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Video nasty debate for the 21st century
The Times has the first review of the movie of the Da Vinci Code. It is assessed as pleasingly entertaining claptrap and says the film is a cat’s cradle of lunatic ideas with lashings of religious psychobabble, but it’s infinitely easier to forgive than the book that begat it.
Three stars out of five.
I find the whole furore quite funny, really. The book is an ordinary thriller: not particularly well written, but far from being the worst thing out there. The main point of the controversy is simply that it’s been read so widely and generated so much income for its author. Had the Catholic Church just sat down and shut up, I doubt it would have sold a quarter as many copies. Call me an old cynic, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some retirement fund for aged clerics isn’t a shareholder in Random House publishers.
I have entirely failed to understand the outbursts of outrage. A church is an institution with the purpose of purveying faith according to its preferred dogma. It’s a business, that’s all, its business just happens to be spirituality. It shouldn’t hope to hold a position of privilege preventing it from being portrayed in any negative light in a novel.
What price the Reformation if that was still true?
Equally, while I’m not a religious bloke – I hover somewhere on the edge of agnosticism and atheism – I have a lot of friends who are religious. And they seem to have enough faith and common sense to know that all this controversy over the Da Vinci Code is just claptrap drummed up by the chattering classes and the media.
Only a member of a congregation who is already harbouring serious doubts is going to be worried by a novel and a movie; everyone else either recognises it as a bit of diverting tosh, or is calmed by the knowledge that God can look after Himself if He feels the need.
It’s a poor church that can’t withstand the onslaught of a poorly constructed novel, and a weak faith that crumbles in the face of the Da Vinci Code.
I have no idea if I’m going to see the movie or not. I’m torn between the thought of giving a portion of my hard earned cash to Dan Brown (it will only encourage him) and going to see what the fuss is all about.
In the meantime, what gives me the fear is not the thought that the Roman Catholic Church might have suppressed the “truth” for 2,000 years, or that Opus Dei is composed of a bunch of mad albino monks. No, it’s none of that. What gives me the fear is Tom Hanks in a wig.
Three stars out of five.
I find the whole furore quite funny, really. The book is an ordinary thriller: not particularly well written, but far from being the worst thing out there. The main point of the controversy is simply that it’s been read so widely and generated so much income for its author. Had the Catholic Church just sat down and shut up, I doubt it would have sold a quarter as many copies. Call me an old cynic, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if some retirement fund for aged clerics isn’t a shareholder in Random House publishers.
I have entirely failed to understand the outbursts of outrage. A church is an institution with the purpose of purveying faith according to its preferred dogma. It’s a business, that’s all, its business just happens to be spirituality. It shouldn’t hope to hold a position of privilege preventing it from being portrayed in any negative light in a novel.
What price the Reformation if that was still true?
Equally, while I’m not a religious bloke – I hover somewhere on the edge of agnosticism and atheism – I have a lot of friends who are religious. And they seem to have enough faith and common sense to know that all this controversy over the Da Vinci Code is just claptrap drummed up by the chattering classes and the media.
Only a member of a congregation who is already harbouring serious doubts is going to be worried by a novel and a movie; everyone else either recognises it as a bit of diverting tosh, or is calmed by the knowledge that God can look after Himself if He feels the need.
It’s a poor church that can’t withstand the onslaught of a poorly constructed novel, and a weak faith that crumbles in the face of the Da Vinci Code.
I have no idea if I’m going to see the movie or not. I’m torn between the thought of giving a portion of my hard earned cash to Dan Brown (it will only encourage him) and going to see what the fuss is all about.
In the meantime, what gives me the fear is not the thought that the Roman Catholic Church might have suppressed the “truth” for 2,000 years, or that Opus Dei is composed of a bunch of mad albino monks. No, it’s none of that. What gives me the fear is Tom Hanks in a wig.
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I know I'm going to see DVC, but that's the benefit of a cineworld unlimited card - I don't think I'm giving revenue specifically to the creator (this can be a 2-edged sword though). Still, there's always that extra head to be added to the audience count.
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My only real reservation about the film is the casting of Tom Hanks in the lead role. He doesn't fit my perception of the character. However, given that Dan is not so keen on it, I suspect it'll be at The Electric Cinema if we go as a bribe to my bloke. Can he resist a sofa, coffee on demand, fancy ice cream and home made cake? I hope not!
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Chat to you soon.
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And about the wig. Gives me the heebiejeebies!
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As a Christian who has (almost) read the book, I don't see what the fuss is about either. Just a few pages to go, and it's been a struggle - if I want a well-written thriller, I prefer Tom Clancy.
Those who are led to question their faith after reading this nonsense can't be very well-grounded in the first place, as it contains so much self-contradictory crap as to be laughable, were it not so badly written. Apparently, Salman Rushdie said "it makes bad books look good." It's boring, and having so many little puzzles for the characters to solve make it a drudgery after a while.
If Christians, or anyone else who believes the bible to be the truth, want to get indignant about something, there's much worse about than some daft novel.
I'm hungry. Time for chocolate...
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