Customer Reviews

Da Vinci Code Decoded

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If you are looking for the expert dope on all things Da Vinci Code, this is it - no need to look elsewhere. Henry Lincoln, Dan Burstein, Picknett and Prince and even Dan Brown - basically everyone you'd want to explain the back story of The Da Vinci Code. The only omission is anything the naysayers who wrote lots of books denouncing the novel as anti-catholic, etc., but that's not to say that the people who are interviewed, especially Holy Blood Holy Grail's Henry Lincoln, don't question some of the wilder leaps made by some enthusiasts.

It's really well produced, and organized so that you can drop in or out of any chapter on the DVD to learn about whichever topics interest you most. If there was a criticism it would be that some of the talking heads really go into detail, perhaps more so than you might want - but that depends on your level of interest.

Overall, 5 stars and a suggestion to look no further, except perhaps Dan Burstein's excellent book Secrets of the Code and/or Martin Lunn's book Da Vinci Code Decoded, which despite having the same name as this DVD doesn't really cover the subject matter in the same way.

I picked up the Da Vinci Code about a year ago to read on a long train ride, and of course I wasn't disappointed-as we all know it was immensely entertaining and exciting, a great read all around (and now I can't wait to see Tom Hanks in the movie!) But then my husband Bernie, who noticed how much I liked the book (don't you just love it when men pay attention for once?) bought this DVD for me for my birthday. There was so much new information inside that I had to watch it several times, so I was glad that I owned it. I had never heard of "Gnosticism" before or any of the other stunning data contained inside, it was like a whole treasure chest opened up of stuff they never told you in Sunday school that makes religion exciting all over again. Now I've got Bernie reading the Dead Sea Scrolls! A great value for the money.

It's hard for me to describe the 9 million Americans and growing who have read The Da Vinci Code as a cultural cliché - Dan Brown's novel has resonated with many people in this country who are curious about the roots of Christianity and its development throughout history.

As I watched this DVD, I didn't think Da Vinci Code Decoded was anti-ANYTHING. What Dan Brown and the other thinkers featured in this film discuss is who Jesus was - living as a Jewish man in Roman-occupied Palestine 2,000 years ago. To speculate on how Jesus, as a man, might have lived in his time on this earth - in no way shape or form degenerates my faith or the beliefs of millions of Catholics and Christians in this country and across the world.

In fact, Henry Lincoln in the film explicitly makes this point.

I say watch it for yourself, and make up your own mind. You probably will learn something new, I certainly did.

For those that have read Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' and have been inspired by his fabulous work, enough to seek out further knowledge, then this is the DVD for you. Be forewarned however that this isn't, under any stretch of the imagination, a light and easy going DVD..... you will have to pay attention to be able to appreciate the wealth of knowledge imparted by the seven renowned authors/professors and researchers ....


This DVD is divided into two sections, Chapters and Extras, the first having five topics, and the second, Extras, nine topics of discussion ... The running time for these topics are anywhere from 37 minutes to 3 minutes depending on the material discussed. Actually, the difference between the Chapters and the Extras is ONLY the fact that the Chapters are dedicated to more specific discussion of Dan Brown's book and the Da Vinci references in the book.


Certainly one of the central themes of the DVD, and the book, is the 'sacred feminine' and the proposition that Jesus was, in effect, married to Mary Magdalene, and he had children by her.


For those viewers that have studied the the works of Da Vinci, the bible, theology or the history of the Christianity the authors in this DVD, particularily, Henry Lincoln, author of Holy Blood Holy Grail, will most certainly be known to you...


Certainly the origins of Christianity and the important role that the Roman General Constantine, having to fight with mostly very pacific Christian soldiers, is discussed in some detail and makes the viewer think about all those things that perhaps the Church never wanted us to think about. Constantine was one of the first that set the dates of Christian holidays so that they may more accurately fall at the same time as the pagan and sun worshippers of Rome, Greece and Egypt of the time. For example, there is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25th, nor is there any specific reason that if the birth of Jesus was pinned to one specific day, His the death and resurrection is also not a specific day, but rather a floating holiday that is pegged to crop and fertility cycles and, a Sunday after the first moon of the solstice... or something like that .... The Christian holidays fall on the same days as the old Sun and Pagan worshippers timetable ......


Just think, back in the days of Jesus, the most powerfull people were all considered the 'Son of God', most of them in Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology were born of virgin mothers, since as you know many Greek fables .... where the gods used to come to earth and take advantage of the most beautifull virgins.... and of course as well the pagan religions of the day most certainly belived in the resurrection of the dead after 3 days .... The fact that the Christian God is monoeithic, God is still described as multiple with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ... HMMMMMM


OK enough of that, most of the DVD is done in a lecture form by the authors, there are some snippets of pictures of the Da Vinci works but, like I said, consider this DVD to be a two hour lecture ... FABULOUSLY, and clearly done. The authors do not speak down to the viewer while imparting a wealth of information for futher thought or study. It is by no means an anti-Christian work nor is it presented in a negative way to try to shake a religious person's faith, on the contrary, it makes one think more deeply about one's faith and the origins of the Christianity and the Church in much much greater depth that I ever got in Catechism class ......


Finally, for Dan Brown readers that do not want to listen to this heavy lecture DVD, I strongly suggest you consider buying the 'Unlocking Da Vinci's Code' narrated by Patrick Mcnee ... a fabulous piece of work as well, but much much more specific to Dan Brown's book and with narrated tours of some of the churches and locations used in Brown's book ....


Two exceptional and thought provoking DVD's

I just read _The DaVinci Code_ in less than 2 days. I couldn't put it down. It was fascinating. Then, I put this DVD on and everyone in my family fell asleep! I tried to keep them interested and have the DVD help explain some of the underlying theories that I found so interesting in Dan Brown's book, but the "expert" interviews were sloppy and not engaging. When I switched to the extras, hoping to get some visuals on the sites mentioned in the book, the glimpses of Westminster Abbey and The Louvre were very brief while the Rosslyn Church segment made me nauseous with all the spinning camera work. I wish they would have held still a little bit and let us LOOK at the place!

I have seen many good documentaries in my life, but this is definitely not one of them.

Update as of 4/3/07 (See below for update.)

I have watched this DVD several times after borrowing from my local library. I give it three stars because I think it's worthy of at least looking at one point of view regarding the Da Vinci Code phenomenon, yet right now I have a few issues with it.

First, I personally do not agree with Dan Brown's assertion that (and I'm paraphrasing here) since the beginning of recorded time, history has ALWAYS been written by the winners. I suppose it's because I'm very cautious about writing in "absolutes" as I've often found that new information will come along to disprove what was thought to be absolute.

As well, some of the transitions between interviews left me feeling annoyed at times because it appeared that the interviewee(s) may have had more to say. This makes me wonder if the editing was done to serve the purpose of the subject of the DVD instead of presenting a more objective point-of-view.

I found it very interesting that Henry Lincoln, one of the co-author's of "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," stated that his book had absolutely had no validity at all. (I have the book, but haven't read it yet.) In any case, my initial thought was then, "Well, why write the book at all?" Perhaps being an artist is where my confusion is stemming from. What I mean is that in producing a work, to me it's valid to me, it's coming from some place inside of me that believes in what I'm doing. So, I'm a bit perplexed here and if anyone has insight in regard to this, I'm open to hearing it.

I do personally agree with Lincoln that anyone can write any sort of document, but that doesn't constitute it's validity. He also states that whatever we do know is based on heresay, guesswork and interpretation. I'm still undecided about my thoughts on that.

In any case, I'll probably watch the DVD again and update my review as I let things sink in and continue my research.

That all being said, I think the DVD is worth watching. I like to look at all sides of an issue and this is just another side to be taken into account and considered whether you agree with it or not.

UPDATE:

I am in the middle of reading, "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." Hence, I can understand a bit more where Henry Lincoln is coming from when he states his book, etc. has no validity at all. I do wonder if the statement is his way of getting off the hook at having written a book which, when you see, "The Real DaVinci Code" DVD proposes (and with a good deal of sense, although I don't like the interviewer's sarcasm) that the whole basis of the book is based on a hoax. Ultimately, whether or not the "facts" were a hoax...I have absolutely no idea. But I do tend to lean more on the side of the DVD "The Real DaVinci Code" after seeing it many times. That being said, I'd look into all the info and determine for yourself.

This dvd does not claim to contain a debate about the origins of Christianity; it discusses an alternate viewpoint (as Dan Brown reminds us "the winners write the history books")This dvd is a nice antidote to all the oppressive ideas we have been raised with; esp. the idea of God as male, and the idea of women being unworthy of church leadership. This dvd includes interviews with Dan Burstein, Henry Lincoln, Martin Lunn, Lynn Picknett, Clive Prince, Dr. Karen Ralls, Dr. James Robinson, and Margaret Starbird. I particularly liked Margaret Starbird's interviews - she describes how when she first read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail", she found it blasphemous because she had been raised a loyal Catholic. But afterward, she had religious experiences regarding the content of that book which lead her to research Mary Magdalene and write "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar". She comes across as very rational, sensible and even heroic. It takes courage to contradict the dearly held beliefs of the majority. I thought Dan Burstein also made some very good points with his discussions about the lives and customs of Jewish people during the time Jesus lived. I think this dvd is an important reminder that just because you have been taught something all your life - that doesn't mean it is necessarily the truth. To be truly alive is to continue to search for the truth as long as you live.

Ooooooooh, this was sooooooooooooo booooooooooooring.

It's like the horrible stuff your history teacher made you watch in high school when they were too busy to teach you an actual lesson.

Way to take an interesting subject, and turn the documentary into a complete snooze-fest. If you liked the Da Vinci Code novel by Dan Brown, don't even bother with this video. They are obviously targeting a different demographic here.

This DVD proved to be well balanced and informative. The commentary was by some of the better scholars in the field, in addition to the usual cast of characters that seem to appear in all of the Da Vinci documentaries. The extras were well worth the 40 minutes to watch, and should be viewed in addition to the regular show. I would have liked to see more on the development of the canon and early church history discussed, but in general the documentary actually proved to be one - not a fantastic tale or wild speculation. Worth watching.

Dan Brown's DA VINCI CODE is pure fiction yet being based upon the latest theories about the Leonard, Da Vinci Jesus's bloodline and Holy Grail studies.

If you want to explore deeper into such studies upon which Dan Brown's bastseller novel based, this DVD is a nice guide.

While this DVD may serve well for Davinci Code enthusiasts, it lacks or ignores the serious criticism cast upon from a number of researchers and theologists. So it is by no way well-balanced and may not fit for the material for serious debate.

Enjoy it as pure entertainment. It gives you more insights than King Solomon's Mines series or Indie Jones series.

Verdict: Typically has the TV documentary flaw...For pro- Da Vinci Code fans.
Rating: 80 out of 100
Recommended for: DA VINCI CODE enthusiasts.