ABC News Presents:Jesus Mary and Davi

Rating:
Summary: Very good synopsis of the Da Vinci Code
Review: I saw this ABC News Special when it first aired November, 2003 and I was hoping that it would come out on DVD. I'm thankful that it did! Elizabeth Vargas does a good job of interviewing Dan Brown, Henry Lincoln, Catholic scholar Richard McBrien, evangelical scholar Darrell Bock, and pro-Gnostic Gospels scholars Karen King and Elaine Pagels.

The DVD is 55 minutes long and covers the following issues:

Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
How important a leader was Mary Magdalene and how did the church portray her through the centuries?
What secret messages did Da Vinci try to convey through the painting of the Last Supper?
What is the relationship between the Holy Grail and Mary Magdalene?
What is the Priory of Sion?
Is there evidence of a Merovingian legacy of descendants?

Vargas does a good job of summarizing the basic arguments of the Da Vinci Code (e.g. Dan Brown); I'm happy that she also interviewed scholars like Darrel Bock and Richard McBrien, who may disagree vehemently with the claims made by the novel, Da Vinci Code. I'm also glad that at the end, Vargas mentions that there is no conclusive historical evidence which supports the claims made by the Da Vinci Code (esp. the Merovingian descendants from the supposed marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.)

I really like this DVD because it brings out the issues brought out by the Da Vinci code in a simple and clear manner, it provides interviews with Dan Brown and notable scholars, and it gives you an visual image of the Last Supper painting and explains Dan Brown's arguments in his Da Vinci Code novel.

If you're fascinated with the Da Vinci Code, you will enjoy this documentary. Even if you totally disagree with the claims made by the Da Vinci code, you would also benefit from it. I find it very helpful for leading discussions for people who are interested in analyzing the claims made by the Da Vinci Code.

I like this documentary the best, among the several documentaries I've seen which talk about the Da Vinci Code. I like it for its clear presentation, its fairly balanced treatment, and its organization of the subject matter.