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ANSAB
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Articles Posted: 123; Links Seeded: 1917
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 8/25/2009
Member Since: 1/2006Last Seen: 8/25/2009
14 Votes
27 Comments
'Da Vinci Code' steals from 'Star Wars'
News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon May 29, 2006 5:27 PM EDT
Article Source: fortwayne.comadvertisement
The likeness goes far past incidental similarities and can be more aptly described as a rip-off. For starters, look at the characters. "The Da Vinci Code" features a faceless antagonist referred to as "teacher," much like the part of the emperor in "Star Wars." This "teacher" controls the actions of the Bishop Aringarosa (Darth Vader) as well as Silas (Darth Maul); both of which are sith-like pawns in his ultimate plan to find the Holy Grail.
The Knights Templar are unmistakably the knighted force of the Jedi, fighting alongside the Priory of Sion, or rebellion as the case may be. While the movie omitted the return of Sophie's brother, the book features it as the two being raised separately after their parent's death to ensure their safety. It's almost too easy for me to draw this painfully obvious line from that to the Luke and Leia situation. Hanks' character, Langdon, was only missing the Wookie Chewbacca by his side.
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{"commentId":139460,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
Hanks' character, Langdon, was only missing the Wookie Chewbacca by his side.
They didn't miss him. He's right on top of Hanks' head.
{"commentId":139460,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
- 17 votes
#1 - Mon May 29, 2006 7:03 PM EDT{"commentId":139910,"authorDomain":"georgei"}
BRILLIANT! Hilarious!
{"commentId":139910,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"georgei"}
{"commentId":139462,"authorDomain":"morwynd"}
'The church's order to terminate the Knights Templar is the emperor's "order 66" for the clone armies to eliminate all Jedi."'
Except of course... that the Friday Oct 13th, 1307 extermination of the Templars actually happened, centuries before Lucas crafted his "literary and cinematic treasure"... which was in turn ripped off from Joseph Campbell, Kurosawa, and numerous other sources.
If anything, the Jedi are based on the Templars, and "order 66" is based on the purge of 1307... not the other way around.
(Disclaimer: I'm not trying to defend the factual validity of "The Da Vinci Code", it has many, many errors... but the Templar stuff is reasonably accurate)
{"commentId":139462,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"morwynd"}
- 11 votes
#2 - Mon May 29, 2006 7:03 PM EDT{"commentId":139469,"authorDomain":"edwards"}
I'm sorry, but both are merely cliche villains. I can't even believe somebody would call that a rip-off.
That's like saying having a good vs. evil scenario is a rip-off.
{"commentId":139469,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"edwards"}
- 20 votes
#3 - Mon May 29, 2006 7:12 PM EDT{"commentId":139561,"authorDomain":"jaybutler"}
I agree. The Star Wars storyline is hardly original. Wasn't it based on Kurosawa's Seven Samurai?
{"commentId":139561,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"jaybutler"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":139647,"authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
I'm sorry, but both are merely cliche villains. I can't even believe somebody would call that a rip-off.
Exactly. George Lucas based his storyline heavily on Joseph Campbell's Hero, and it's not too unreasonable to believe that Dan Brown may have done the same.
{"commentId":139647,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":139680,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
And Jospeh Campbell was merely referencing Jung's Archetypes.
:)
{"commentId":139680,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":139744,"authorDomain":"spacey"}
@Jay Butler:
You are thinking of Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." After seeing Star Wars, its a hillarious watch. Granted, Lucas admited that this movie along with old Western style movies were the key inspiration to creating Star Wars... but this movie has character-per-character similarity. From the 2 goofy droids involvment with the heros, to the princess, so the reluctant hero, to the true hero, evil empire etc etc. Oh, and don't forget my fav, Chewy, he's in there too.
Samurai cowboys... in space!
{"commentId":139744,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"spacey"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":140504,"authorDomain":"superfive"}
And Jospeh Campbell was merely referencing Jung's Archetypes.
And before Jung, Galen; before Galen, Aristotle; before Aristotle, Plato...
{"commentId":140504,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"superfive"}
{"commentId":139661,"authorDomain":"thura"}
Didn't someoneonce say that - all the stories are the same only the people and circumstances are different?
Besides SW was based on archetypes that we are all familiar with. That's why it resonated because it was a "familiar story" told in a grand way that no one to that time has seen before.
{"commentId":139661,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"thura"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Mon May 29, 2006 11:03 PM EDT{"commentId":139820,"authorDomain":"smithco"}
{"commentId":139688,"authorDomain":"tbone"}
{"commentId":139709,"authorDomain":"tj"}
"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." ~ yoda
{"commentId":139709,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"tj"}
- 7 votes
#6 - Mon May 29, 2006 11:40 PM EDT{"commentId":140560,"authorDomain":"MissDev"}
I think a more pressing matter than did Da Vinci Code "steal" from Star Wars is what happened to George Lucas' writing skills over the past 15 years!?
{"commentId":140560,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"MissDev"}
{"commentId":142170,"authorDomain":"morwynd"}
You're implying he employed these "writing skills" on the original trilogy?
He did write the story treatment for Empire and Jedi, but left the screenplay and directing to others.
He did write the screenplay for New Hope, and it shows; the dialog is far weaker than the next two films. In fact the dialog probably would've been far worse were it not for the presence of Harrison Ford and Alec Guiness, who had the "clout" to tell Lucas when certains lines sucked. Ford is famous for telling Lucas that "you can write this @!$%#, but you can't say it".
Lucas is a creative genius, a visionary visual storyteller, and has admirably continued to push the envelope on next gen technology... but he can't write dialog or direct actors to save his life. I still can't believe he turned down Spielberg's offer to direct.
{"commentId":142170,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"morwynd"}
{"commentId":139718,"authorDomain":"lll"}
I thought by now we all already know that the movie industry is the biggest proponent of recycling?
{"commentId":139718,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"lll"}
- 2 votes
#7 - Mon May 29, 2006 11:57 PM EDT{"commentId":139737,"authorDomain":"spacey"}
So was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade also a rip off of the new 3 star wars movies?
{"commentId":139737,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"spacey"}
#8 - Tue May 30, 2006 12:43 AM EDT{"commentId":139748,"authorDomain":"MissDev"}
The similarities are due to the fact that both Star Wars and The Da Vinci Code (as well as other films, books, stories, and even songs) are based on a classic formula known as "The Hero's Journey." As Brian Ford mentions, Joseph Campbell spent some time on the subject. The Hero's Journey consists of a reluctant protagonist, a mysterious teacher, often a rebirth thru water, and a clear quest for a powerful object or knowledge that is, itself, shrouded in mystery. Star Wars and The Da Vinci Code are in good company in using the Hero's Journey as a basis. Some other works that follow the Hero's Journey are The Lord of the Flies, Jason and the Golden Fleece, and, of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
So, instead of ripping on The Da Vinci Code recognize it for using a successful and time honored code to translate a convoluted story into an understandable plot.
@Ansab - I commend you for seeing the similarities.
{"commentId":139748,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"MissDev"}
- 1 vote
#9 - Tue May 30, 2006 12:55 AM EDT{"commentId":139972,"authorDomain":"jamesmirick"}
Miss Dev, you summarized it perfectly. In the end, they're all cowboy movies . . . or wait a minute, maybe cowboy movies are all . . . Well, the tale is in the telling.
{"commentId":139972,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"jamesmirick"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":142183,"authorDomain":"morwynd"}
"The Hero's Journey consists of a reluctant protagonist, a mysterious teacher, often a rebirth thru water, and a clear quest for a powerful object or knowledge that is, itself, shrouded in mystery."
Bingo. Another story which follows this formula precisely is The Matrix, watery rebith and all.
{"commentId":142183,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"morwynd"}
{"commentId":143143,"authorDomain":"MissDev"}
@Morwynd - I had almost forgotten about The Matrix! It is a great example! For the perfect example of The Hero's Journey, as it follows every step, is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It would be interesting to have a sit down and watch Star Wars (which is cool because in the original trilogy each movie is a Hero's Journey, and the trilogy as a whole is a Hero's Journey), The Matrix, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off and compare the films.
{"commentId":143143,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"MissDev"}
{"commentId":143710,"authorDomain":"morwynd"}
I must confess I am somewhat thrown by your Ferris Bueller comparison...
Ferris didn't seem particularly reluctant to embark on his adventures, nor can I really identify what his teacher or rebirth would be. (Mind you, it's been years since I've seen it; I am surely forgetting many details)
Unless... are you perhaps referring to his friend Cameron in this context? He was certainly reluctant, Ferris could be viewed as his teacher, and the whole incident with his dad's car could qualify as a rebirth (watery too.. didn't he take a dunk in a swimming pool?)
{"commentId":143710,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"morwynd"}
{"commentId":140064,"authorDomain":"tcervo"}
Funny thing is, Lucas is the first person to tell you his SW universe and story is not original. He has been very open about his influences, and the fact that SW borrows much from various mythologies and tales, and as Miss Dev pointed out, "The Hero's Journey" formula of story telling.
{"commentId":140064,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"tcervo"}
- 4 votes
#10 - Tue May 30, 2006 11:43 AM EDT{"commentId":140255,"authorDomain":"tbone"}
{"commentId":140884,"authorDomain":"amberneve"}
The supreme example of an archetype held by Jews, Christians, and Muslims is "the Christ". "Christ" is the Greek term equivalent to the Hebrew term "messiah". A messiah is a human being chosen by God - as symbolized by an anointing - and enabled to perform an important act. According to the Bible, there are two messiahs, Jesus the Christ and the Antichrist.
The Antichrist is a misunderstood subject. He is a very real person, alive and well. I have been researching his life and teachings. I plan to publish a book this year. I will disclose his identify. I have posted some preview material at the following link:
http://antichrist.newsvine.com/
I invite questions and comments.
{"commentId":140884,"threadId":"29634","contentId":"233831","authorDomain":"amberneve"}
#11 - Tue May 30, 2006 9:37 PM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"29634","isPrivate":false}
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