>The Prince of Persia, movie review

>By: Aaron Franz
TransAlchemy.com

One of the main themes within this film is time travel. A dagger whose HANDle contains special sand has the power to send its operator backward in time to alter history. Seeing as how the entire movie revolves around the idea of going backward in time I think that it is appropriate to begin this very movie review at the end of the film, at the end credits themselves. It was during the end credits that I noticed the screenwriter of this film goes by the name Boaz Yakin. Of course this is a pen name for the screenwriter, but it is much more than just this, it is also a pseudonym, a linguistic cipher for the two symbolic pillars that stand in front of King Solomon’s Temple (among other temples). The pillars Jachin and Boaz are important symbols of duality: male/ female, fire/ water, heaven/ earth, white/ black, etc. They are incredibly important within Masonic symbolism, and the use of this name (Boaz Yakin) reveals the fact that this particular screenwriter is in the business of writing Masonic allegories; The Prince of Persia was certainly this. The pillars of Jachin and Boaz are important to the Zoroastrian tradition which flourished in ancient Persia. The very concept of duality is the foundation of that mystic faith.

Jachin and Boaz seen here as the twin pillars before the Gate of the Temple

Before delving deeper into a review of the PoP, lets have another quick aside. Again, we’ll jump through time to end up in that place which exists before our minds ever even entertain the story of the main attraction at all. That is to say, before the movie even begins. The previews that played before this film were blantantly Masonic as well. Nearly every film was about those special “chosen ones” who are born into this world to protect the weak. Mystic symbolism is now “hidden in plain view” to such an extreme degree that it barely deserves the distinction, hidden. Hollywood films are loaded with mystic symbolism, this is a plain and simple fact! This is very important to think about. We have to understand the “revelations” that are contained in these films. You see, there is definite purpose behind the creation of this entertainment. It is my contention that these films are actually recruitment calls to all those potential candidates for initiation who are wise enough to interpret the hidden messages within their seemingly benign “entertainment.” By initiation, I mean ritual induction into secret societies such as the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, etc.

One pre-movie PREview (a premonition?) was for an animated film about owls. A child owl is inspired by the legend of an ancient sect of “Guardians” that protect owl society. It was implied that no one in the owl world really believes that these guardians are real, but the stories of their greatness are just too powerful for the main character, a young boy, to deny. No doubt if you are to watch this movie upon its release you will see that the boy owl ends up being initiated into their order to save his owl friends and family from certain doom. Need we get into the symbolism of the owl itself, that animal symbol of the goddess Athena? Athena, the Goddess who was born directly from Zeus’s head? Athena, the warrior goddess of civilization, as well as its protector? Forget it, let’s talk about movies! Another preview was for The Last Airbender. This film quite blatantly features the four elements of Nature, and the mastery over creation that they enable in the hands of ancient priesthoods. The Airbender symbolizes the element air, and he gets to have lots of fights with the fire masters, and on and on. The action is intense!!! There was also a preview for The Soceror’s Apprentice, which actually follows the progress of initiation that a young candidate goes through to become a member of a secret society. He of course is one of the chosen few whose divine purpose is to protect all those existing “below” him. There is a line in the preview in which Nicholas Cage says this overtly. “Great men have always been called…”

Ok, back to the Prince of Persia. This film follows the story of a boy named Dastan (name that sounds like Destine, or Destiny) who is so “pure of spirit” that he is raised up by the King of Persia himself. One of the king’s sons takes Dastan by the hand and literally raises him up to their level. Symbolically this shows that Dastan is being raised up into a new life, via a death and rebirth ritual. The boy goes from the status of peasant to that of a (quasi) Royal Son because of his demonstrated virtue and strength. In this scene he becomes an Accepted initiate, and worthy of laboring with the Freemen toward the completion of their Great Work.

The symbol of the apple makes its way into discourse between the King and Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal). Before taking Dastan off to his new life the king throws him an apple, which of course is the occult symbol of knowledge. In this way it is shown that by being raised up to new life (via initiation into the Mysteries) one is given secret knowledge which is held in the hand of the king himself. Later on in the film when Dastan has grown older the King withholds the apple from him. In this scene the king is upset because he knows that his “son” is capable of great things, and when he falls short due to lack of faith in himself wisdom is withheld. Because Dastan did not act up to his full potential the apple remains held tight within the hand of the king. True knowledge is something that must be obtained by the seeker himself, and the nature of Dastan’s Destiny is the main point of the movie. It is the moral to this story.

the apple as knowledge with Adam and Eve as symbols of duality. Jachin and Boaz

Knowing what is right, and acting courageously actually ties in with the theme of time travel. The moral of this story is to do what you know is right. To do this properly requires that you act boldly in the moment. A dagger is used to symbolize the abstract concept of time travel, which cannot be properly understood from a literal point of view. To understand what is being expressed requires a deconstruction of what “time travel” actually is in real life. It is an intangible “extrasensory perception” which can only be properly understood by someone who is “in tune” with their own intuition. The heart/ mind connection that enables virtuous action. The person who handles the dagger properly will assure that the “sands of time” are used properly.

The dagger itself is actually a symbol for the twisting Caduceus of Mercury. Mercury, Hermes, or Thoth. Thoth, pronounced thought. It is thought that guides action, and virtuous action can only be secondary to pure thought. If you watch the movie closely you will see that the twisting shape of the Caduceus is captured in the dagger. There is also some interesting sword in the stone symbolism going on as well, but we’ll leave that alone for now. Realize this, that the dagger gives its holder the power to recreate the world. It is not something for an unworthy or evil character to obtain.

The time travel idea made me think of the power of history itself. Whoever holds in their hand the pen which writes history has amazing creative power. Remember that the pen is mightier than the sword. If you choose to omit certain portions of history from the official history books than you are, in a way, going back in time to completely destroy your enemy. If there is no memory of the past it will be as if it never even happened! This is in fact a murder. People’s ideas of the past are influenced by their immediate surroundings. Without a doubt, many people who watch the Prince of Persia will take away pieces of the movie and apply it to their own unique world-view. Persia will literally take the form that it did in this film! On this note I will say that we are all living a fictional reality, to varying “degrees” of course.

I don’t want to give too much of the story away now, but I will say this. There are some very interesting geopolitical statements made in this film. Remember that Persia is modern day Iran. The events that are happening today are actually hidden within the story of PoP, but I’ll leave that for you to discover.

If you enjoy a healthy dose of Masonic allegory with your entertainment, then you will love the Prince of Persia. Good old Disney will never let you down when it comes to this. For all of you movie junkies who are still hungry for more upon the end credits, you will just have to wait. The Soceror’s Apprentice will no doubt feed your fix.