The Project:
In the Free Speech Forum project, students were asked to bring in a "piece of free speech" which they believe exemplifies what, exactly, about free speech they find most important. From there, students would use the piece of free speech to write an essay following the prompt of: "Why is the right of free speech important in our democracy, and how does your selection show/prove this?". Along with the essay, students each created a short presentation describing how, exactly, their piece of free speech demonstrates the importance of free speech in democracy, as well as a visual piece to accompany the essay they have that integrates their thesis statement from their essay.
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Visual Piece |
My Project: The Da Vinci Controversy
In 2006, the movie The Da Vinci Code was released. Directed by Ron Howard, and based on the novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code was a famous thriller about religious conspiracy. While fairly well regarded by the media, The Da Vinci Code stirred up enough religious angst to become banned in several countries, making it a monument in the world of free speech today. Christian and Catholic groups tried to boycott the making of the film during its production, and a lot during the initial screenings of the film, accusing it of blasphemy. While society may not be too pleased about the release of such a movie, it is a testament to the necessity of free speech in America.
Freedom of speech is essential in allowing citizens to maintain their lifestyles. Free speech is granted as an inalienable right, and yet these rights are infringed upon constantly. As Americans, it has become a responsibility to fight for these freedoms however possible. With the suppression of citizens’ voices, the balance of power between government and society is abolished. In 1968 at a public school in Des Moines, Iowa, several students decided to symbolically protest the Vietnam War by wearing anti-war armbands. In the absence of threat to any other students, the ones wearing the armbands were suspended. When students and their families tried suing the school district for violating the students’ right of expression, the court ruled in favor of the school district. Those students were stripped of their first amendment rights, and never saw justice in the end. As citizens of this nation, the struggle for the freedom of expression will always exist. The Da Vinci Code is fighting part of that battle.
When The Da Vinci Code was released, it caused a lot of religious angst, as well as stir up a lot of protest among other groups of people. Even in Athens, Greece, more than 200 protesters showed up on the day before the release date to protest the film. Although they may not have all been American citizens, the protesters prove that the movie has a lot of controversial aspects, and yet the movie was still released, and even celebrated by some critics throughout the US. The Da Vinci Code was also protested by Opus Dei groups and albinos for portraying the groups they represented as violent and murderous. Whether or not that was the intention of Ron Howard, it is still important that the movie was released, because without the legal ability to challenge even the upmost common beliefs among people, those of us that still challenge beliefs would be living today like Italian Astronomer, Giordano Bruno.
Today, movies, TV shows and books may be published that speak out against Catholic and Christian faith without legal dispute, whereas far back enough in the past, so much as a questionable or alternative faith would get people killed. The Da Vinci Code received a lot of pushback for mixing real historical fact into a fictional narrative, but was still granted rights to be released. Giordano Bruno was an astronomer living in Italy who believed in multiple worlds. But he was alive in the late-1500s, and during that time, such belief was considered ludicrous. Bruno was executed on eight charges: all of which pertained to his resistance to a common belief, five mentioning Bruno’s “contrary opinions to the Catholic faith”. Bruno was burned at the stake on February 17th, 1600, and his life’s works were taken to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum: a collection of publications banned by the Catholic Church. In shadow of such harsh punishment, and such extended periods of time where certain beliefs were enforced, like throughout the Crusades, it is truly beautiful that beliefs can be challenged and questioned by US citizens.
Because of The Da Vinci Code, controversy was created after mention of the infamous painting by Da Vinci, The Last Supper. Sir Leigh Teabing, a character in the movie, discusses the person who is sitting to the right hand of Jesus with the main characters. He explains to them that the person may be Mary Magdalene, and then goes on to tell them that she was Jesus’ wife. The belief that Jesus and Mary were married and had children enraged religious groups and ended up getting the movie banned in several countries, but the movie was still released in the United States, to be subject only to verbal opposition or protests. The opposition to the film, like the film, is protected under the freedom of speech, and without ability to express such opinion, society would still be living in the 1500’s.
The Da Vinci Code was met with a lot of opposition throughout the United States and the world, raising protest for questioning aspects of Catholicism and historical accuracy. As a widely disputed film, The Da Vinci Code raised protests in theaters everywhere, making it a monument for free speech today as Ron Howard openly used his right of free speech to publish a work of art that stands up to the oppression of common belief and religion.
Works Cited
"Albino Group to Protest Tom Hanks' 'The Da Vinci Code' Film." Reality TV World. N.p., n.d.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/albino-group-protest-
tom-hanks-the-da-vinci-code-film-1007723.php>.
"Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_Librorum_Prohibitorum>.
"The Da Vinci Code (film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 03 Oct.
2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code_%28film%29>.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno#Imprisonment.2C_trial_and_execution.2C_1593.E
2.80.931600>.
"100 Most Controversial Films of All Time." 100 Most Controversial Films of All Time. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://www.filmsite.org/controversialfilms21.html>.
Freedom of speech is essential in allowing citizens to maintain their lifestyles. Free speech is granted as an inalienable right, and yet these rights are infringed upon constantly. As Americans, it has become a responsibility to fight for these freedoms however possible. With the suppression of citizens’ voices, the balance of power between government and society is abolished. In 1968 at a public school in Des Moines, Iowa, several students decided to symbolically protest the Vietnam War by wearing anti-war armbands. In the absence of threat to any other students, the ones wearing the armbands were suspended. When students and their families tried suing the school district for violating the students’ right of expression, the court ruled in favor of the school district. Those students were stripped of their first amendment rights, and never saw justice in the end. As citizens of this nation, the struggle for the freedom of expression will always exist. The Da Vinci Code is fighting part of that battle.
When The Da Vinci Code was released, it caused a lot of religious angst, as well as stir up a lot of protest among other groups of people. Even in Athens, Greece, more than 200 protesters showed up on the day before the release date to protest the film. Although they may not have all been American citizens, the protesters prove that the movie has a lot of controversial aspects, and yet the movie was still released, and even celebrated by some critics throughout the US. The Da Vinci Code was also protested by Opus Dei groups and albinos for portraying the groups they represented as violent and murderous. Whether or not that was the intention of Ron Howard, it is still important that the movie was released, because without the legal ability to challenge even the upmost common beliefs among people, those of us that still challenge beliefs would be living today like Italian Astronomer, Giordano Bruno.
Today, movies, TV shows and books may be published that speak out against Catholic and Christian faith without legal dispute, whereas far back enough in the past, so much as a questionable or alternative faith would get people killed. The Da Vinci Code received a lot of pushback for mixing real historical fact into a fictional narrative, but was still granted rights to be released. Giordano Bruno was an astronomer living in Italy who believed in multiple worlds. But he was alive in the late-1500s, and during that time, such belief was considered ludicrous. Bruno was executed on eight charges: all of which pertained to his resistance to a common belief, five mentioning Bruno’s “contrary opinions to the Catholic faith”. Bruno was burned at the stake on February 17th, 1600, and his life’s works were taken to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum: a collection of publications banned by the Catholic Church. In shadow of such harsh punishment, and such extended periods of time where certain beliefs were enforced, like throughout the Crusades, it is truly beautiful that beliefs can be challenged and questioned by US citizens.
Because of The Da Vinci Code, controversy was created after mention of the infamous painting by Da Vinci, The Last Supper. Sir Leigh Teabing, a character in the movie, discusses the person who is sitting to the right hand of Jesus with the main characters. He explains to them that the person may be Mary Magdalene, and then goes on to tell them that she was Jesus’ wife. The belief that Jesus and Mary were married and had children enraged religious groups and ended up getting the movie banned in several countries, but the movie was still released in the United States, to be subject only to verbal opposition or protests. The opposition to the film, like the film, is protected under the freedom of speech, and without ability to express such opinion, society would still be living in the 1500’s.
The Da Vinci Code was met with a lot of opposition throughout the United States and the world, raising protest for questioning aspects of Catholicism and historical accuracy. As a widely disputed film, The Da Vinci Code raised protests in theaters everywhere, making it a monument for free speech today as Ron Howard openly used his right of free speech to publish a work of art that stands up to the oppression of common belief and religion.
Works Cited
"Albino Group to Protest Tom Hanks' 'The Da Vinci Code' Film." Reality TV World. N.p., n.d.
Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/albino-group-protest-
tom-hanks-the-da-vinci-code-film-1007723.php>.
"Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_Librorum_Prohibitorum>.
"The Da Vinci Code (film)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 03 Oct.
2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da_Vinci_Code_%28film%29>.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giordano_Bruno#Imprisonment.2C_trial_and_execution.2C_1593.E
2.80.931600>.
"100 Most Controversial Films of All Time." 100 Most Controversial Films of All Time. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://www.filmsite.org/controversialfilms21.html>.
