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Jun 17, 2024 · Starring Nicolas Cage as historian, cryptographer and treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates, National Treasure is about Gates' search — along with computer expert Riley Poole and archivist ...
- Overview
- Freemasons
- Raising Questions
With an outrageous plot, "National Treasure" seems like a film that is mostly for entertainment with a sprinkling of historical fact.
Imagine this: Centuries ago an order of European knights amassed a huge treasure of priceless artifacts from around the world.
The loot was later brought to the United States by the Freemasons, a secret society. Determined to keep it out of the hands of the British during the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin and other Masons hid the treasure in a secret location but left clues to its whereabouts in famous American landmarks.
Now, the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of a carriage boy who learned the secret vows to find the treasure. The clues lead him to an invisible map hidden on the back of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Preposterous? Absolutely.
But the plot of National Treasure, the adventure yarn starring Nicolas Cage that opens in U.S. movie theaters today, is also irresistible fun.
For an indication of the public's fascination with secret societies and conspiracy theories, jump on to the Internet, where thousands of wild Web sites claim that shadowy alliances do everything from running international affairs to managing interplanetary treaties.
Perhaps the most famous secret society is the Freemasons, a medieval guild of stonemasons that formed in England in the early 18th century and developed into a powerful fraternity.
The Freemasons have enjoyed a reputation as influential politicians, scientists, and artists whose works and charities have enhanced the world. Some Christian leaders, however, have called it a secret society bent on spreading evil.
Of the 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, at least 9 are said to have been Freemasons. President George Washington was also among its members.
In the new movie the Freemasons are seen in a positive light.
"The Masons were founded on pretty solid principles, and a lot of those held for the Founding Fathers and probably influenced them a great deal toward democracy at the time," said Kouf, whose grandfather was a Freemason. "When Washington had trouble raising his army, he called upon his Masonic brothers, because he knew he could count on them."
Although the medieval knights also feature prominently in The Da Vinci Code, it was that novel's main plot twist—that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene—which stirred up real controversy. Could this be true?
"There's no evidence for it in any text," said Joseph Kelly, a professor of religious studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, who has given numerous public lectures disproving the "secrets" in Brown's novel.
Kelly says many people are disappointed when he tells them that the marriage never happened. Yet the academic says there are many things in the book that are historically accurate, and he believes the novel serves a valuable purpose.
"Brown tells people something they never knew—that the early history of Christianity was much more complicated than anybody thought," he said.
Kouf, the movie scribe, sees little danger in weaving together fiction and history.
"If we were laying it out as a true story, then I'd agree that we're taking too many liberties," he said. "But because it's set out in an adventure mold like Indiana Jones, I think we're OK. People know some of this stuff didn't happen."
- Hey Jim Kouf, co-writer of the screenplay for National Treasure, is this movie for real or what? “If we were laying it out as a true story, then I’d agree that we’re taking too many liberties,” he said.
- Fess up, government – Is there a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence? You have to tell us. It’s called the Freedom of Information Act, which I don’t necessarily “know anything” about, but it means you have to tell us.
- Which of the nation’s Founding Fathers were reportedly Freemasons? In order to rediscover history, we first need to understand those who wrote it. Those of you who were hanging out in secret meetings doing sneaky stuff, please step forward.
- Jon Voight, could you shine a little light on the Masons for us? Sometimes it helps to talk directly with the film’s stars to get the historical insight that we need.
- THE SCRIPT NEEDED NINE WRITERS TO CRACK THE CODE. Originally planned for a summer 2000 release, National Treasure—based on a concept by Disney marketing head Oren Aviv and DreamWorks television executive Charles Segars—had a Byzantine plot that kept it in a prolonged pre-production period.
- BENJAMIN FRANKLIN REALLY WAS A FREEMASON. Fact and fiction blur considerably in National Treasure, which uses history as a jumping-off point for some major jumps in logic.
- THE CREW USED A BRICK-FOR-BRICK REPLICA OF INDEPENDENCE HALL. It can be tricky to secure permission to film on government property, which is why producers of National Treasure probably considered themselves fortunate when they discovered that Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm fame had built a perfect replica of Independence Hall on his land in Buena Park, California back in the 1960s.
- THAT $100 BILL REALLY DID HAVE A PRECISE TIME ON THE CLOCK. One of Cage’s cryptic clues in the film is reading a time of 2:22 on the clock depicted on the image of Independence Hall on the $100 bill.
- Mike Mcgranaghan
- Photo: William James Hubard / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,106 VOTES. Charles Carroll Was The Last Surviving Man Who Signed The Declaration Of Independence.
- Photo: Buena Vista Pictures. 2,360 VOTES. The Declaration Is Lowered Into An Atomic Bomb-Proof Vault When It's Not On Display. During the hours when the public isn't around to see it, the Declaration - together with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - is lowered into an armored vault underground, per Atlas Obscura.
- Photo: David Martin / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,423 VOTES. Benjamin Franklin Did Write 14 Letters As Silence Dogood. With the FBI hot on his trail, Ben goes to the home of his father to take a closer look at the back of the Declaration.
- Photo: Attributed to Rembrandt Peale / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. 2,498 VOTES. Timothy Matlack Did Help Scribe The Declaration Of Independence. Timothy Matlack was a brewer from Pennsylvania.
Oct 10, 2024 · 20 The movie's success spurred the creation of merchandise and collectibles. 21 National Treasure's legacy endures through fan communities and discussions. 22 The movie's storyline is enriched by historical anecdotes and legends. 23 The film's success contributed to a resurgence of interest in historical mysteries.
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Jul 4, 2022 · 7. Despite him starring as the villain, National Treasure marks one of the few projects in journeyman actor Sean Bean 's career wherein he doesn't die. He's been killed in film and on TV an ...
