Originally written as a guest blog on Jay Cole Simser's blog. January 12, 2008
Over the holiday break, I took the opportunity to view the
new movie, National Treasure—Book of Secrets. This coming Saturday, more than
180 Masons, their wives, and guests, will jointly view the movie in Cedar
Rapids. Why? Because it contains Masonic Symbolism? No! Because it contains
Masonic Secrets? No! Because it contains the names of some Famous Masons and
contends that they had a secret. Well… yeah, kinda, maybe. And don’t forget the
TREASURE!
Freemasonry has been a hot topic for Hollywood in recent years. The original
National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code are perhaps the most well known. There
have been others, some good, some not-so-good, and some positively horrible (or
so I have been told). I have to admit that I enjoyed both National Treasure
movies and The Da Vinci Code. I didn’t enjoy them because of the Masonic links,
although I must admit that was one of the major reasons I attended. I enjoyed
them because they were fun adventure stories, and involved a little teensy tiny
bit of puzzle solving to boot, which appealed to the engineer in me. It’s hard
to beat beautiful women, chase scenes, impending death by violence, and the
discovery of a great treasure. The Masonic connection was just a bonus. Of
course, these movies all included lots of bad information, only some of which
was in reference to the fraternity. But if we only went to movies that were one
hundred percent factual, Hollywood would have gone out of business decades ago.
Another good movie with a Masonic connection is The Man Who Would Be King, based
on the short story of the same name by Rudyard Kipling. Of course, Kipling was a
well known Mason. The fraternity is featured in much of his poetry. So at least
the Masonic references are a bit more valid than in some of the other movies. Of
course, his characters are still rapscallions, so perhaps the fraternity doesn’t
come off entirely in the best light. (Disclaimer, that comment is based on
having read Kipling’s short story and not having actually seen the movie. That
tends to be my approach. When given the choice, read the book rather than see
the movie, as long as the movie was based on the book. When the book is based on
the movie, it is best to stick to the movie.)
Then there are the not-so-good or downright bad movies such as The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell. From what I have read, these are not good
movies, and they are horribly misrepresentative of the fraternity. But I suspect
that those who go see them don’t really care.
But Freemasonry is long been included or referred to in other forms of popular
entertainment. For example, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle includes many Masonic
references in his writings, particularly in his novels and short stories
featuring the great detective, Sherlock Holmes. If you search the internet, you
will find several articles detailing the Masonic references in this body of
work. Or perhaps, you should read the stories yourself to search for them. (That
would be the truly Masonic Way. Become the investigator. (“The hunt is afoot,
Watson.”)
And then there are the works that include hidden Masonic references without ever
using the word. Goethe’s classic play Faust is an example. When I started
reading that play masquerading as an epic poem, I did not know that Goethe was a
Mason. But it didn’t take me long to figure it out. The work was chock full of
references which could only be Masonic. For example, there was a lengthy section
of conversation where science and nature were discussed, along with comments on
the conflict they may have with the church. In another section, Goethe talked
about the orders of architecture. Of course, he made this seemingly boring topic
fun by including it in a bawdy discussion where several soldiers were comparing
their male members to the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. Subtle? Well,
yes, as a Masonic reference, anyway. But intentional, none-the-less. These are
but two examples of many, many inclusions of Masonic references in this work.
And finally there is one of the best known pieces of Masonic performance art,
Mozart’s Opera, The Magic Flute. This opera is still widely performed. A version
was presented at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City about two years ago. Just this
past Sunday (January 13) it was presented by Opera Cedar Rapids. I seized the
opportunity to view this performance, and am very glad I did. I really enjoyed
it, as did the sell out crowd who paid $50 per seat to attend. (How many of you
would pay $50 to watch National Treasure? I recognized a few Masons in the
crowd, but I must admit that most in the audience were there for the music.)
This was a slightly modified version of the opera. While all the arias were
still performed in German, with English translations projected above the stage,
the actual dialog had been converted into rhyming English. I was a bit worried
that this might be disconcerting, but it actually worked very well. As near as I
could tell, all the drama, all the humor, in fact all the story, including the
masonic themes, remained intact. Without a doubt, it was easier to just listen
than try to read the projected translation.
I was a bit disappointed with the set, or rather lack thereof. Most performances
of this nature include rather elaborate stage settings and backdrops. This one
did not. Calling this a minimalist set would be an understatement. It was a
non-set. I believe that could have been a problem for anyone unfamiliar with the
story. But luckily, I had just watched a DVD recording of a Metropolitan Opera
performance of the opera that morning. So I could just watch and listen to the
performers.
So, does Mozart give away any Masonic Secrets? No! He does not. But anyone
familiar with the fraternity will easily recognize significant elements of the
story. For example, early in the opera, Tamino, the hero of the story, is
depressed, and wonders aloud if he will ever be able to extricate himself from
the darkness or to find the light. He then discovers three temples in the woods.
These are dedicated to Reason, Nature, and Wisdom. Later he is led, with a hood
over his head, into the temple for purification and trial. The chorus then
breaks into a song of joy and hope, expressing the dream of a heaven on earth,
founded on the virtue and justice of great men. Tamino is informed that he must
undergo difficult and progressively more dangerous trials, whereby the Order
tests the worth of those who will join it. It is indicated that his success will
help to ensure that the realm of the Sun (light) can resist the destructive
chaos threatened by the night. Following a prayer to diety for assistance,
Tamino is subjected to three trials, during which he is told to maintain
silence, and to be strong and true. Of course, he is successful; the Queen of
the Night is defeated; and Tamino gets the girl in the end. All in all a good
story, great music, and a worthwhile Masonic theme. Go see it! If you cannot
find a performance near you, rent or purchase a DVD. You will find it well worth
your while. Who knows, you may find it to be a true treasure, unlike the fantasy
world created in the movies. And just perhaps, you may find, to your surprise,
that opera is not just a bunch of screeching, but rather is some really great
music. And that would be an International Treasure.