Bloodline

In terms of pure, fictional, entertainment value? This wasn't the wost film i've ever seen, but PLEASE do not look at the events in this film as fact! I honestly don't know why they even bothered putting this thing together. I just happen to be a huge believer in this particular theory, but I think all the makers of this film have done, is take away any legitimacy from the claim.

Seriously...who the HELL handles archaeological evidence in that manner? Either they are really stupid, or they just don't care if people realise its fake...

I really don't know what else to say....shameful!

I was lucky enough to see Bloodline before it hits theaters next month.

The documentary follows the director around France who is piecing together clues from the past to figure out if Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child. He interviews members of the secret Priory of Sion and those who have also been searching for the truth about this long held mystery. As the film goes on, the mystery unfolds.

Anyone who is interested in the Priory of Sion, Mary Magdalene, the Catholic church, or Christianity should see this film. It's beautifully shot, suspenseful, and an overall well crafted documentary. You will sit on the edge of your seat during the entire film, begging for more.

For me, the most important message of this film is that we are moving forward as a species. We are becoming willing in greater numbers to question what has been fed to us down through the ages. Regardless of whether a "bloodline" really exists -- or if Jesus was, in fact, married -- didn't matter as much to me as the sense of hope I felt. The film left me with a very positive feeling for our collective future because the theater was PACKED with enthusiastic people, and important questions were being asked. The film is really very exciting and moving. Who doesn't LOVE a good treasure hunt? Fascinating and original. I recommend it highly.

One man's journey into the world of the so-called "Bloodline" conspiracy, at the heart of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code...

This documentary examines a great conspiracy, and uncovers some interesting food for thought -- particularly about the three men killed within 24 hours of each other. There seems to be an interesting history behind the Priory of Sion, assuming such an organization even exists.

I notice that others have compared this to the "Blair Witch Project", and that is not unfair. Much of it involves a shaky camera following one guy around -- a guy who clearly might be a bit too open to fringe ideas.

Sadly, whatever truth is uncovered here, it is greatly undermined by the revelation that "the tomb man" and his discoveries are a hoax (and he has admitted as much). So, you know, it is even harder to sort fact from fiction when you have to discount almost half of what you see... perhaps a re-editing?

In "Bloodline," documentarian Bruce Burgess explores the theory, made popular by Don Brown's recent bestseller "The Da Vinci Code," that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were lovers, that they fled to what is now modern-day France, and that French royalty can trace its lineage back to them and their children. The theory also posits that this "truth" has been carefully guarded by a shadowy organization called The Priory of Sion, and that the Catholic Church will literally stop at nothing to keep the story from getting out. Some contend that The Priory has been letting the details slip out little by little over the course of the centuries – mainly through art works with "coded messages" embedded in them - in a concerted effort to prepare the way for an illumination of the truth which, when finally revealed, will rock the very foundations of Christendom and thereby change the world.

Burgess spends much of the film interviewing people supposedly connected with or at least knowledgeable about the secret, individuals he meets in clandestine, off-the-beaten-path settings who speak in hushed tones about their theories and discoveries, and who claim to live in fear of their lives for even deigning to speak on the subject. The bulk of the second half of the film is taken up exploring what Burgess and amateur archaeologist Ben Hammott claim may be the tomb of Mary Magdalene, located in an isolated area in the south of France.

In all honesty, who knows what to make of this film or the conspiracy theory itself? Half the time the open-minded viewer feels as if he's watching something at least partway plausible – and the other half believing he's probably being made the dupe in an elaborate and colossal hoax. In fact, there are many sites dedicated to debunking the whole theory, including the entry on The Priory of Sion found on Wikipedia.

As a nonbeliever myself, I have to say that nothing put forth by this film strikes me as being any less plausible or historical than what is contained in the gospels themselves – which is to say that I find them both HIGHLY implausible and a-historical. I have no doubt that many people throughout the last two millennia have BELIEVED what Hammott and his minions are proposing, but that doesn't mean that any of it ever actually happened in real life.

Bloodline" is one of those movies that comes replete with a website where you can look up further information on the topic if so inclined. I suggest you look up quite a few others as well.