Today's movie is for a little-known British film in the same vein as the "Da Vinci Code". This film was made contemperaneously with Dan Brown's bestseller yet treads similar ground: namely, that of the mythos of the Knights Templar, the bloodline of Jesus the Christed one and Mary Magdalene, the Cathars, Freemasonry and the early pre-Roman Catholic Christians. I much prefer this to Mr Brown's treatment - which at times felt, in my humble opinion, a little lightweight.
This film is choc-ful of British character actors of the calibre of Terence Stamp and Sir Derek Jacobi, to name but two. Adding a nicely Teutonic menace to proceedings is legendary Euro actor Udo Keir.
So, on to the story. Following the crucifixion, a group of early Christians make a relic of great importance....a reliquary of a rather special sort, referred to as the Loculus. Despite a Roman raid on the group and the execution of their leader, the relic escapes. Presiding over the execution is a Roman general with a particularly cold and menacing appearance. 1200 years later, in the South of France, a Jewish alchemist is in the midst of performing a ritual when a group of flagellants ( I said, flagellants, not flatulents - so stop sniggering at the back!!) accompanied by Knights Templar break in on proceedings. The priest leading the flagellants is concerned with killing the alchemist and his family, purely by dint of their Hebrew origin. The leader of the Templars however, is interested solely in the relic. Hmm.....that Templar sure looks familiar....
Cut to modern times and a paranoid, scruffy hippy type is on an expedition to return the relic to the isle of Patmos (of St John the Divine - he of Revelations fame). Scruffy hippy guy keeps in contact with his leader, a posh English chap by the name of Magnus Martel (Terence Stamp); whom we later learn is a Knight-Commander in a latter day, quasi-Masonic Templar Order. Martel's son, Jake, is seen being released from prison and we learn he is a master codebreaker. He receives a call to visit his father's estate and on his arrival finds himself in the middle of a quest to break the hidden code of the Loculus. Aside from himself and the scientists, there is also a young female mystic and alchemist by the name of (ahem) Myra.
Martel receives disturbing calls from someone claiming to be the Grand Master of the Order - hey this guy looks just like the Roman General and the Knight Templar we saw earlier - he too is seeking the Loculus....and it is from him that Magnus is wishing to keep the Loculus hidden. One dark stormy night (well it would be wouldn't it?) an otherwordly raid is launched on Martel's gloomy Gothic castle by shadow-figures and dark hounds. Magnus Martel is killed by being skinned alive. The scientists are all turned into human torches and only Martel junior and Myra escape.
What follows is a race/quest across Europe, taking in locations such as Rennes-le-Chateau (famed in Knights Templar lore and the home of the Sauniere mysteries), Malta and Patmos and with a great little flashback interlude with Ron Moody as Sir Isaac Newton, reminding us of his studies into alchemy. Myra and Jake are joined by a shady Catholic priest (yeah - you can guess how that one works out) and are constantly pursued by dark forces. The movie is a great and entertaining romp although it is let down by the sandy demise of one of the main characters - unfortunately, this moment will make you laugh rather than fill you with any sense of tragic cathar-sis (see what I did there - ahem). In it we see the realisation of the main protagonists of their ancestral bloodlines, find out why the dark Grand Master is pursuing them, see said Grand Master's role and influence in organisations such as the Vatican and even the US military and see the birth of two children...each born with certain DNA....but with only one's birth being celebrated en masse around the globe and protected by the Vatican....and one "modest Cardinal" - hey that dude looks familiar!! The other is born quietly and without pomp and fanfare...yet his birth is heralded by a shooting star. Setting up a sequel that so far has never been made.
I must admit - I greatly prefer this to the "Da Vinci Code", despite this movie's almost "Omen" like overtones. If only the sandy death scene had been slightly better done......oh dear.....one of your abiding memories of the film will unfortunately be that scene; which is a shame because beyond that is a great occult movie. So, if you want a Grail/Magdalene/Templar movie with a bit more gravitas and less of the "oooh aren't I clever" ramblings of Dan Brown - then give this little heard-of movie a try. The DVD also has some great little extras too.
Until next time my Batlings.....
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