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Review: Angels and Demons- Religious National Treasure, not anti-catholic, necessarily
05/17/09
Hmmm...according to the 1420 codex, Mumbodius Jumbodatum, there should be a small symbol under this chair. There. OK. This is the Renaissance symbol for "Angel." I can tell because it looks just like what a 21st century movie-goer would expect such a symbol to look like. Where's there a place in Rome associated with Angels? Let's look at this map. Angels have halos. Draw a circle here where we're at to the location of the last murder. No, halos only look elliptical- they're really circles. Aha! There's a Church right here along the halo's path, St. Incrdula. (two-minute drive) The Angel's in the middle here. Let's see: hands, feet, right there! The nose is aimed at that cellar. But wait, Donatello, the maker of the statue was dyslexic so it really should be that wall on the other side. The plaster's falling off. Let's dig right here in front of all of these museum patrons. Drat! Nothing here. Wait! A key. Look for a door. Good. Right here. A book! Let me thumb through it for a moment. This is the symbol the 17th century monk, Paolo Bergonini's used as a quiet protest against the Church's treatment of Galileo. Let me put it under this light. It matches the symbol on your ring. You, sir, are a murderer.
In it's complete absurdity, Angels and Demons resembles the National Treasure movies. The quick finding of clues, so impossibly miraculous that even the Church would balk. The incredible store of knowledge within one man's head-- Robert Langdon knows more about the Vatican than the Vatican itself. It's all very silly.
National Treasure (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
It's also very fun. The movie moves quickly. The editing is sharp. There's a rather great scene in which Langdon and some German Vatican flunky are trapped in an air-tight book room.
You don't have to be a symbologist to guess the surprise ending, although since one doubts whether modern writers would take such an obvious path, it has the same effect as a true surprise ending. Tom Hanks remains America's most charismatic actor. Ewan McGregor does very well here. He's good with religious stuff, first with Forceism and now, Catholicism.
The scenery is wonderful and I can totally see myself doing an "Angels and Demons tour" of Italy.
A Cuban flag appeared within the crowd in more than a few scenes. I wonder which official of the Cuba's atheist government let that dude go to a Papal Conclave.
The main difference between National Treasure and Angels and Demons is that the latter deals with religion. This fact makes Angels and Demons a league deeper and at least as interesting (other people find the subject interesting, according to this week's box office).
Is Angels and Demons anti-Catholic?
Yes and No.
If you wanted to make the most anti-Catholic movie in the universe, you'd make a mocking comedy like Religulous. For non-comedies, you'd either portray the Church as an institution filled with depraved nuts like In the Name of the Rose or as some grand conspiracy as in DaVinci Code.
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
There are elements of the above in Angels and Demons: Langdon makes fun of one pope's phallophobia (immediately after, Langdon denies bias). The Catholics in the movie are sincere, however, and not insane. Angels and Demons doesn't attack the Church's foundation, Christ, like the DaVinci Code does (answer tract here).
The movie takes Christianity seriously and even Langdon is ambiguous about his own faith stance. Antimatter may or may not prove the existence of God.
What's absolutely sinful about Angels and Demons is that its lies may lead people astray.
It's a near iron-clad truth that people who attack Christianity in general and the Catholic Church specifically must lie to make a dramatic point. Angels and Demons lies about the Illuminati's relationship with the Church. Galileo lived in the 17th century, a full 150 years before the foundation of the Illuminati. There was never a purge of the Illuminati by the Church ("purga", in the movie).
I don't think the Church condemned Shakespeare, Chaucer, or the English language.
More of a misunderstanding than a lie is Angels and Demons' insistence on some kind of Christian-Science split. In fact, many Churchmen were scientists: Mendel, Copernicus (who developed the heliocentric theory before Galileo), and the originator of the Big Bang theory, Georges Lemaître. The Catholic Church has never condemned evolution (here and here). It only claims to deal authoritatively with faith and morals.
That Dan Brown has to lie about Galileo's connection with the Illuminati proves that Brown's central thesis is flawed. Why didn't Brown use a condemned scientist contemporary with the Illuminati? Because he couldn't find one. Galileo's the only famous example of Church persecution of science (and even that is distorted).
Perhaps a disclaimer at the end of the film explaining that a lot of this is made up would have given Ron Howard an out with God.
On the other hand, movies like Angels and Demons cause interest in religion and that's probably a good thing. Ron Howard may yet make it.
Cast and credits below:
Follow up:
Directed by
Ron Howard
Writing credits
(WGA)
David Koepp (screenplay) and
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Dan Brown (novel)
Cast (in credits order)
Tom Hanks ... Robert Langdon
Ewan McGregor ... Camerlengo Patrick McKenna
Ayelet Zurer ... Vittoria Vetra
Stellan Skarsgård ... Commander Richter
Pierfrancesco Favino ... Inspector Olivetti
Nikolaj Lie Kaas ... Assassin
Armin Mueller-Stahl ... Cardinal Strauss
Thure Lindhardt ... Chartrand
David Pasquesi ... Claudio Vincenzi
Cosimo Fusco ... Father Simeon
Victor Alfieri ... Lieutenant Valenti
Franklin Amobi ... Cardinal Lamasse
Curt Lowens ... Cardinal Ebner
Bob Yerkes ... Cardinal Guidera
Marc Fiorini ... Cardinal Baggia (as Marco Fiorini)
Carmen Argenziano ... Silvano Bentivoglio
Howard Mungo ... Cardinal Yoruba
Rance Howard ... Cardinal Beck
Steve Franken ... Cardinal Colbert
Gino Conforti ... Cardinal Pugini
Elya Baskin ... Cardinal Petrov
Richard Rosetti ... Conclave Cardinal
Silvano Marchetto ... Conclave Cardinal
Thomas Morris ... Urs Weber
Jonas Fisch ... Swiss Guardsman
August Fredrik ... Swiss Guardsman
Ben Bela Böhm ... Swiss Guardsman
Paul Schmitz ... Swiss Guardsman
Jeffrey Boehm ... Swiss Guard Blue (as Jeff Boehm)
Xavier J. Nathan ... Philippe
Steve Kehela ... American Reporter
Ursula Brooks ... British Reporter
Rashmi ... British Reporter
Yan Cui ... Chinese Reporter
Fritz Michel ... French Reporter
Maria Cristina Heller ... Italian Reporter
Pascal Petardi ... Italian Reporter
Yesenia Adame ... Mexican Reporter
Kristof Konrad ... Polish Reporter
Masasa Moyo ... South African Reporter
Ed Francis Martin ... South American Reporter (as Ed F. Martin)
Cheryl Howard ... CERN Scientist
Endre Hules ... CERN Scientist
Norbert Weisser ... CERN Scientist
Shelby Zemanek ... Little Girl in Square
Vanna Salviati ... Protester
Raffi Di Blasio ... Protester
Todd Schneider ... Carabinieri
Roberto Donati ... Carabinieri
Rocco Passafaro ... Carabinieri
Emanuele Secci ... Carabinieri
Anna Katarina ... Docent
James Ritz ... Tourist
Felipe Torres Urso ... Tourist (as Felipe Torres)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Skoti Collins ... Brittish cameraman
Adriana Roze ... Vatican Square Singer - Soloist
David Speed ... Brittish cameraman
Jose Acevedo ... Italian Police (uncredited)
Roy Allen III ... Cardinal (uncredited)
Aidan Bristow ... Conclave Priest #1 (uncredited)
Patrick Casa ... Choir boy / Tourist (uncredited)
Jason Ciok ... Matthew Choir Boy (uncredited)
Tammy Colbert ... Vatican Square Gypsy (uncredited)
Luca Costa ... Fireman (uncredited)
Shervin Davatgar ... Arab reporter (uncredited)
Calvin Dean ... Choir Member #1 (uncredited)
Vincent De Paul ... Vatican Pall Bearer (uncredited)
Angelique Deuitch ... Tourist (uncredited)
Brant Dorman ... Swiss Guard Blue (uncredited)
Allen Dula ... Vatican Police Officer (uncredited)
Liz Duran ... Vatican Mouner (uncredited)
Matthew Earnest ... Italian Mourner (uncredited)
Les Feltmate ... Priest (uncredited)
Victor Fischbarg ... Vatican Choir Member (uncredited)
David Frank Fletcher Jr. ... Protestor #3 (uncredited)
Aaron Denius Garcia ... Carabinieri (uncredited)
Nancy Guerriero ... Vatican Nun (uncredited)
Andy Scott Harris ... Vatican Choirboy (uncredited)
Martin William Harris ... Irish Reporter (uncredited)
David Hill ... Pantheon Tourist (uncredited)
Christopher Karl Johnson ... Cardinal (uncredited)
Andrea Kelley ... Italian Teen (uncredited)
Michael Laren ... Vatican choir singer (uncredited)
Dale Pavinski ... Carabinieri Captain (uncredited)
David Pryor ... Mourner (uncredited)
Robert Radlach ... U.S. Army General (uncredited)
Paul Richard ... Swissguard #4 (uncredited)
Jarrod W. Robbins ... Swiss Guardsman (uncredited)
John Robert ... Tourist with hat (uncredited)
Dylan Saccoccio ... Carabinieri (uncredited)
Joel Shock ... Armory swiss guard (uncredited)
Arne Starr ... Vatican Priest (uncredited)
Nico Toffoli ... Carabieniere Riot (uncredited)
James Tumminia ... Vatican Priest (uncredited)
Ryan Van de Kamp Buchanan ... The Swiss Guard (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?
Produced by
Dan Brown .... executive producer
John Calley .... producer
William M. Connor .... associate producer
Brian Grazer .... producer
Todd Hallowell .... executive producer
Ron Howard .... producer
Ute Leonhardt .... line producer: Italy
Kathleen McGill .... associate producer
Marco Valerio Pugini .... executive producer: Italy
Louisa Velis .... associate producer
Original Music by
Hans Zimmer
), 01:51:29 pm, 1399 words PermalinkCategories: Now playing at a theater near you :: 3 comments »
3 comments
For the cuban flag... I think that Fidel himself may have actually gone to see JPII's body after he died in Rome to pay his respects. JPII went to Cuba I think in 1998 and the two of them were able to improve relations between the vatian and havana somewhat. Fidel had great respect for him.Anyone familiar with catholicism knows how far off Brown is from reality, altough unforunately there are many people out there who have little appreciation for the church beyond the stereotypical images that are conveyed through this sort of media.
God Bless,
The film of Angels and Demons is genuinely horrid. It has no detectable dignity. One of the worst films I have ever, ever seen. It made me laugh several times. At all the wrong moments. I didn't understand the plot at all.
One critic at Rotten Tomatoes said that grace or inspiration are entirely absent in every single scene of the Angels film.
Another critic called it "The stupidest film ever made." Stirring words.
And I'd have to agree. It's a truly bizarre movie. Laughable and dull. When God withdraws His grace from something, it is very apparent. Never was this more true than for this idiotic show.
I recall hearing about the Angels and Demons film several years ago, when it was first announced. Around that time I was studying the rosary; intrigued by the reputed power of this particular prayer. So I prayed it every day for this movie to fail. And fail it did. What a response.
The lifeless atmosphere in Angels and Demons was precisely the same as in The Da Vinci Code film. Stagnant. Boring. Silly.
Graceless.
Coincidence? I think not. Divine irony, probably.
I recall reading several stories in the past about saints defeating armies through prayer of the rosary alone. Peaceful triumph through contemplation and devotion. If prayer can can stop armies, it can certainly stop Ron Howard.
I am genuinely curious as to what is going through Ron Howard's mind right now. It must be excessively unpleasant.
He gave Angels and Demons more action than The Da Vinci Code. But that didn't solve the film's problems. He gave it more chases. He made the music more exciting. The scenery more exotic. The running around more frantic.
None of it worked. Angels and Demons is still a foolish, shoddy thing.
When all the usual movie tricks fail, it must be disquieting to understand why a production has gone wrong. There's no discenable physical reason.
And if I was faithless old Ron Howard, I would be absolutely pulling out my hair to understand where to go from here.
Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol, is coming out soon. And Howard has signed the film deal. Maybe he should have waited until Angels and Demons came out, to know if he really understood what he was doing or not.
I propose a bet. Dan Brown's new novel The Lost Symbol appears in book stores this September. You can be sure I will be praying my rosary for it to fail. The strength of God against the stupidity of the world.
And I am willing to wager that the book will be just as boring, dull, uninspired and uninfluential as the Angels and Demons movie.
It will be an interesting test indeed.
P.S. I have noted that every single prayer I have ever made through the rosary has always been answered, in some way or form. It is one of the great forgetten powers of the Church. I suggest we use it.
Dan Brown is such a creative author..Looking forward to The Lost Symbol.
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