The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code, a movie that many Christians were critical of due to its portrayal of Jesus and Mary Magdalene as a married couple with a child, suggesting a human bloodline, disputing Jesus's divinity, showcasing historical inaccuracies and theological errors, and ultimately stating that Christianity and the Christian beliefs were in essence, one of the greatest historical liars ever told. Many Christians boycotted the movie, and I was one of them. I refused to accept the film for its blasphemy, but when it hit the online market for rental, I decided to see what the fuss was about. Today, I took it as nothing more than an intriguing, fascinating, largely fictional thriller I have come to enjoy. Summarizing the book and the film, the protagonist, Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology from Harvard University, is on assignment in London to lecture and provide insight on the interpretation of symbols. Langdon is brought to the Louvre Museum to provide information about the death of its curator Jacques Saunière's body hanged, similar to Da Vinci's portrait of the Vitruvian Man, a drawing depicting a nude man with his arms and legs apart. Unbeknown to Langdon, police captain Bezu Fache considers him the prime suspect after finding his name written among the symbols. Langdon escapes with the assistance of Sophie Neveu, a police cryptologist, and they embark on a quest to find the Holy Grail using symbolistic clues left by Saunière —clues that hide profound secrets that could alter the course of Christianity.  

The play follows the book's interpretation and details the secret cabal within Opus Dei, a religious group organized to keep Jesus's secret life hidden, the Priory of Sion. The main characters, Langdon, Sophie Neveu (part of Jesus's bloodline), and Sir Leigh Teabing, The Teacher and the main antagonist, seek to reveal Jesus's secret bloodline. When comparing the two adaptations of Robert Langdon, his character is portrayed as significantly more intelligent in the movie than in the play. Jeff Parker performs well as Robert Langdon— same for the cast of Vaneh Assadourian, Anthony Irons, and Leslie Ann Sheppard, and Bradley Aracost was outstanding as Sir Leigh Teabing. Still, the inanimate staging extinguishes the actors' intriguing dialogue, forfeiting its powerful narrative of facts vs. fiction. What renders The Da Vinci Code, the movie, a fascinating and captivating narrative is its stunning special effects and the art of deciphering codes. However, the staging at Drury Lane, while effectively illuminating the intricate symbols and codes, falls short of delivering the alluring experience required to fully engage the audience in the spellbinding world of The Da Vinci Code. Still, since I love the mystery and narrative of the play, I found it a masterful story-telling production filled with thrilling, intriguing myths and truths.      

In the book, Brown states that the Priory of Sion and all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate, but Brown denounces that he is an atheist and the Christian viewpoints that his book was an attack against Christianity; which is as mention, all a matter of perspective and solely up to the interpretation of those that read the book and seen the movie. It wouldn't be the first nor the last attack against those who believe in the deity of Jesus, as Christ or Christianity. It's in the eye of the beholder, and I enjoyed the movie and still watch it each time I see it featured on my YouTube TV listing. As for the play, it's an intriguing and mysteriously fun event you should witness.   

⭐⭐⭐

Drury Lane Theatre

THE DA VINCI CODE

Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Based on the novel by Dan Brown

April 9 - June 1, 2025

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