National Treasure is an action-adventure movie released in 2004. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, the movie stars Nicholas Cage, Harvey Keitel, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, Sean Bean and Justin Bartha. The movie revolves around the hidden treasure that was buried because of historical events in the past.
The movie begins with Benjamin “Ben” Franklin Gates, a historian, codebreaker and treasure hunter. His grandfather told him that Charles Carroll, an ancestor, had given them a map. The map contained the location of a treasure that was hidden by the Knights Templar, the Freemasons and the founding fathers of America. The map has a clue that reads, “The secret lies with Charlotte”. Ben tries to decipher the clue while his father, Patrick, is skeptical about it.
Thirty years later, Ben is joined by Riley Poole, a computer expert, as they embark on a treasure hunt expedition sponsored by Ian Howe, a wealthy businessman. They are accompanied by Ian and his henchmen. Ben, Riley, Ian and his men search for Charlotte, a lost ship in the Arctic region. They find an ancient ship and discover a tobacco pipe. The pipe has a carving that gives a clue that the next instruction is in the Declaration of Independence.
Knowing the value of the treasure they are seeking, Ian reveals that he intends to sell it for a huge profit. He orders Ben to steal the Declaration of Independence. A battle ensues, and the group breaks up. Ben stays with Riley while Ian and his henchmen search for the treasure on their own.
Ben and Riley report Ian’s malicious intent to the FBI, but no one believes them. Ben decides to steal the Declaration of Independence from the archive room to prevent it from falling into Ian’s hands. He attends an event to get Abigail Chase’s fingerprints, which he needs to access the archive room. Ian and his henchmen find out about Ben’s plan and try to take the document from him. Ben hides the document in a gift shop to trick Ian. He is asked to pay for the document, thinking it was a souvenir sold in the shop.
Abigail starts feeling strange, and she is kidnapped by Ian and his henchmen. Ben and Riley free Abigail by tricking Ian into thinking that the original Declaration of Independence had been left in the store. The disappearance of the document alerts Sadusky, an FBI agent, who starts hunting Ben. Ben, Riley and Abigail escape to Patrick’s home.
They search for clues in the document and discover a hidden message that was written by Benjamin Franklin. They translate the message, leading them to Independence Hall. They visit Independence Hall to read further instructions from the document, but Ian and his men continue to pursue them. Can Ben, Riley and Abigail find the treasure?
Combining Conspiracy Theories and History
National Treasure is well-known for combining conspiracy theories and American history. The movie is a realization of the ideas found in various conspiracy theories that are believed to have been created by the American government. The movie is similar to other conspiracy-themed movies like The Da Vinci Code.
The movie is highly engaging, portraying Ben as the ultimate solution finder to all conspiracy theories. The movie shows Ben solving mysteries and getting clues in just a few minutes, sometimes even seconds. The fast-paced tempo of the movie creates an illusion that the treasure hunt is straightforward, whereas it is complicated. For those who love puzzles and mysteries, the ease with which Ben solves the puzzles seems like a plot hole in the movie.
Character Development
National Treasure’s main characters are Ben, Riley and Abigail. Unfortunately, the characters’ background and personality are not well developed, leaving a gap in the story. Ben is portrayed as someone who comes from a family of treasure hunters.
Conclusion
National Treasure is a movie with a thrilling storyline that combines conspiracy theories and American history. The movie follows the treasure hunt of Ben, Riley and Abigail as they try to solve the mystery of the hidden treasure. Although the movie showcases the ease with which they solve the puzzles, it still provides an exciting experience for movie lovers.
