Comments on: Da Vinci Code prediction http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/ Stories, thoughts & insights on Jesus, college students, and the Bible; Los Angeles, immigration, politics, ethnicity and culture, and also about my daughter Isabel - from a spanglish gringo father living in, learning from, leading & loving life in East L.A. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:54:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: chris h. http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-591 chris h. Thu, 03 Aug 2006 00:16:16 +0000 http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-591 See Entertainment Weekly 25 Most Controversial Movies of All Time: The Da Vinci Code - #12, The Passion of The Christ - #1. See Entertainment Weekly 25 Most Controversial Movies of All Time: The Da Vinci Code - #12, The Passion of The Christ - #1.

]]> By: chris h. http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-590 chris h. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:49:18 +0000 http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-590 I completely agree on that point. A book or film based on Truth/History, something closely tied to reality, has a much better chance to remain relevant. It resonates with people in way that is in some ways timeless. Controversy by itself is often a fading thing when the controversy comes from something that so clearly had no firm basis to begin with. Even fiction/story must have its ring of truth in order to stand the test of time. I completely agree on that point. A book or film based on Truth/History, something closely tied to reality, has a much better chance to remain relevant. It resonates with people in way that is in some ways timeless. Controversy by itself is often a fading thing when the controversy comes from something that so clearly had no firm basis to begin with. Even fiction/story must have its ring of truth in order to stand the test of time.

]]> By: Spanglish Gringo http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-589 Spanglish Gringo Wed, 02 Aug 2006 20:49:33 +0000 http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-589 I think that is what surprised me. I expected the controversy to carry the movie just like it carried the book (since strong writing or substantial research certainly didn't carry the book). Honesly, I expected a "Passion of the Christ"-like impact of the book in popular culture (though not necessarily in terms of spiritual impact). It strikes me that as generally illiterate - or at least unread - as our society is, people still have an expectation of veracity for things in print that doesn't carry over in the same way for movies or visual media. The correlation between the box-office success of the movie and the lack of ongoing discussion of the controversy of the book confirms for me that controversy - to have a significant impact - still has to be based in historical reality. For example, the Israel/Hezbollah conflict is controversial primarily because it is so historically relevant. The Passion of the Christ was impactful because the controversy - ie. Jesus' life & death - is so historically relevant. Apparently, the mythology & story (not to be confused with history) of the Da Vinci Code was unable to carry a significant impact. Though it touched many relevant points of dialogue, the movie - more clearly than the book - revealed the fictional nature of the questions being raised. I think that is what surprised me. I expected the controversy to carry the movie just like it carried the book (since strong writing or substantial research certainly didn’t carry the book). Honesly, I expected a “Passion of the Christ”-like impact of the book in popular culture (though not necessarily in terms of spiritual impact).

It strikes me that as generally illiterate - or at least unread - as our society is, people still have an expectation of veracity for things in print that doesn’t carry over in the same way for movies or visual media.

The correlation between the box-office success of the movie and the lack of ongoing discussion of the controversy of the book confirms for me that controversy - to have a significant impact - still has to be based in historical reality. For example, the Israel/Hezbollah conflict is controversial primarily because it is so historically relevant. The Passion of the Christ was impactful because the controversy - ie. Jesus’ life & death - is so historically relevant.

Apparently, the mythology & story (not to be confused with history) of the Da Vinci Code was unable to carry a significant impact. Though it touched many relevant points of dialogue, the movie - more clearly than the book - revealed the fictional nature of the questions being raised.

]]> By: chris h. http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-588 chris h. Wed, 02 Aug 2006 20:29:02 +0000 http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-588 Ultimately, I think it is the quality of the work that determines the legacy. And in the case of The Da Vinci Code, there was much left to be desired, both in film and book form. The movie by relative standards actually did quite well, with its current domestic box office receipts weighing in at over $215 million, and with a very healthy international run it has no doubt made well over $300 million. Despite this sucess, and despite the fact that the book opened up relevant areas for discussion for the Church, especially when it comes to Christianity's historic legitimacy, The Da Vinci Code failed to create lasting discussion because of the lack of depth and quality of writing. Controversy and ridiculous claims aside, it is at its best a throw away novel, and, much like the book, for better or worse, the discussion about it has been shelved. Ultimately, I think it is the quality of the work that determines the legacy. And in the case of The Da Vinci Code, there was much left to be desired, both in film and book form. The movie by relative standards actually did quite well, with its current domestic box office receipts weighing in at over $215 million, and with a very healthy international run it has no doubt made well over $300 million. Despite this sucess, and despite the fact that the book opened up relevant areas for discussion for the Church, especially when it comes to Christianity’s historic legitimacy, The Da Vinci Code failed to create lasting discussion because of the lack of depth and quality of writing. Controversy and ridiculous claims aside, it is at its best a throw away novel, and, much like the book, for better or worse, the discussion about it has been shelved.

]]> By: Steve Marks http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-587 Steve Marks Wed, 02 Aug 2006 04:16:31 +0000 http://www.spanglishgringo.com/weblog/2006/08/01/da-vinci-code-prediction/#comment-587 Yeah, that really was interesting, wasn't it? After the movie did all crappy, nobody cared anymore. It's almost as if making money in hollywood is the benchmark of your ideas being worth listening to. A good contrast might be Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth". It was a good film, it's doing well, so now everyone's talking about global warming. Maybe that heat wave helped things out too. :) Yeah, that really was interesting, wasn’t it? After the movie did all crappy, nobody cared anymore.

It’s almost as if making money in hollywood is the benchmark of your ideas being worth listening to. A good contrast might be Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. It was a good film, it’s doing well, so now everyone’s talking about global warming. Maybe that heat wave helped things out too. :)

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