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.
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?
Bible (Genesis):-
According to bible, women are inferior and they considered as a
root of problem. They are responsible for their sufferings. 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. Eve is
silent, but she is able to convince Adam to eat apple in Paradise lost. In
Christianity Bible doesn’t allow people to ask questions so their knowledge
about religion in very limited.
Da vinci code:-
In this text many people became the enemy and killed one another
on the name of religion. Some problems are solved if religion is removed from
human life. Leigh Teabing thinking like that. 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 many
differences in their portrayals. The female characters in 21stcentury
are getting more space and they are smarter than the male characters. They are
portrayed as double marginalized whether it is in reality or in the movie.
Rowling represents Hermione as a intelligent girl and more knowledgeable than
Harry but 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. The idea of objectifying is always
used for women. Hermione 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 because of 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.
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.
Thank you.
