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Photo credits www.allmovie.com)
What is it with Mr. Brown, has he got an axe to grind with the Catholic Church? This question one is almost tempted to ask in the middle of the movie adaptation of the novel of Dan Brown with the same title.
But I would like to give the author the benefit of the doubt and review this movie absent my own personal views on the religious aspect of it. Why? Because the movie took me for one hell (no pun intended) of a ride and left me gasping for more.
It is basically a whodunit in an unconventional way and Mr. Brown weaves his tale amidst the backdrop of the Vatican with its age-old rituals and traditions. (Warning: spoiler alert). Compared to the Da Vinci Code film, this one is indeed several degrees higher, both in action, pacing, and style. Its tightly edited putting just the right amount of action in some scenes while placing emphasis on the dialogue that makes it so much more than just a plain action thriller. While it may not grant you ephiphany it does provide food for thought long after the credits has rolled in.
The movie starts with the death of the Pope, the highest official in the Roman Catholic Church symbolized by the breaking of the Fisherman's Ring, a ring worn only by those who seat as head of the Church. Following tradition and canonical law, a conclave is convened composed of the Cardinals of the Catholic Church from all over the world tasked to choose the successor to the post first held by St. Peter. The rituals and rules of the conclave really got me fascinated and here in the movie it is central to the plot as would be revealed in the ending.
Upon the start of the conclave all the cardinals are ushered into a big room in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and the door is both physically and symbollically sealed. No one is to get in or get out until the purpose for which the conclave is instituted is served: that is, to elect the new leader of the Church and for whom a new Fisherman's Ring will be made and molded. Once a vote is taken, the ballots (I don't know what it is actually called) are burned and depending upon the result, two kinds of dust is burned along with it that would produce either black or white smoke. As any devout Catholic would know, black means the cardinals has not reached a consensus and the Church remains in
sedente vacante, without a Pope, while a white smoke would mean that a successor has been chosen.
What makes this conclave so different from other conclaves? Well, Mr. Brown decided to put a touch of terrorism to the plot and had four of the cardinals kidnapped right from their quarters in the Sistine Chapel. And they are not just any ordinary cardinal, they are the preferiti, the strongest contenders to be the next Holy Vicar. Here, the clue is already provided as to what the movie is all about. To add spice to the story bringing with it a Tom Clancy/Die Hard touch, a newly discovered anti-matter is threatened to be used to wipe the Vatican off the face of the earth, literally. All signs point to a centuries old enemy of the Church, the secret society of the Illuminati as behind the abduction and the terrorist threat. Here enters Robert Langdon, played to perfection as before by Oscar winner Tom Hanks, the protagonist in the Da Vinci Code. He had authored a book on the society and the head of the Vatican police, Commander Olliveti, believes he could help greatly in the investigation. Racing against time, the Swiss Guard (the Vatican's equivalent of the PSG and the Secret Service), the local gendarme and Mr. Langdon work through clues provided by symbols and archives of the Catholic church to find the kidnapped cardinals before they are murdered, one by one by the hour in different fashions so sadistic this blogger cringed when watching. This is the part where I really felt uncomfortable, as to why I leave you to find out for yourself.
Ewan McGregor, as usual delivers a most impressive performance. As Carmelango, the Church official entrusted to perform the functions of Pope during
sedente vacante, he is most believable as the orphan adopted by the recently dead Pope bent on protecting the Church for the ideals he believe it should fight for. The nuances and emotions he displays can be done only by an actor with a depth such as he has. I cannot give you what that particular emotion is without revealing the twist at the end so its better left unsaid. In this movie it is his character that lingers, and through no fault of Mr. Hanks (it is just that the role of Carmelango is more meatier), Ewan overshadows the academician-protagonist.
The focus on the conflict of the Illuminati and the Church brings to fore what at first seems to be the irreconciliable differences of the Church and science. If you follow closely the dialogue, it is here, in this conflict, that what is perceived to be the anti-Church stance of the author is shown. But upon the end of the movie, I changed my mind. As the Grand Elector said: "Religion is flawed only because men is flawed.."
Didn't I say in the beginning that this was basically a whodunit kind of movie? Oh, yes, because just like any whodunit, red herrings are a plenty and you would think convictions, right or wrong , and beliefs are the moving force that drives these terroristic acts in the movie. Who would have thought that one of the most common of human frailties is behind it all.
