The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code is a suspense thriller novel by Dan Brown. 
What difference do you see in the portrayal of 'Ophelia' (Kate Winslet) in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, 'Elizabeth' ( Helena Bonham Carter) in Kenneth Branagh's Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or ' Hester Prynne' (Demi Moore) in Roland Joffé's The Scarlet Letter' or David Yates's 'Harmione Granger' (Emma Watson) in last four Harry Potter films - and 'Sophie Neuve' (Audrey Tautau) in Ron Howard's The Da Vinci Code? How would justify your answer?

If we compare Ophelia with Hermione or Sophie Neuve, then there is a vast difference. 21^st century  female characters are getting more space. Female characters has  grown a lot.  They are equal or more smarter than male characters. Sophie and Hermione both accompanies to male members in the journey. But its in novel,  the picture is different in the movie.

Here it is necessary to clarify that there is a wide difference between portrayal female characters in literature and movies. 

When representation of female is observed deeply one will find problem that female body is largely objectified. This objectification is problamatic. This can be proved by above mentioned references that How Ophelia's ( Kate Winslet)in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet is shown. This kind of presentation is not there in original Hamlet by Shakespeare. The kind of sexual scenes and nudity is shown that is objectifying female's body as a commodity. The same kind of observation can be derieve from the character of Elizabeth of Frankenstein also. Hester Prynne (Demi Moore) is also showned nude in the movie. The point is that female’s body is used as commodity. Hermione is also used as a object for the rivalry between Harry and  Ron.

But Ron Howard  didn’t do that, that is very good thing. Throughout the movie director is able to catch the spirit of the FEMININE SACREDNESS.  During entire movie, no one will find camera rolling over female’s body for sensual pleasure. There is not a single kissing scene in entire movie, even if it is a blockbuster hit movie. Western media generally criticized for showing lowliness of female’s body as a object. But the spirit of the novel is that in pagan religion both gender were equal. The binaries are created later on. So it tries to look female as  a sacred one. Sophie’s character is ideally portrayed to show feminine sacredness.

·      (If)You have studied ‘Genesis’ (The Bible), ‘The Paradise Lost’ (John Milton) and ‘The Da Vinci Code’ (Dan Brown). Which of the narrative/s seem/s to be truthful? Whose narrative is convincing to the contemporary young mind?

It is an age old debate that literature/ movie misrepresents reality but the point is that it never claims that it says truth. It is SEMI- HISTORICAL. It uses historical evidences to construct a new story. But, if one asks forcefully to chooses one of three, then I would choose The Da Vinci Code as a more convincing narrative. Because Bible says that Eve is created from the rib of Adam, which is not possible to believe scientifically. Bible also says that God has created entire universe, but empirical evidences to prove it right are not available. Even it seems difficult to believe for the rational mind people.

·        What harm has been done to humanity by the biblical narration or that of Milton’s in The Paradise Lose? What sort of damage does narrative like ‘The Vinci Code’ do to humanity?

The damage done by Biblical narration and Paradise lost is that they have created binaries. And put man into privileging position and female into under privileged position. All women started believing that they are the responsible for the fall of man from heaven  & suffering of entire mankind. This realization as inferior is damage done by it. in one or another way it tries to say that if you trap in argument of  female (as Eve) then you will suffer like Adam- this is problematic. 
Milton has divided the role of male and female in society-that female should do house hold work and male should engage in intellectual work. When Raphel comes to inform about the possible danger of Satan, Eve is absent. Thus, putting Eve (female) away from intellectual discussion and deciding their role is problematic. 

The Da Vinci Code has a very progressive beginning with Prof. Langdon. but what he does at the end of the novel is regressive. He kneels down at the Sarcophagus of Mary Magdalene. He suppose to reveal the secret about the Jesus's blood line and his relation with Mary Magdalene. But rather than making it public, he becomes the secret keeper.
Sir Leigh Teabing wanted to liberate entire humanity by revealing the secret. But Langdon dont do that. This is the biggest damage done by them to Humanity. Because if we look at the history then religion killed more people than any other thing. People like Silas and Aringoras are killing people on the name of God or religion. this would have been stop if secret had been revealed.   

 “Although it is obvious that much of what Brown presented in his novel as absolutely true and accurate is neither of those, some of that material is of course essential to the intrigue, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman has retained the novel's core, the Grail-related material: the sacred feminine, Mary Magdalene's marriage, the Priory of Sion, certain aspects of Leonardo's art, and so on.” How far do you agree with this observation of Norris J. Lacy?

Novel is discussed and debated a lot since its time of publication. many documentaries are research are made on this. all these has falsified the narrative of the Dan Brown. Few evidences he uses may be correct, but everything is not so. so Norris's observation is true. one is that Da vinci's cryptex, mirror image writing etc are falsified. cryptex was originally machine. so on several ground it fails as a truth.