ANGELS AND DEMONS
I recently blogged about the Star Trek relaunch as an satisfying example of a film that integrated intellectually complex material (astronomy) intellectually challenging in way that did not confuse the non-scientist. I am happy to report that the second installment of Dan Brown's adapted adventures of symbologist and Harvard Professor Robert Langdon, Angels and Demons, is similarly successful with art and religious history. In fact, on a recent return to the first, The Da Vinci Code, my memory of it's slightly scattershot confusion with longs bits of exposition was confirmed. This time around, the Ron Howard helmed team has opted for a tighter and more lucid approach. I was sucker punched at the end with the surprise twist.
This all may have to do with my fondness for the setting: here Rome, although I know and love Paris just as much if not more. But in The Da Vinci Code, Paris was a mere backdrop, with the Louvre serving as the anchor for the opening and the closing of the mystery. In Angels and Demons, Rome is a character throughout: it's Catholic and pagan co-existence deeply integrated into the plot and action of the film.
But it all starts with the death of the Pope, we see his ring split by his closest priest, the Camerlego (Ewan McGregor). Meanwhile at CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire also known as the European Council for Nuclear Research), a small canister of antimatter that has been the subject of research by Italian scientist, Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer) has been stolen. Just as the papal conclave to elect a new Pope convenes at the Vatican, Robert Langdon, a very trim and fit looking Tom Hanks, is whisked out of a lap pool at Harvard by the Vatican police. It seems an ancient organization called "The Illuminati" have kidnapped the preferiti, the Cardinals deemed most likely to be elected Pope, and have threatened to kill one each hour. It is up to Langdon to use his academic prowess to solve the riddles in order to save the hostages and to prevent the antimatter from blowing up the Vatican.
Perhaps because I myself find Rome's smash up between Christian, pagan and fine art so incredibly fascinating, I really enjoyed this film. The filmmakers were fastidious about recreating Vatican vestments and locations shooting in Rome as well as recreating St. Peter's square, the Sistine Chapel and the Piazza Navona right here in Los Angeles. Of course, I'd have to watch it 10 more times to really notice the seams and it's all too much fun to want to to that. I remember the feeling of walking into the Sistine Chapel and seeing not just the great ceiling which we've all seen so many images of, but the great mural sized painting The Last Judgment and the way it took my breath away. The art is in some ways the focus of the film, but our entry into the Chapel with the see of red-robed Cardinals is breathtaking in an entirely different way, yet a reminder of that first experience.
The same can be said of all of the most recognizable Roman locations. Again, I was returned to that great symbol of Christian transformation, the Pantheon, and with it's reminder of the Roman empire, the name of Marcus Agrippa across it's entry. And the Piazza Navona with Bernini's great fountain Four Rivers, and finally the climax at the Castel St. Angelo, which I mostly associate with Puccini's Tosca. What is wonderful about this film is the way it lets Langdon and other characters explain the way in which great artists incorporated the pagan into the great spectacle that is Roman Catholicism.
But all of this is in no way to take away from the nuts and bolts mystery/thriller/action part of the film. It's kind of edge of your seat stuff with great murderous imagery, quite chilling in fact. And between the Camerlengo and Cardinal Strauss (Armin-Mueller Stahl), the top Cardinal who runs the Conclave and Commander Richter (Stellan Skaarsgard), the head of the Swiss Guard our loyalties and assignment of guilt is never fixed. In other words, I challenge you to have completely figured it out from the beginning.
I generally hate tours but I can see why people might find the Angels and Demons tour in Rome compelling. If it gets people who wouldn't normally see the value of thinking about ancient cultures or art history, I'm all for it. Hopefully the film will inspire the same sort of curiosity, it certainly has me itching to get back.
Angels and Demons opens May 15, 2009.
Directed by Ron Howard; written by David Koepp and Akiva Goldsman from the novel by Dan Brown; produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and John Calley; director of photography, Salvatore Totino, ASC; production designer, Allan Cameron; edited by Dan Hanley and Mike Hill; costume designer, Daniel Orlandi; music by Hans Zimmer. Released by Columbia Pictures. Running time:138 minutes.
With: Tom Hanks (Robert Langdon); Ewan McGregor (Camerlengo); Ayelet Zurer (Dr. Vittoria Vetra); Stellan Skarsgard (Commander Richter); Armin Mueller-Stahl (Cardinal Strauss) and Nikolaj Lie Kaas (Mr. Gray).
