Opus Dei demands disclaimer for Da Vinci Code
After failing to get an “Adults Only” rating and failing to get the film changed, the secretive Catholic group Opus Dei, are now trying to get a disclaimer at the start of the film emphasising that it is a work of fantasy. In a statement, the group said:
Some media have written that Sony is examining the possibility of putting at the beginning of the film an announcement to clarify that it is a work of fantasy and that any similarity with reality is purely coincidental.
If memory serves me correctly, a similar statement is put at the end of the credits of just about every film. What are the odds that after the film is released, Opus Dei will be saying how good it was Sony put such a statement in the film, even when they probably were going to anyway?
It reminds me of an episode of (I think) Red Dwarf in which a newsreader says that the missing first page of the Bible has been found, which contains such a disclaimer. I’m sure Opus Dei wouldn’t mind if the Bible was published with that disclaimer.
So secretive are they that they have a website that you don’t link to. Is that because it would give the lie to the story that they are “secretive”?
In any case, I hardly think that it is unreasonable for a private organisation to ask that when a film is produced that depicts them as maintaining a corps of assassins that it should warn quite prominently that it is not true.
Marcin,
If anyone believes anything that’s in the DVC, then I happen to own a lovely railway bridge over the Firth of Forth they might be interested in purchasing…
And anyway, can you be entirely certain that Opus Dei DON’T maintain a corps of assassins, hmmm? I mean, just look at Ruth Kelly…and who said they had to be particularly good assassins, anyway? And if they DID have assassins, well, they wouldn’t go mentioning them on their website, now would they, eh? eh?
Good thing I’m not a conspiracy theorist… 🙂
IMHO, all supernaturalist texts purporting to contain absolute truths should come in a cellophane wrapper with a health warning on the front cover…!
I expect any secretive group would have a website these days if people know they exist: it allows them to put on a public face that appears all nice and friendly and still operate “black ops”. FBI and CIA are no doubt cases in point.