Da Vinci Dilemma

Nice review of The Da Vinci Code on the BBC blog network.

Two categories of people will probably be disappointed by the film: those who have read the book and those who have been looking forward to the movie.

For all its flaws, the book is vastly better than the film. And I say that as one who felt sullied after reading the book, which is art history for those who’ve never been to an art gallery, theology for those who’ve never read the Bible, and literature for those who’ve rarely been to a library.

I’m undecided as to whether or not I’ll go and see the film. On one hand, it’s based on one of the worst books that I’ve ever read and nothing that I’ve seen about the film makes me think that the film will be any better. And I don’t want to give any more money to that illiterate, Dan Brown. But on the other hand, I really feel that I should support something that annoys so many christians so much.

To be honest, I’m disappointed by the furore it has created. All of the ideas in it that annoy the christians have been circulating for hundreds of years. It’s almost twenty-five years since they were first brought to public attention in The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail and I really can’t believe that there’s anyone who isn’t aware of the theories given the amount of press that Brown’s excreable volume has had over the last few years. So why are the christians so upset?

I think they’re protesting too much. I know that most of the ideas in The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail have long since been disproven, but the disproportionate response by the church makes me think that there’s something in the book that they don’t want people to think about too much.

Or perhaps they just realise that if people start looking at the bible with a more critical eye, then it’ll soon become obvious how much of it is complete nonsense.