As a part of our study we viewed the movie The Da Vinci Code, directed by Ron Howard. This blog task is a part of our post viewing activity. Here are my views and for other questions, this blog is referred.
What harm
has been done to humanity by the Biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The
Paradise Lost? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ do
to humanity?
According to my point of view, Bible has done the damage
as women are said to be responsible for suffering. The role of men and women is
also decided in Bible like Eve is always in Kitchen and Adam does the
intellectual talks. Milton has given argumentative nature to Eve. She is
silent, but she is able to convince Adam to eat apple in Paradise lost. After
eating the apple, she argues, “What is it
to be free if we are not free to choose ourselves?” Milton establishes- “If u fall in trap of argument with women,
some damage will happen”. John Milton also liberated human mind and gave
the power to think irrespective of the fear of God. In Christianity Bible doesn’t
allow people to ask questions so their knowledge about religion in very
limited. In the Da Vinci Code, many people are killed on the name of religion.
If religion is removed from human life, the life order would be set as people
will become responsible and will take care of others thinking that no one is up
there. This was the thinking of Leigh Teabing. Robert Langdon keeps the secret
of the Holy Grail or the Sarcophagus, he kneels down before it and it can be
called the damaging of humanity. It was like a pilgrimage of Robert.
What difference do
you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Brannagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth'
(Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Brannagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or 'Hester Prynne' (Demi
Moore) in Roland
Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Hermione
Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and
'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How
would justify your answer?
When we compare ‘Hamlet’s’
Ophelia with ‘The Da Vinci Code’s’ Sophie
Neuve and ‘Harry Potter’s’ Hermione,
we can see a huge difference in their portrayal. The female characters in 21st
century are getting more space and are smarter than the male characters. They
are portrayed as double marginalized whether it is in reality or in the movie.
Hermione in ‘Harry Potter’ is intelligent, smart and more knowledgeable than
Harry but still she is not the protagonist. Women’s body is objectified however
strong she may be. Kenneth Brannagh has objectified the character of Ophelia as
she is shown nude while it was not needed. Elizabeth in ‘Frankenstein’ and Hester
in ‘The Scarlet Letter’ too were shown as they should not be seen. Idea of
objectifying is always used for women. Hermione when grows as a teenager,
becomes a reason for rivalry between the two friends. People like beautiful,
slim women and many people do not take their wives to parties or any public
function due to their ugliness. Sophie in ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is beautiful.
Feminine sacredness is shown when Robert kisses Sophie on her forehead. Her
body is not objectified as the camera doesn’t roll over her body.
 |
| The place where the sarcophagus lay |
When we do traditional reading of the novel ‘The Da Vinci
Code’, Robert Langdon, Professor of Religious Symbology, Harvard University
emerges as protagonist and Sir Leigh Teabing, a British Historian as
antagonist. Who will claim the position if we do atheist reading of the novel?
From the view of an atheist, Leigh
Teabing would be the protagonist. He wanted to expose the truth so that people
would be free from suffering. Robert becomes a secret keepers as he says, “let them keep the faith and not let know the
truth”. Teabing said, you can liberate the people if you expose the truth.
Silas is like human bomb. Suddenly if religion is removed from human life the
life order would be set as people will become responsible and will take care of
others thinking that no one is up there. Money is a cover up and Teabing wanted
to reveal truth. By still keeping the secret as it is and kneeling down before
Sarcophagus, it is the damaging of humanity. It is like a pilgrimage of Robert.
Had it been Teabing, then it would have opened up. Robert is the blind follower
when he tells the incident of his falling in the well and at that time he
thought that Jesus is there with him to save him. So by reading these points
from the view of an atheist, Leigh Teabing can be called the protagonist of
this movie.
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