The Da Vinci Code - Secret of the Holy Grail

China Travel Services

Detail of the The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. As explained by Leigh Teabing to Sophie Neveu, the figure at the right hand of Jesus is supposedly not the apostle John, but Mary Magdalene, who was his wife and pregnant with his child. The absence of a chalice in the painting indicates that Da Vinci knew that Mary Magdalene was actually the Holy Grail (the bearer of Jesus' blood). This is reinforced by the letter "M" that is created with the bodily positions of Jesus, Mary, and the male apostle (Saint Peter) upon whom she is leaning. Saint Peter is also positioned with the blade of his hand next to Mary Magdalene's throat in a threatening gesture. This is supposedly because Peter is jealous of Jesus' greater love for Mary Magdalene than for his disciples. Mary Magdalene and Jesus also create a 'v' shape - the female symbol, for feminity, womanhood and fertility. They are also mirror images of each other - Jesus in red robe and blue cloak, Mary Magdalene in a blue robe and red cloak.

Parul Batra

The much awaited film by Ron Howard, The Da Vinci Code made its worldwide film debut on May 18 at the 59th Cannes Film Festival.

The Columbia Pictures release is based on the best-selling Dan Brown novel, a mega-selling hit that stayed on the New York Times Bestseller list for more that 100 weeks, a book that raised a hue and cry among members of the Church who felt offended by the depiction of events after the crucifixion of Christ.

And now several years later, the same protests are revived with the making of the film.

The anger against the book is based on the premise forwarded by Dan Brown that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, a fact that was hidden or totally erased by the Catholic Church.

Ironically the Vatican has not asked for the banning of either the book or the film and has called it a work of fiction. But Christian groups in countries like South Korea, Thailand, India and France have raised protests against the movie, planning boycotts, a hunger strike and attempts to block or shorten screenings.

Lebanon and Jordan have banned the film, Thailand has censored a bit at the end and the Philippines has issued an X certificate for the film.

Protests in India

The film has created a huge uproar in India as well and finally, in an attempt to resolve the issue, Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi watched the film in the company of censor board officials and senior catholic priests to help him decide whether the government should ban the film.

On May 18, just two days before the release of the film, the Censor Board cleared the controversial film with an "adults only" certification.

The Clergy has also asked for a disclaimer at the beginning and end of the film that it is a work of fiction.

Fiery subject

This is not the first or even the last time a film or book has evoked such an outcry and enraged minority communities in the past.

The Passion Of The Christ, released last year came in for strong criticism from several Jewish groups. The movie was criticized for portraying Jews as evil, violent and being responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Mel Gibson, who directed The Passion of Christ, was accused of being anti-semitic and pandering to religious sentiment.

"From my perspective what this movie is about is casting the Jews as the murderers of Jesus. This has nothing to do with acting. This has something to do with Gibson at his anti-Semitic worst," said Rabbi Avi Weiss, Coalition for Jewish Concerns.

Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ was another such movie that drew the ire of the Christian community. The film based on the novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis was surrounded by controversy due to its subject matter - his version of the life of Jesus, unlike what is depicted in the Bible.

Major religious leaders in the United States blasted the film in fiery sermons, and condemned its subject matter as pornographic.

Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses also provoked violent protests around the world.

Muslims everywhere were outraged by the publication of the book. The book was banned in six countries, including India and Pakistan.

Sequences in the book, referring to the Prophet Mohammed, were deeply offensive to Muslims. The book portrayed the leaders of the Iranian revolution as mass murderers.

Thin line

In most cases, the authors and filmmakers have tried to draw a line between fact and fiction.

Throughout the making of The Da Vinci Code, Ron Howard maintained that the film was supposed to be for entertainment and not theology.

Critics who caught a sneak preview of the thriller failed to understand the uproar over the film.

"I thought the movie was a big dud. Eagerly anticipated, highly controversial, you never know that from watching that movie. Nothing works really, it's not suspenseful, it's not romantic, it's certainly not fun," said Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald.

Producers of Da Vinci Declassified, a new documentary on the book said, "Nothing in the book can be proved to be a fact, that's why it's a work of fiction."