Sprinkling Holy Water on 'The Da Vinci Code'

New York Times ^ | August 7, 2005 | SHARON WAXMAN

[Mrs. Don-o]

But "Da Vinci," set for release in May, is shaping up as one of the movie world's more complicated exercises - so much so that Sony has dropped a scrim of secrecy over the affair, refusing to discuss anything but the barest details. The script has been closely controlled. Outsiders have been banned from the set. And those associated with the film have had to sign confidentiality agreements.

...their silence is a measure of concern about the potentially incendiary nature of the subject matter. The book, which is fiction, takes aim at central Christian dogma, claiming that Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene, who was meant to be his true heir. It alleges an enormous coverup by the Roman Catholic Church, which, according to the book, usurped Mary's place in favor of a male-oriented hierarchy that has suppressed what Mr. Brown calls the "sacred feminine."

...Studio officials have consulted with Catholic and other Christian specialists on how they might alter the plot of the novel to avoid offending the devout..

"We came up with three things," Ms. Nicolosi said: the more ambiguous approach to the central premise, the removal of Opus Dei and amending errors in the book's description of religious elements in art....

[T]here are signs that the studio has not ruled out attracting religious moviegoers, including those who made an international sensation last year of Mel Gibson's film, "The Passion of the Christ."

"The phrase I heard used several times was 'Passion dollars'; they want to try to get 'The Passion' dollars if they can," said Ms. Nicolosi, referring to her conversations about the film. "They're wrong," she added. "It's sacrilegious, irreligious. They're thinking they can ride the 'Passion' wave with this.

And I said, 'Are you kidding me?' "

[EsmeraldaA]

The reason behind the book success is the controversy and good marketing strategy.

[Darkwolf377]

You're wasting your time. Some people could find anti-religious bigotry in a bowl of cheerios.

Yes, I'm so overly sensitive to anti-religious bigotry that I don't follow any religion. (rolls eys)

Some people need a sign reading "Religious Bigotry Inside" to recognize it as such. I guess a book purporting to be based on facts that claims the Catholic Church is run by a murderous cabal and all that its followers believe is false and that Jesus was in fact not chaste but had a kid isn't anti-religious. My mistake. But you know us agnostics and atheists, we're so overly sensitive to anti-religious bigotry. :P

[Skooz]

People read it and say "It's a novel but all the church stuff is true," ...

I got into a protracted "discussion" with a fellow FReeper awhile back about that very point.

He insisted that the novel was historically accurate. He repeatedly posted that the novel was fiction, "but the history in the novel is true."

[horse_doc]

I'm waiting for historically-based fictional, "The Life and Times of Islam", in which Mohammed marries a bunch of times, kills a lot of people, and does a nine year-old girl. Oh, wait . . .

[Jim Scott]

Apparently, the Hollywood honchos must actually believe that millions of 'devout' Christians will flock to see a fictional story that renders Jesus the Christ, the bibical Son of God, as an ordinary, mortal man and hence, a colossal liar and fraud. The Catholic Church is portrayed as 'covering up' this 'Revelation' that would make Christianity irrelevant and based on a lie, which some no doubt wish were true.

That is clearly the Hollywood view; Christianity is a big hoax and the Catholic Church is a fraud and totally corrupt. Hollywood is hoping that the 'Da Vinci Code' fiction will replace the bibically-based 'The Passion of the Christ' in Christian movie-going but they are going to be mightily surprised when it plays to empty theaters after the first week or two, when the hype is past and all the non-Christians have seen it.

I don't doubt that a Da Vinci Code film may make money (the book was a big best-seller) but nowhere near what Mel Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ' has made. The 'Da Vinci' book slyly mocked the Christian religion with an admittedly fictional but apparently widely accepted story that portrayed biblical scripture as nothing but a fraudulent, man-made justification for establishing a corrupt Church - that was always based on a lie. I have heard the exact same premise used by atheists to 'explain' why they reject God, Christ and the Christian religion.

The 'Da Vinci Code' movie will no doubt appeal to those folks as well as agnostics and gullible, lukewarm 'Christians'. However, it will not appeal to the hundreds of millions who take the bible as God's Word and Jesus Christ as our Savior...and that includes me. So, count me out as ever being any part of an audience for the Da Vinci Code movie.

[hineybona]

gets his religion wrong, he gets his art and his history wrong
Yea, thats because it's FICTION pal Get it FICTION he dosen't HAVE to get anything right because he MADE THE STORY UP..FICTION ..Look it up in the dictionary

[Blzbba]

"Get it FUN ..not an assult on Christianity ..FUN Make believe FUN"


Exactly. "Any relation to all characters living or dead is purely coincidental." I swear, some Christians are SOOO thin-skinned.

And like you said, it's not even that great of a book. A decent 'beach read' at best....but "Foucalt's Pendulum" is far superior.

[hineybona]

widely accepted story?
By who ? Guess ol Dan fooled you too huh ..He says it FICTION but you choose to ignore it don't you?

[Darkwolf377]

No MORONS say it's a novel and all the Church stuff is true. Maybe you should hang out with brighter people. It's OBVIOUS FICTION and listed as so .

Yes, I agree, the author is a moron.

"I began as a skeptic. As I started researching The Da Vinci Code I really thought I would disprove a lot of this theory about Mary Magdalene and holy blood and all of that. I became a believer." --Dan Brown, 11/3/04 ABC News interview

If you can't comprehend how a novel which the author claims is inspired by facts is not an affront to someone, there's no reaching you.

[hineybona]

Yea , I give up .These people are nuts. The guys says up front I MADE THIS STORY UP..and they ignore it. There are FACTS in it sure, but then he takes them places with his imagination to the point of unbelievable fiction..I guess these people read Stal Trek and think there are aliens running around in space too ..Star Trek has some FACTS to it .

[edcoil]

... Christian dogma, claiming...

Anyone ever read the NYT say Islamic dogma?

This is just anothter christian bashing rant from the NYT.

[TheBigB]

Some people need a sign reading "Religious Bigotry Inside"

And some people will believe anything they read on the internet, posted by someone they've never met. I've seen more than a few threads where someone posts, "Hey, I saw this line in < this book/movie/tv show > and I think it kinda, sorta may insult Bush/conservatives/religion!" And then call for a boycott. I could post a thread saying I found an anti-religious theme in a Dr. Seuss book and some would be ready to throw away every Seuss book they've ever bought and write a letter to the publisher. Funny, but sad too.

[codder too]

I sure would like to see "recent" sales figures that keep this work of fiction on the best sellers list. Looks like it is being kept alive for some reason. No paperback version out there yet...Hummm

[fortunecookie]

But.It's well done and I guess it fooled your friends too ..So well done that even some stupid adults bought into it ..

A lot of Catholics believe it's fiction hiding 'Catholic truths' that the Church doesn't want you to know about much the way Davinci supposedly 'hid' secrets in his artworks. Real tinfoil hat stuff, to be sure. See #35. It's sad that these Catholics I know will use it as an excuse to spread untruths about the Church, and some of them are educators and hold other positions in the parishes locally. I have a feeling there are many others like them.

Please man ..its FICTION SOLD AS FICTION classified as FICTION..

LOL, that didn't stop Scientologists from buying a book, Dianetics, and turning it into a religion!

Get it FUN ..not an assult on Christianity ..FUN Make believe FUN

I get it. FUN. And fun is what I'll be have debunking and arguing with my friends over it's UNTRUTHS. The sad part, as a Catholic, is the people who will enjoy it and spread it's story line as 'truth', to the confusion of others. I know, it's their own fault if they're that naive, but some are just that naive... That's where it isn't so fun, and they've already begun.

[EsmeraldaA]

That is what is why is called good marketing!

[Darkwolf377]

Well put. It's funny, though, watching some people on this thread hopping around saying 'It's fiction! It's fiction!" They refuse to grasp even the simplest concepts of what fiction is and what it does, and the uses it is put to, and what the author is doing. The reason this book is given such attention is because the author claimed it's BASED on FACT--that's why people have bought it by the millions and subsequently said "Hey, the stuff in here is true." And also why the authors of the supposedly NON-fiction book "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" filed a lawsuit.

Amazing how some people can't understand very simple concepts, such as how a work of fiction can be based on facts; indeed, how ALL novels are based on facts, to one extent or another.

I suppose if someone held up an anti-Christian sign these same folks would say "IT'S JUST A SIGN, IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING!!!!!"

[hineybona]

My pastor(Roman Catholic ) LOVED the book.passed it on to another priest recently..Fun reading . When I mentioned the Christian slandering some people talk about his answer was "Oh PLEASE, it's a mystery NOVEL "!
The author is trying to SELL BOOKS FOLKS..so he's playing up the ,"maybe it's true aspect" Are you all that dumb?

[fortunecookie]

People read it and say "It's a novel but all the church stuff is true,"

Oh, my gosh, where you eavesdropping on my phone call with my friend? LOL, you've just quoted her verbatim! And her 4 sisters have all read it and agree. They bought it in bulk and have given many copies as gifts to friends and family. Wow, even the NYTimes gets it.

He not only gets his religion wrong, he gets his art and his history wrong--a trifecta!

But he says it with a wink-wink. He seems to be saying in some of his interviews, "It's fiction, but...". See my #55. It is a kind of assault. The sad part, as a Catholic, is the people who will enjoy it and spread it's story line as 'truth', to the confusion of others. My friend has already begun.

[SubMareener]

Some people can't tell the difference between fact and fiction. There are apparently four cities in Scotland arguing over which of them was the city in which the FICTIONAL Star Trek character "Scotty" is to be born!