The Da Vinci Code Depiction Of Pain

The best-selling 2006 film, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown signifies how people mask under the different worldviews of Jesus to avert discouragement. The film vehemently denies the existence of God as well as offers a veiled attack on religion by the use of cultish and Gnostic institutions. The plot plays out in Paris after Silas, a staunch Catholic of the Opus Dei group hunts and kills cult member Jacques Saunière in Louvre art gallery after the recent declines to reveal the location of the key to the Holy Grail. Later, as symbolist Robert Langdon and detective Sophie Neveu join forces to capture the murderer, they discover that the slain person has evidence that would lead to artist Leonardo Da Vinci’s graveyard. Overall, it embodies the theme of misguided believes like the marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene and the inexistence of Karma.

For instance, Silas justifies his killings by saying ‘the sins of today are holy in purpose’ (Brown 8). Here he seeks to evade the consequences of his painful acts. The film Da Vinci Code affirms an offensive notion of Christianity that encourages vile deeds like the massacre, and the dishonor of Jesus hence creates an avenue for justifying immorality. The conservative catholic extremist Silas further depicts the utter absence of conscience in actions. After shooting the cult member in cold blood, he leaves the scene citing that ‘death is good’ (Brown 2).

One would expect him to show some remorse for the crime committed but on the contrary, he gloats about it and even expresses satisfaction regarding murdering the other three members. This distancing of emotion from action seeks to evade the pain within (Sparknotes 1). Throughout the scenes, Silas comes out strongly as one who does not mind crossing the line in the name of honoring the name of the God he serves. In the afternoon after murdering Sauniere, he walks home in spiked belts that seem to harm his body incredibly. He brushes off that pain and holds on to the course. According to Brown, ‘he hurt, but his soul sang with the satisfaction of service to the Lord’(7).

This aspect brings out the purely deluded nature of the religion that believed that killing others would work for the good of everybody else. Evidently, the committed Catholic believers seek to unveil the secret of the Holy Grail protected by the cult members. For that, they do not mind hurting others. Brown represents a deep-seated religious strife between the Vatican-accredited Catholics and the millenarian Gnostic Christians to confirm that the far-reaching impacts of false beliefs about Christ and the church can hurt the society a great deal. As Silas reports to the teacher about his progress in Paris, the former acknowledges that the dead men tried to salvage ‘their godless lives by mentioning the church of the Lord, mocking us like they always have’ (Brown 8). This attitude reveals that even though both seem misled about the idea of Christ, they would do anything, including mass murder to protect such beliefs. For instance, the Priory of Sion cultists is sworn to secrecy such that they are willing to die for the Mary Magdalene secret, and so they do. According to Borao, ‘these modern day Gnosticisms attempt to give a tainted view of salvation’ (5). The Catholics are so devoted that they are turning into lunatics with a craving for self-inflicted pain. This aspect represents the misguided beliefs that we have about religion that are not only damaging to humanity but also deeply derogatory of the notion of the higher God.

The people in the city seem fixated on the afterlife as opposed to the life on earth. They believe that the end would justify the means of the journey at all costs. For instance, as the murderous Saul approaches the church, he kneels to atone for his sins consoling himself that ‘Acts of war against the enemies of God had been committed for centuries. Forgiveness was assured’ (Brown 8). This mindset indicates that people have a shallow view of the forgiveness of the Lord. This is a misleading viewpoint as it encourages a sinful life where people do not bother to change their ways at all. This inclination to the idea that God forgives everything done for an agreeable course does more harm than good.

Conclusion

The Da Vinci Code is without a successful fictional work that holds an utterly provocative stance of promoting anti-theism and Gnomish nature. Brown seeks to explore the manner in which people use sinful ways to justify their semblance of ultimate happiness and satisfaction. In the film, the die-hard catholic Silas seems determined to secure the keystone, regardless of the challenges. As he kills the four brothers, he normalizes death and pain. This aspect confirms that he detached his soul from feelings. In other scenes, he murders in cold blood and takes pride in those actions hence confirming that crime is a non-issue if the intention is God-inspired. Later he confesses his sins proving that at the end of the day, prayer neutralizes wrongs. The instances present mocking and disregarding view of the Christian faith. The cults, Christians having extremist tendencies, as well as misinformed conceptions of the Holy Grail and Jesus Christ mirror the society’s attempt to cover for its worldly ways. Overall, the film employs a sinful focal point of the followers thus slanders Christian living.