LOVE to stick it the Evangelical Christians, and you could bet that the media would love to see it too. It’s just that the Catholic Church is the biggest single Christian institution with the longest history in the west, so it’s the biggest target so far.

Freegards

[Antoninus]

It wasn’t, and the same Vatican sources said it was a harmless movie (which it was, good kids movie).

It was also a big fat bomb.