Church acts against Da Vinci film
From the BBC.
Wednesday, 3 May 2006
The Anglican Church in the city of Sydney is to show its own video in 250 cinemas to coincide with the release of The Da Vinci Code film. It will tell "the truth about Jesus", according to church officials, who are concerned that the film will "mislead people about the truth". The 20-second trailer depicts Jesus's reaction to the book's claim that the church lied about a secret bloodline. The Dan Brown novel explores the theme that Jesus has living descendants. The trailer tells cinema-goers about a special website which challenges the truth about the theories in The Da Vinci Code. The book has sold more than 40 million copies. The film, which stars Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou, will be released around the world on 19 May.
Bishop Robert Forsyth, chairman of Anglican Media Sydney, said: "We are not afraid of the film. We are not seeking to discourage people from seeing it. But we are well aware of the power popular films have in filling the information void about Jesus.”
“The concept for the cinema advert was to engage with the same questions raised by The Da Vinci Code, but then also ask how Jesus himself might respond to these claims," said church spokesman Allan Dowthwaite. The video is also intended as a publicity campaign for the church, with the aim of encouraging at least 10% of the city's population to become active church-goers by 2012.
Last month, a giant poster advertising the Da Vinci Code film was removed from scaffolding covering a church in Rome following complaints. The rector of St Pantaleo said the poster advertised "something that is against Christ and against the church". Catholic group Opus Dei, portrayed as murderous and power-crazed in the best-selling novel, has asked for a disclaimer to be put in the film. But studio Sony has insisted that the movie is a work of fiction and is "not meant to criticise any group, religious or otherwise", a spokesman said in February.
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7 comments:
"The Dan Brown novel explores the theme that Jesus has living descendants"
The key word there would be NOVEL
That would be fiction then?
And anyway, he was a man wasn't he? Why would it be problematical for him to have decendants? The church can get round it easily by saying his soul was divine, but his body was mortal/human. Isn't that what they say anyway?
Although I enjoyed the book - and equally expect to enjoy the movie in a few weeks - what interests me most is peoples/organisations reactions to it (being a sociologist at heart).
Part of the reason why the book has been such a huge runaway best seller is that the church gave it so much credence by actively attacking it. If the various church authorities had just dismissed it as the work of an overactive imagination I'm guessing that we wouldn't be having this conversation.
As to the idea of a bloodline... didn't the Catholic church spend quite a bit of time and blood attempting to surpress that particular heresy? I'm guessing that they feel about now that they should've done a much better job.
As Mrs A said - it is, when all is said and done, a novel. A work of fiction. Good yarn though.
I think it's ridiculous that this novel and movie get so much press and attention. It's like people forget that the more you ignore something--the quicker it can go away.
duh.
I really enjoyed the book and hope that the film is as good. As to the 'theories' put forward in the novel, I have no idea on how accurate they are but I bet we don't know the half of it!
The Da Vinci Code is an effective mixture of speculation, fantasy and actual history.
Where those particular lines are actually drawn though... is often a matter of opinion and bias.
I'm a little over half-way through the book now. I had it with me Thursday night when I was waiting on my daughter and her boyfriend to show up at a Jeff Foxworthy show. The lady I bought the tickets from saw I had the book and asked me if I was reading it (duh?) and if I was planning to see the movie. I said yes. She got a little defensive and said, "just remember it's a piece of fiction!" I felt like saying, "just remember, not everyone you speak to is a Catholic!"
I don't see why people are getting so worked up over all this. It is, as CK said, "an effective mixture of speculation, fantasy and actual history."
VV said: She got a little defensive and said, "just remember it's a piece of fiction!" I felt like saying, "just remember, not everyone you speak to is a Catholic!"
Hilarious! [rotflmao].
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