Summary of the Plot"National Treasure" is a 2004 action-adventure film directed by Jon Turteltaub. This movie stars Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a brave treasure hunter who comes down from a long line of treasure hunters.
The story starts with young Ben Gates hearing a tale from his grandfather about a famous treasure concealed by Freemasons throughout the American Revolution. The treasure, according to the tale, is secured by a series of ingenious ideas causing its area. Benjamin becomes obsessed with discovering the treasure, a quest that controls his life.
Quest for the TreasureAs an adult, Gates, with the assistance of his technology-savvy good friend Riley Poole (played by Justin Bartha) and investor Ian Howe (Sean Bean), finds a colonial ship, the Charlotte, buried under the Arctic ice. They find a meerschaum pipe with an inscription-- the very first riddle to the secret of the surprise treasure.
Alliances break down as Ian shows treacherous, leaving Ben and Riley stranded on the icy fields. Back in Washington, they decode the riddle to find the map resulting in the treasure is ingeniously concealed on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Gates and Poole decide they must steal the file to avoid Ian from doing so.
Crystalizing the PlanIn their attempts to persuade the authorities about the upcoming theft, they cross courses with National Archives conservator, Dr. Abigail Chase (played by Diane Kruger). Their cautions are dismissed, leading them to take matters into their own hands. They effectively steal the Declaration, simultaneously informing Abigail about the theft.
The Treasure HuntThroughout the film, the trio analyzes a series of puzzling hints leading them closer to the treasure while averting Ian's crew and FBI Agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel). The treasure hunt brings them to historical websites such as Liberty Bell and Trinity Church in Philadelphia.
ConclusionIn the end, they discover the area of the treasure below Trinity Church. Nevertheless, Ian's team abducts the group, requiring them to expose the treasure's place. After some creative maneuvers, the group manages to trap Ian's crew while keeping the treasure's place trick.
Upon discovery, they discover a vast collection of cultural artifacts, including scrolls from the lost Library of Alexandria. The movie concludes with the FBI cleaning Ben of misdeed due to his intentions to secure the treasure, which is dispersed among museums around the globe. Ben, Abigail, and Riley get a 1% finder's charge, totaling up to a substantial fortune.
"National Treasure" highlights styles of America's formative years, showing the country's distinct historical and cultural possessions through a fascinating witch hunt. It is an enjoyable and daring motion picture that gained appeal among audiences, causing a follow up launched in 2007.
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