Revelation (2001 film)
Encyclopedia
Revelation is a 2001
film, directed by Stuart Urban
and starring James D'Arcy
, Natasha Wightman
, Udo Kier
and Terence Stamp
. Revelation tells the story of the final search for an ancient relic known as the Loculus, dating back to 50 CE, and the effect of this relic on the Martel family and the whole world.
. In present-day Rennes-le-Château an academic under instructions from Magnus Martel is seen with the relic - the Loculus - researching on the ground to find the right place to hide it. Magnus's son Jake, an ace cryptographer, is released from Wormwood Scrubs
and recruited by his father for research on the Loculus. Magnus reveals that the Loculus relates to the Knights Templar
and its sinister successor organisation known as "the order", and in secret receives calls from this organisation threatening him if he does not accelerate his research - in spite of this, Magnus realises the Loculus' massive power for good or evil and has hidden it to ensure it does not fall into the order's hands. After breaking a code on the Loculus to reveal the word "palingenesis", Jake hides whilst members of the organisation kill and flay
his father. Jake then flees with another researcher on the project (the occultist Mira) and seeks help from the Roman Catholic priest Father Ray Connolly.
The trail takes the three characters to (among others) a Cambridge library to research Isaac Newton's involvement in attempting to unlock the Loculus and to Rennes-le-Château and its Tour Magdala. They discover that the Loculus is related to Christian eschatology
and has been hidden on Patmos
, writing-place of the Book of Revelation
. Father Connolly stays behind in London as back-up while Mira and Jake go to Patmos and find the Loculus hidden in a crypt beneath a Greek Orthodox church and former temple to Mary Magdalene
as Aphrodite
. Using the reflective properties of a hermaphrodite
symbol on the Loculus they reveal a hexagram built into the floor, an occult symbol. Jake and Mira disrobe and make love
within the symbol in an attempt to unlock it, experiencing a vision of themselves as Christ and Mary Magdalene before fleeing into the crypt when they hear a pursuer approaching.
The pursuer turns out to in fact be Father Connolly and together they finally work out the Loculus's meaning - its significance in fact lies in the four nails holding it together, which are those used to crucify
Christ
and retain organic matter with his DNA, preserved in a ceremony on Mount Hebron
. The Templars and the order have continually attempted to use the DNA on it to resurrect Christ (including one failed attempt by Newton), but have failed until the genetic advances of the present day. The three argue as to what to do with the discovery - Jake concurs with his dead father and wishes to destroy it to keep it out of the order's hands, whilst Ray wishes to take it to a trustworthy African cardinal at the Vatican
. Ray prevails and traps the other two, but on arrival in Rome the order's Grand Master seizes the Loculus, puts Ray under torture and sends troops to kill Mira and Jake. The couple manage to flood the chambers with sand to kill the troops and the church's monks are alerted to the couple's plight by an emergency postcard sent by Connolly before his departure, but only Mira manages to escape - Jake is fatally buried. In the meantime the Grand Master has cloned Christ and had him not only proclaimed the Messiah by the Vatican but put under his own tutelage and control, so that he can brutalize him and rule the world through him. The film closes with Mira realising that she (Magdalene's descendant) has given birth to a child by a Martel (Christ's descendant via the Merovingian dynasty
) and that she must keep him secret from the order (as predicted by Revelation 12.4) so as to oppose the Grand Master's puppet Christ.
. The Observer wrote of the film as "ludicrous", a "farrago", "straight-faced" and "the fag end of a millennial cycle of apocalyptic pictures".
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
film, directed by Stuart Urban
Stuart Urban
Stuart Urban is a British film and television director. At the age of thirteen in 1972, he became the youngest director to have a film shown at the Cannes Film Festival with his short feature The Virus of War...
and starring James D'Arcy
James D'Arcy
-Early life:James D'Arcy was born as Simon D'Arcy and grew up in Fulham, London, with his mother, Caroline and his younger sister Charlotte. His father died when he was young. After completing his education at Christ's Hospital in 1991, he went to Australia for a year and worked in the drama...
, Natasha Wightman
Natasha Wightman
Natasha Wightman is an English actress, who trained at Elmhurst Ballet and Theatre School in Camberley, Surrey.She has appeared in movies such as Gosford Park and played Valerie Page in V for Vendetta....
, Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
and Terence Stamp
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
. Revelation tells the story of the final search for an ancient relic known as the Loculus, dating back to 50 CE, and the effect of this relic on the Martel family and the whole world.
Plot
In two flashbacks a relic is created in 50 CE and then hidden by Jews from a Crusader mob in medieval Rennes-le-ChâteauRennes-le-Château
Rennes-le-Château is a commune in the Aude department in Languedoc in southern France.This small French hilltop village is known internationally, and receives tens of thousands of visitors per year, for being at the center of various conspiracy theories, and for being the location of an alleged...
. In present-day Rennes-le-Château an academic under instructions from Magnus Martel is seen with the relic - the Loculus - researching on the ground to find the right place to hide it. Magnus's son Jake, an ace cryptographer, is released from Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs
Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs, is an open space located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the Borough, at 80 ha , and one of the largest areas of common land in London...
and recruited by his father for research on the Loculus. Magnus reveals that the Loculus relates to the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and its sinister successor organisation known as "the order", and in secret receives calls from this organisation threatening him if he does not accelerate his research - in spite of this, Magnus realises the Loculus' massive power for good or evil and has hidden it to ensure it does not fall into the order's hands. After breaking a code on the Loculus to reveal the word "palingenesis", Jake hides whilst members of the organisation kill and flay
Flaying
Flaying is the removal of skin from the body. Generally, an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact.-Scope:An animal may be flayed in preparation for human consumption, or for its hide or fur; this is more commonly called skinning....
his father. Jake then flees with another researcher on the project (the occultist Mira) and seeks help from the Roman Catholic priest Father Ray Connolly.
The trail takes the three characters to (among others) a Cambridge library to research Isaac Newton's involvement in attempting to unlock the Loculus and to Rennes-le-Château and its Tour Magdala. They discover that the Loculus is related to Christian eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
and has been hidden on Patmos
Patmos
Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. One of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex, it has a population of 2,984 and an area of . The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 meters above sea level. The Municipality of Patmos, which includes the offshore islands of Arkoi ,...
, writing-place of the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
. Father Connolly stays behind in London as back-up while Mira and Jake go to Patmos and find the Loculus hidden in a crypt beneath a Greek Orthodox church and former temple to Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
as Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
. Using the reflective properties of a hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
symbol on the Loculus they reveal a hexagram built into the floor, an occult symbol. Jake and Mira disrobe and make love
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
within the symbol in an attempt to unlock it, experiencing a vision of themselves as Christ and Mary Magdalene before fleeing into the crypt when they hear a pursuer approaching.
The pursuer turns out to in fact be Father Connolly and together they finally work out the Loculus's meaning - its significance in fact lies in the four nails holding it together, which are those used to crucify
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
Christ
Historical Jesus
The term historical Jesus refers to scholarly reconstructions of the 1st-century figure Jesus of Nazareth. These reconstructions are based upon historical methods including critical analysis of gospel texts as the primary source for his biography, along with consideration of the historical and...
and retain organic matter with his DNA, preserved in a ceremony on Mount Hebron
Mount Hebron
Mount Hebron is a geographic region and geologic formation in the southern West Bank, with its western foothills extending into Israel. The area was in biblical times a center of the Israelite and Hasmonean kingdoms. The region lends its name to the Mount Hebron Regional Council....
. The Templars and the order have continually attempted to use the DNA on it to resurrect Christ (including one failed attempt by Newton), but have failed until the genetic advances of the present day. The three argue as to what to do with the discovery - Jake concurs with his dead father and wishes to destroy it to keep it out of the order's hands, whilst Ray wishes to take it to a trustworthy African cardinal at the Vatican
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. Ray prevails and traps the other two, but on arrival in Rome the order's Grand Master seizes the Loculus, puts Ray under torture and sends troops to kill Mira and Jake. The couple manage to flood the chambers with sand to kill the troops and the church's monks are alerted to the couple's plight by an emergency postcard sent by Connolly before his departure, but only Mira manages to escape - Jake is fatally buried. In the meantime the Grand Master has cloned Christ and had him not only proclaimed the Messiah by the Vatican but put under his own tutelage and control, so that he can brutalize him and rule the world through him. The film closes with Mira realising that she (Magdalene's descendant) has given birth to a child by a Martel (Christ's descendant via the Merovingian dynasty
Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the 5th century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
) and that she must keep him secret from the order (as predicted by Revelation 12.4) so as to oppose the Grand Master's puppet Christ.
Cast
- Natasha WightmanNatasha WightmanNatasha Wightman is an English actress, who trained at Elmhurst Ballet and Theatre School in Camberley, Surrey.She has appeared in movies such as Gosford Park and played Valerie Page in V for Vendetta....
- Mira - Udo KierUdo KierUdo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
- The Grand Master - Diran Meghreblian - Craftsman
- David Urban - Child with Loculus
- Uri Roodner - Jewish Alchemist
- Coryse BorgCoryse BorgCoryse Borg, is an actress and director who lives in Żebbuġ, Malta. Borg has appeared in a range of productions, both in the theatre and in the movies....
- Jewish Alchemist's Daughter - Manuel Cauchi - Mob Priest
- Anna Beck - Jewish Alchemist's Wife
- Heathcote WilliamsHeathcote WilliamsHeathcote Williams is an English poet, actor and award-winning playwright. He is also an intermittent painter, sculptor and long-time conjuror...
- New Age Man - Terence StampTerence StampTerence Henry Stamp is an English actor. Since starting his career in 1962 he has appeared in over 60 films. His title role as Billy Budd in his film debut earned Stamp an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA nomination for Best Newcomer.His other major roles include...
- Magnus, Lord Martel - Ben Feitelson - Tour Guide at Rennes le Chateau
- James D'ArcyJames D'Arcy-Early life:James D'Arcy was born as Simon D'Arcy and grew up in Fulham, London, with his mother, Caroline and his younger sister Charlotte. His father died when he was young. After completing his education at Christ's Hospital in 1991, he went to Australia for a year and worked in the drama...
- Jake Martel
- Joe Johnson - Young Jake Martel
- Alan Talbot - Limo Driver
- Celia ImrieCelia ImrieCelia Diana Savile Imrie is an English actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom...
- Harriet Martel, Jake's mother - Derek JacobiDerek JacobiSir Derek George Jacobi, CBE is an English actor and film director.A "forceful, commanding stage presence", Jacobi has enjoyed a highly successful stage career, appearing in such stage productions as Hamlet, Uncle Vanya, and Oedipus the King. He received a Tony Award for his performance in...
- Librarian - Mark DymondMark DymondMark Dymond is an English actor of Irish descent. In addition to appearances in films, he is known as Dr. Lorcan O'Brien, a major character in the 2007–2009 seasons of the TV drama series The Clinic, among other TV shows...
- Backpacker in Malta - Pip TorrensPip TorrensPip Torrens is an English actor.He was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge...
- Prof. Claxton - Nicolas Chagrin - Pompous Academic
- Ron MoodyRon MoodyRon Moody is an English actor.- Personal life :Moody was born in Tottenham, North London, England, the son of Kate and Bernard Moodnick, a studio executive. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was a Lithuanian Jew. He is a cousin of director Laurence Moody and actress Clare...
- Sir Isaac NewtonIsaac NewtonSir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."... - Miles E. Gregius - Knight Commander
- Oliver Ford DaviesOliver Ford Davies-Biography:From the King's School, Canterbury, he won a scholarship to Merton College, Oxford, where he read History and became President of the Oxford University Dramatic Society . He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1990 for Best Actor in a New Play for Racing Demon...
- Prof. Casaubon - Charlotte Weston - Lord Martel's PA
- Paul BirchardPaul BirchardPaul Birchard is an American actor living in Scotland and working worldwide. In 1986 he wrote and recorded the song "Diamonds Rap ", promoting the Glasgow Diamonds American football team...
- Gen. Demolay - Chris Rogers - Newsreader
- Robert HudsonRobert Hudson (actor)Robert Hudson is an English actor.He is most famous for his role as PC Tony "Yorkie" Smith in the ITV police procedural television series The Bill. He played the role from 1984 until 1989, and made two subsequent guest appearances in 1990 and 1991...
- Director, Serious Fraud Office
- Mark Heenehan - Gen. Demolay's Aide
- Liam Cunningham - Father Ray Connolly
- Jean-Marc PerretJean-Marc PerretJean-Marc Perret is a British actor, most notable for his appearance as Prince Caspian in the BBC adaptation of Prince Caspian in 1989, when aged 14....
- Newton's Acolyte - Vernon DobtcheffVernon DobtcheffVernon Dobtcheff is a French and British actor.Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, to a family of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Preparatory School in Eastbourne, Sussex, England, in the 1940s, where he won the Acting Cup...
- Curé at Rennes-le-Chateau - Nicholas Murchie - Biotechnologist
- Earl CameronEarl Cameron (actor)Earl Cameron, CBE is a Bermudian actor. He is known as one of the first black actors to break the "colour bar" in the United Kingdom, along with Cy Grant...
- Cardinal Chisamba - Joseph LongJoseph Long (actor)Joseph Long is an actor. He has appeared in numerous BBC television productions including Doctor Who, Ashes to Ashes, The Bill and East Enders, He has also appeared in film, for instance in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers as film director Carlo Ponti. He portrayed Bernardino Drovetti in the...
- Brigadiere - Massimo Marinoni - Police Torturer
- Danica Bezanov - TV Reporter
- Andreas Markos - Abbot at Patmos Monastery
- Sidney Kean - Europolitician
- Lolly Susi - American Politician
- Vicky Paritoglou - Greek Orthodox Nun
Reception
Overall reception was hostile. The Guardian, for example, noted the film's "rag-bag of extraordinary cameos" but criticised the "vulgar heresies" on which it was based and its "clean-limbed young hero" and likened the "significant, ritual sex with a beautiful alchemist" to an Occult-based sketch in Not the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News
Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
. The Observer wrote of the film as "ludicrous", a "farrago", "straight-faced" and "the fag end of a millennial cycle of apocalyptic pictures".
External links
- Revelation at Rotten Tomatoes