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The Da Vinci Code (film)

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For the novel upon which this film was based, see The Da Vinci Code.
The Da Vinci Code
File:The da vinci code.jpg
Promotional poster for The Da Vinci Code.
Directed byRon Howard
Written byDan Brown (novel)
Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Produced byBrian Grazer
John Calley
StarringTom Hanks
Audrey Tautou
Sir Ian McKellen
Jean Reno
Alfred Molina
Paul Bettany
CinematographySalvatore Totino
Edited byDaniel P. Hanley
Mike Hill
Music byHans Zimmer
Distributed bySony
Release dates
May 19, 2006
Running time
149 min
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125 million [1]

The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 feature film based on the bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, that everyone who wants to read should have already read by now, from author Dan Brown. It took the box office by storm, earning over in US$224 million worldwide on its opening weekend, second only to the opening of 2005's Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It would appear that the controversy over the storyline (the Constantine Conspiracy), which the movie calls calls "the dark con of man," has not hurt the film's performance at the box office.

It was previewed at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2006, and then entered major release in many other countries on May 18, with its first showing in the United States on May 19.

The Da Vinci Code (in book and film form) has been the target of criticism by the Roman Catholic Church, which has urged members to boycott the film. The storyline proposes that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and conceived a child, resulting in the bloodline being carried on to the present day


Plot

Template:Spoiler The film follows a professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, as he is called to the scene of a grisly murder in the Louvre. Along with a young French cryptographer Sophie Neveu, Langdon tries to solve the message left by the victim in order to preserve a secret, kept for thousands of years, which could revolutionize the Christian faith.

Cast

Taglines

  • Seek The Truth.
  • Seek the truth, seek the codes.
  • So Dark The Con of Man.

Filming

File:Picsony2006-15.jpg
Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu and Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon

The film rights were purchased from Dan Brown for $6,000,000. Filming had been scheduled to start in May 2005; however, some delays caused filming to begin on June 30 2005.

Permission to film on the premises was granted to the film by the Louvre, while Westminster Abbey denied the use of its premises, as did Saint-Sulpice. Lincoln Cathedral, belonging to the Church of England, however, agreed to act as a substitute for Westminster Abbey, and reportedly received £100,000 in exchange for the right to film there. Filming at Lincoln Cathedral took place in August 2005. Filming also took place at Temple Church in London.

As well as shooting on location in France, London, and Germany, the filmmakers shot many of the internal scenes at Pinewood Studios. The film's opening sequence was filmed in the cavernous "Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage" at Pinewood where the interior of the Louvre was recreated, away from the priceless paintings in the actual museum in France.

In the film's opening sequence, Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, discovers a body in the Louvre. David White of Altered States FX, a prosthetics and special makeup effects company which is based at London's Shepperton Studios was tasked with creating a naked photo-realistic silicone body for the scene.

Pinewood's state-of-the-art Underwater Stage was used to film underwater sequences. The stage opened in 2005 after four years of planning and development. The water in the tank is filtrated using an ultra violet system which creates crystal clear water and a comfortable environment to work in for both cast and crew. The tank is permanently filled and the water is maintained at 22 ℃ (72 ˚F).

Pre-release reactions

The Vatican

At a conference on April 28,2006, the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Vatican curial department, Archbishop Angelo Amato, specifically called for a boycott of the film version of The Da Vinci Code; he said the movie is "full of calumnies, offenses, and historical and theological errors."[1]

Francis Cardinal Arinze, in a documentary called "The Da Vinci Code: A Masterful Deception," urged unspecified legal action against the makers of the film. "Those who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult us. There are some other religions which if you insult their founder they will not be just talking. They will make it painfully clear to you," Arinze said. He is Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the Vatican.

Opus Dei

Stating that it does not intend to organize any boycotts, Opus Dei (The Catholic organization that is featured prominently in the novel and the film) released a statement on February 14, 2006 asking Sony Pictures to consider editing the soon-to-be-released film based on the bestseller, so that it would not contain references that it felt might be hurtful to Catholics. The statement also said Brown’s book offers a "deformed" image of the church and that Opus Dei will use the opportunity of the movie’s release to educate about the church.

On Easter, April 16, 2006, Opus Dei published an April 6, 2006 open letter by the Japanese Information Office of Opus Dei mildly proposing that Sony Pictures consider including a disclaimer on the film adaptation as a "sign of respect towards the figure of Jesus Christ, the history of the Church, and the religious beliefs of viewers". The organization also encouraged the studio to clearly label the movie as fictitious "and that any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence."

According to a statement by Manuel Sánchez Hurtado, Opus Dei Press Office Rome,[2] in striking contrast to Sony Corporation’s published "Code of Conduct" the company has announced that the film will not include such a disclaimer.

NOAH

The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has expressed concern about Silas' character giving albinos a bad name. It would seem from images of Silas seen in the trailer for the film that the filmmakers have decided not to change his appearance. See also Evil Albino.

American Catholic bishops

US Catholic bishops launched a website refuting the key claims in the novel that is about to be brought to the screen. The bishops are concerned about errors and serious misstatements in The Da Vinci Code. The film has also been rated O — "morally offensive" — by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting, which denounced its depiction of both the Jesus-Mary Magdalene relationship and that of Opus Dei as "deeply abhorrent."

Faroe Islands

The biggest cinema in the Faroe Islands, Havnar Bio, decided to boycott the film, effectively blocking it from the other smaller cinemas, who rely on second hand films from this source, on the count that it seems to be blasphemous in their point of view.[2] The Faroes is a country with 90% strict Christians,[citation needed] and The Life of Brian had been forbidden previously. People, in particular young people, are irritated, even angry, that they will not be able to see a movie they were looking forward to, especially since the book on which the movie is based on, has not been banned in the shops.[citation needed]

Peru

The Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP) appointed the movie -and the book- as part of a "systematic attack on the Catholic Church" [3]. Furthermore, the Archbishop of Lima, Juan Luis Cipriani urged his community not to see the film: "If someone goes (to see the movie), they are giving money to those who hurt the faith. It's not a problem of fiction; if truth is not respected, what arises we could call white glove terrorism." [4]

Philippines

The Philippine Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) gave it an R-18 rating, the highest rating given by a country so far, restricting the film to adults because of "the thematic, verbal and visual content of this fictionalized drama-thriller from an over-all perspective, requires mature discernment" and that "only adults can discern what is truth and what is fiction."[citation needed]

The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued guidelines to priests on how to refute the book’s plot and reminded parishioners that the book was fictitious, but that fiction "shapes the imagination, stirs emotions and forms mental associations," and this particular book shows itself as "historical fact." However, it did not ask the government to ban the film, but a high cabinet official had claimed that the movie was blasphemous and should be banned. Petitions to ban the film in this predominantly Catholic country from an anti-pornography group, various bishops and priests have emerged prior to the film's release on May 18, 2006.[citation needed]

The city of Manila banned the movie from public viewing as its councilors passed a resolution against the much-hyped film [5]. SM Shopping Malls also followed suit with the management's decision not to launch the film in its theaters throughout the country.

Thailand

Christian groups in this mostly Buddhist country protested the film and called for it to be banned. On May 16, 2006, the Thai Censorship Committee issued a ruling that the film would be shown, but that the last 10 minutes would be cut. Also, some Thai subtitles were to be edited to change their meaning and passages from the Bible would also be quoted at the beginning and end of the film.

However, the following day, Sony Pictures appealed the ruling, saying it would pull the film if the decision to cut it was not reversed. The censorship panel then voted 6-5 that the film could be shown uncut, but that a disclaimer would precede and follow the film, saying it was a work of fiction. [6] [7]

Singapore

The National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) wrote to Information, Communications and the Arts Minister to register their "strongest objection" to the release of the film and requested that it be banned. The Media Development Authority, however, passed the unedited version of the movie, albeit with a NC16 rating, a restriction for children below the age of 16.[8]

Pre-release reviews

As of May 22, 2006, the film has a rating of 22% on the Rotten Tomatoes website, representing 35 positive reviews out of the 160 total reviews currently available. Consensus judgment by the Rotten Tomatoes critics: "What makes Dan Brown’s novel a best seller is evidently not present in this dull and bloated movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code."[9]

Critical backlash

Leading actor Tom Hanks has publicly denounced those who wish to boycott the film based on its biblical and historical inaccuracies. While admitting to the Evening Standard that those involved with the movie "always knew there would be a segment of society that would not want this movie to be shown," he adds that the film's story "is loaded with all sorts of hooey and fun kind of scavenger-hunt-type nonsense." Hanks went on to diminish the critical value of The Da Vinci Code bashers by saying that if they "are going to take any sort of movie at face value, particularly a huge-budget motion picture like this, (they'd) be making a very big mistake." While not downplaying the movie itself, Hanks stated that "all it is is dialogue," adding that dialogue "never hurts." Recently at the Cannes festival critics were treated to a preview. Not only did they burst into laughter when the final plot twist was announced, but they also booed when the movie ended. Afterwards, at a press conference, Ron Howard and the main cast seemed tense when questioned about the movie.[citation needed]

Marketing campaign

Alternate poster of the film.

The film's teaser trailer was released in the summer of 2005, a full year before the film's worldwide release. It was released before a single frame of the movie had been shot. It features crevices with some hidden symbols and was later revealed as an image of Da Vinci's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa.

The court case brought against Dan Brown by Richard Leigh and Michael Baigent, the authors of the non-fiction book Holy Blood, Holy Grail has added to the film's publicity.

A cross-promotion also appeared on The Amazing Race 9, where one team earned a trip to the movie's premiere in Hollywood, California. The prize was awarded to the first team to arrive at the Pit Stop bearing two parchments and demonstrating that, when combined, they revealed a picture of Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and a coded message; the first team to arrive at the Pit Stop did show the message and were awarded the prize.

Press screenings

To limit exposure in the age of blogs and constant leaks, both Sony and Imagine Entertainment, decided to forgo test screenings, a form of market research usually considered critical to fine-tuning a picture. According to the studio representative, the strategy is to preserve a climate of mystery and excitement around the movie, despite the fact that anyone who is interested probably already knows the plot.[citation needed] Even theater owners, who by law must be allowed to see a film before formally booking it for their movie houses,[citation needed] saw the film — running two hours and 29 minutes — only 5 days before the film festival, which by exhibition standards is as last minute as it gets.[10]

Promotional puzzles

As part of the lead up to the movie, various encrypted clues are being placed in movie trailers and interviews. In mid-April, two such clues appeared in the Da Vinci Code interviews on Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, as highlighted letters in the names of interviewees.

In February, Sony, in cooperation with Grace Hill Media, launched The Da Vinci Dialogue (aka The Da Vinci Challenge), a fairly comprehensive web site which is intended to defuse Christian opposition to the movie. The site mixes some mild criticisms with movie promotional material.

Information and solutions / discussion on both the original webquests and the more recent Google-sponsored webquests can be found at the The Da Vinci Code WebQuests article on Wikipedia.

Reactions to the film

Protests

There have been protesters at several movie theaters across the United States on opening weekend protesting the themes of the film, citing its "blasphemy" and claiming that it shames both the Catholic Church, and Jesus Christ himself. More than 200 protesters also turned out in Athens, Greece to protest the film's release a couple days before opening day [3]. In Pittsburgh, protesters also showed up at a special screening of the film the day before its widespread release [4].

Critic's response

Critical reaction was mostly negative. Film critic Michael Medved gave the film two stars (out of four) saying, "..all the considerable acting talent in the film is wasted.." and "the plot twists and sudden reverses...seem silly, arbitrary, and entirely contrived - never growing organically out of the story-line or the thinly sketched characters."[11] However, famous critic Roger Ebert's review of the film was mostly positive, giving it three stars (out of four) and saying, "the movie works; it's involving, intriguing and constantly seems on the edge of startling revelations." [12]

Box office response

Despite these protests, the film still opened with an estimated $29 million in box office sales on its opening day, averaging $7764 per screen[5]. Moviegoers spent an estimated $77 million in America, and $224 million worldwide, according to Sony Pictures. The Da Vinci Code is the best domestic opening for both Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. [6]

It also enjoyed the biggest opening weekend for the year to date, and the second biggest worldwide opening weekend ever, just behind 2005's Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. [13].

Differences between book and film

Template:Spoiler Note: some of these differences are based on the first edition of the book. Newer versions have been revised and in some cases are more similar to the movie.

  • In the movie, Langdon received the photograph of Sauniere's corpse after giving a symbology lecture in a university, while he is autographing his books. In the book, he is contacted after he returned to his hotel.
  • The movie makes no verbal reference to the Divine Proportion, however, during a sequence in which Langdon cuts his face shaving, the pattern of the blood droplet in the sink vaguely resembles the shape of the Greek letter Phi.
  • Sophie found the hidden message in the Mona Lisa written at the bottom right of the painting. In the novel it is scrawled directly across Mona Lisa's face just like the one shown in the earlier trailers of the film.
  • In the movie, Langdon deciphered the code "So Dark The Con of Man" hidden in the Mona Lisa a few minutes after they found it; whereas in the book it took more time.
  • Bank manager and one-time collaborator André Vernet turns against Langdon and Sophie because he has been waiting 30 years for somebody to return for the contents of the safe, and believes they may have killed a man to access his valuables. In the movie his selfish interests in the contents are insinuated, whereas in the book a fuller explanation is given of his dedication to protect Sauniere's interests as his client.
  • In the movie, Fache goes to the hospital to find Vernet and tells him to turn on the homing device, while in the book Vernet does so without telling Fache, so that his bank's reputation is not spoiled.
  • No mention is ever made in the movie of the surveillance equipment in the top of the barn at Teabing's manor, nor of the miniature knight in Sauniere's office in which a bug had been placed.
  • There is no second cryptex inside the first. The solution to the cryptex (and the mirrored writing found on the panel behind the rose logo on the box) is the same as the second one in the book.
  • The role of Opus Dei in the movie is significantly scaled back and far less ominous than their portrayal in the book. In the movie, Aringarosa is a sinister member of a secret council of priests, called the Council of Shadows, dedicated to the destruction of the Sangreal, instead of the desperate leader of Opus Dei dealing with an official council of the Vatican. This leaves Silas' role as more of the tormented executor rather that of the blindly faithful servant.
  • It is revealed that Bezu Fache is a member of Opus Dei in the movie; not mentioned in the book. He decides to pursue Robert Langdon as he was given a false tip by Bishop Aringarosa whom he trusted.
  • Langdon does not carefully hide the cryptex under furniture to prevent Teabing from discovering it prematurely the way he does in the book.
  • In the movie Teabing uses sophisticated computer animation to demonstrate codes in Da Vinci's paintings; whereas in the book he merely points at prints.
  • The name of Rémy Legaludec, Leigh Teabing's butler, is changed in the film to "Remy Jean" instead of Rémy Legaludec".
  • Remy tells Silas that he is The Teacher in the limo, instead of one of his servants. Remy is poisoned by a pier in the Docklands of London instead of in the limo.
  • Silas is killed by police-assisted suicide to show his pain beside where he shot Aringarosa. In the book he flees the scene with mortal wounds and dies in a park.
  • In the novel, Robert and Sophie go to a library in London to discover the relevance of A. Pope. Whereas in the movie they borrow a cell phone web browser on a city bus after they realize it will take too long to get to the library. Sophie uses feminine attractiveness to borrow the phone [which may introduce a technique not present in the book].
  • In the book, Sophie and Robert find a note at Newton's tomb telling them to go to a chapel in order to save Teabing, and it is at this chapel where they realize Teabing is "the Teacher". In the movie, Teabing reveals his true identity right at the tomb.
  • The revelation of the Teacher and the rest of the ending is presented differently. In the movie, Langdon and Sophie discovered the Sangreal documents - and thus the secrets of Sophie's ancestry - hidden beneath the Rosslyn Chapel. However, in the novel Langdon tells Sophie that she is not a descendant of Christ, and Langdon does not discover the location of the Sangreal documents on his own until the epilogue.
  • The entrance to the tomb beneath Rosslyn Chapel is easily found in the movie, beneath an obvious symbol of the unified chalice and blade. In the book, no such entrance to the underground chamber exists (the chamber had only been confirmed by sonograms, but Langdon and Sophie never see it) and the chalice/blade symbol is less obvious (the path of footprints worn into the floor).
  • In the book, Jacques Sauniere is Sophie's grandfather, and she is reunited with her grandmother, who lives behind the Rosslyn Chapel, and her brother, the docent, at the end, where it is revealed in the narrative that her grandmother and grandfather separated with great difficulty for the mere purpose of changing the family names and protecting the grandchildren in separate families. In the movie, Langdon tells Sophie that he believes that Jacques Sauniere is not her real grandfather. The docent is never announced as Sophie's brother. Instead, a legion of protectors of the holy grail meet Sophie with her grandmother, the rest being left unexplained.
  • In the book, Robert and Sophie kiss in the end. In the movie, Sophie "cures" Robert's phobia, and there are other very sublime touching moments between them, barely implying that some relationship could continue, but without ever implying romance.
  • In the movie, Langdon counsels Sophie that it may not necessarily be important or right to prove the bloodline; that it will have to be largely her choice, and that it could be a matter of faith and of deciding which set of beliefs to promote; asking if the proof really matters, anyway. In the book, an explanation is given earlier that the "two" versions of history are merely different, not necessarily making one totally correct over the other, an explanation missing from the movie.
  • In the movie, Sophie tries to walk on water, and jokes about making water into wine, presumably due to having Jesus’ and Mary's miracle-making genes or blood. In the book, there is no such reference.
  • In the book, Leigh shows quotes of Leonardo Da Vinci and many books including Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
  • In the book, Silas has red eyes and Sophie has green eyes, while in the movie, they have other colors.
  • In the book, Teabing puts peanut dust into Remy's cognac in order to poison him, since Remy has an allergy to peanuts. In the film, the method of poisoning is unspecified and Remy's allergy is not mentioned.
  • In the book, Langdon is a firm believer in Grail Lore. However, in the film he dismisses most of it as myth and even argues with Teabing about it several times.
  • In the book, the fact that Sophie was a cryptologist was used to solve puzzles, whereas in the movie, it was only mentionned once at the Louvre.
  • At the end of the movie, a stubborn Aringarosa is placed under arrest by Fache as he is carried into an ambulance. In the book, the more repentant Aringarosa arranges to have the bearer bonds he acquired divided among the families of Silas' victims as he lays recovering on a hospital bed.

Template:Endspoilers

Trivia

  • Julie Delpy and Kate Beckinsale were two of the original actresses considered for the role of Sophie.
  • Since the crew was not permitted to shine light on the Mona Lisa, a replica was used to film instead. (The film crew used the Mona Lisa's chamber as a storage room.)
  • The 61-year-old Roman Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael from Our Lady's Community of Peace and Mercy in Lincoln spent 12 hours praying on her knees outside Lincoln Cathedral in protest against what she sees as the blasphemous use of a holy place to film a book which she considers to contain heresy.[14],[15],[16].
  • Lincoln Cathedral's bell "Great Tom" which strikes the hour was silent for the first time since World War II while filming took place in the cathedral between 15 and 19 August 2005.
  • Near the end of the trailer of the film, the word "Seek" is highlighted, along with the letters T, H, S, E, C, D, E, and O. It has been rumored that this may be an anagram meaning "Seek The Codes". At http://www.seekthecodes.com/ there is a blog, run by Sony Pictures, which will most likely lead to another Da Vinci Code Hunt. The person allegedly running the site is called "Lisa S." This is not only a reference to the book and the Mona Lisa, but the letters can be rearranged to spell "Silas," the name of the fictitious Opus Dei Character.[citation needed]
  • There is a quick shot of a poster for an operatic version of Les Miserables. Victor Hugo has been listed in some documents as the 24th Grand Master of the Priory of Sion.
  • Dan Brown is listed as one of the film's executive producers, as well as the writer (along with Anna Kulp) of "additional codes" for the film. He is also credited with writing and performing one of the film's songs, "Phiano", courtesy of his label "DBG Records".
  • Brown and his wife can be seen in the (out of focus) background of one of the book signing scenes.

Ratings

  • BBFC: 12A (Contains flagellation and other moderate violence)
  • Hong Kong: IIA (Not Suitable for Children)
  • MDA (Singapore): NC16 (Not suitable for Children below 16 years old) *[17]
  • MPAA: PG-13 (Disturbing Images, Some Nudity, Thematic Material, Brief Drug References and Sexual Content)
  • OFLC: M (Moderate Violence, Moderate Themes)
  • MTRCB (Philippines): R-18 (Restricted to adults below 18 years old)
  • IFCO (Ireland): 15A (Very strong violence, menace & self-harm)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Reaffirm the Resurrection, Pope urges faithful". Catholic World News. May 1,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Sánchez Hurtado, Manuel (May 17,2006). "The Other Code". Rom: Opus Dei Press Office. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Hundreds of Greek Orthodox march to protest Da Vinci Code movie". Athens: Deutsche Presse-Agentur. May 16,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Locals Protest 'Da Vinci Code' Movie". Pittsburgh: KDKA News. May 19,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "'Da Vinci Code' opens with estimated $29 million". Los Angeles: CNN. May 20,2006. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ CNN "'Da Vinci Code' a hot ticket"

About the movie

About the story

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