If you're looking for a 'definitive' explanation or confirmation/debunking of the Da Vinci Code, this DVD may disappoint. But what's completely refreshing is that this goes back to the source of the whole story - Henry Lincoln and the mystery of Rennes-le-Chateau. We get to find out - from the horse's mouth - how the original story was discovered and why, 30 years on, that same story (which first appeared in 'Holy Blood, Holy Grail') still has the power to inflame controversy. What's so disarming though - and you get to hear it straight from the source - is that even the originator of the whole cycle HIMSELF warns against BELIEVING in the 'Holy Bloodline' hypothesis. As he says (in the excellent bonus interviews in the EXTRAS section), it doesn't matter whether WE believe it to be true, what matters and is really of interest is whether people in the PAST believed it to be true and acted upon it.
It's surprising how swiftly and deftly the whole basis of the Da Vinci Code story can be dealt with when you go back to the source. You start to wonder what all the fuss is about. But if you've no idea of how the story got started then Lincoln's tale of his discoveries and his dealings with the Priory of Sion is fascinating.
What's more astonishing is that this DVD reveals for the first time a new story beyond all the Holy Bloodline, Priory of Sion and Da Vinci Code stuff. Basically Lincoln has spent that last 25 years (since writing `Holy Blood, Holy Grail') investigating something that Dan Brown never mentions in the Da Vinci Code. Beyond all the Mary Magdalene "was Jesus married" question, there's a real and verifiable phenomenon that demands explanation. Hidden in the countryside around Rennes-le-Chateau (the place in the South of France where the whole story started) there is an enormous pentacle and series of precise geometric forms, miles across, described by the positioning of churches and other landmarks. These same designs have also been found on a small island in the Baltic Sea which has connections with the Knights Templar. This is what the makers of this DVD seem concerned might get missed in all the fuss around Dan Brown's novel. It seems to me that what the previous reviewer found irritating - the posing of a new challenge rather than another theoretical explanation for what's already known, is actually a more honest approach. And for the viewer, much more engaging.
I also think this DVD is good value. There's a healthy dollop of extras - additional interview extracts with Lincoln and Erling Haagensen (who discovered the geometry in Denmark and has since collaborated with Lincoln), Lincoln's take on the impact of DVC on the little village of Rennes-le-Chateau, plus various informal interviews, out-takes and commentaries.
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My criticism would be that the title of this DVD hides its real intention. Yes, we get to look at the real `origins' of the Da Vinci Code, but this program goes way beyond that brief. Rather than feeling cheated, I think this new material gives a completely refreshing aspect to a subject that is becoming a bit worn. Highly recommended for those who want something authentic and for those who are looking for fresh insights and material.
