The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers (WGA):

Akiva Goldsman (screenplay)
Dan Brown (novel)

Release Date:

19 May 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Seek The Truth

Plot:

A murder inside the Louvre and clues in Da Vinci paintings lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years -- which could shake the foundations of Christianity.

Plot Keywords:

Secret | Murder | Chase | Opus Dei | Mary Magdalene

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 16 nominations

Cast

Tom Hanks	...	Dr. Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou	...	Agent Sophie Neveu
Ian McKellen	...	Sir Leigh Teabing
Jean Reno	...	Captain Bezu Fache
Paul Bettany	...	Silas
Alfred Molina	...	Bishop Manuel Aringarosa
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Andre Vernet
Jean-Yves Berteloot	...	Remy Jean
Etienne Chicot	...	Lt. Collet
Jean-Pierre Marielle	...	Jacques Saunière
Marie-Françoise Audollent	...	Sister Sandrine
Rita Davies	...	Elegant Woman at Rosslyn
Francesco Carnelutti	...	Prefect
Seth Gabel	...	Michael
Shane Zaza	...	Youth on Bus

Also Known As:

The DaVinci Code (International: English title) (alternative spelling)
El código Da Vinci (Argentina) (Ecuador) (International: Spanish title) (Peru) (Spain) (Venezuela) [es]
Da Vinci Code (Canada: French title) (DVD title) (France) [fr]
O Código Da Vinci (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
A da Vinci-kód (Hungary) [hu]
Codul lui Da Vinci (Romania) [ro]
Da Vinci -koodi (Finland) [fi]
Da Vinci kood (Estonia) [et]
Da Vinci mysteriet (Denmark) [da]
Da Vinci sifresi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Da Vinci-koden (Sweden) [sv]
Da Vinciho kód (Slovakia) [sk]
Il codice Da Vinci (Italy) [it]
Kod da Vinci (Poland) [pl]
Kodikas Da Vinci (Greece) [el]
Le code Da Vinci (Canada: French title) [fr]
Sifra mistra Leonarda (Czech Republic) [cs]
The Da Vinci Code - Sakrileg (Germany) [de]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content.

Runtime:

149 min | 174 min (extended cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Latin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Ireland:15A | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12A | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Malaysia:18PL | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41475) | Poland:15 | Venezuela:PG-13 | Sweden:11 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Mexico:B15 | Hungary:16 | India:A | Spain:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:14 (original rating) | China:13 | Peru:14 | Italy:T (cinema rating) | Italy:VM18 (tv rating) | Taiwan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Ron Howard's first envisioned choice for the role of Robert Langdon was Bill Paxton. Paxton was interested but turned it down because of scheduling conflicts. 'Russell Crowe (I)' was then seriously considered for the role but ultimately Howard decided on long time friend Tom Hanks for the role. Other actors considered for the part were Ralph Fiennes, Hugh Jackman and George Clooney.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The movie refers to Da Vinci's The Last Supper as a fresco. Leonardo painted The Last Supper on DRY and not wet plaster, so it is not a true fresco. Because a fresco cannot be modified as the artist works, Leonardo instead chose to seal the stone wall with a layer of pitch, gesso and mastic, then paint onto it with tempera. Because it is not a true fresco, it cannot be moved easily, and this fact has caused it much deterioration and damages over the years. Furthermore, as it has received so much restoration, it is impossible to read as much into the detail of the painting as the narrative implies, as the level of detail concerned is more restoration than Da Vinci's original.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Silas: Stop now. Tell me where it is.
[removes hood]
Silas: You and your brethren possess what is not rightfully yours.
Jacques Saunière: I don't know what you are talking about.
Silas: Is it a secret you will die for?
Jacques Saunière: Please...
Silas: As you wish.
[cocks gun]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What Just Happened (2008)

Soundtrack:

Phiano

Could have been better... Should have been better.

If you take the most popular book in recent years, you should have the most popular movie since The Lord of the Rings, right? Wrong. Though the film was hotly debated, its cinematic quality and popularity aren't nearly as high as one would expect. Amid protests, pending lawsuits, and outright denouncements by Catholic officials, Ron Howard released his adaptation of Dan Brown's novel, The Da Vinci Code.

American symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and French cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) are on a trans-European quest to solve riddles left by Louvre curator, Langdon's hero and Neveu's grandfather, Jacques Saunier, as he lay dying. The riddles and subsequent quest allegedly lead to the true identity and whereabouts of the famed Holy Grail. Hot in pursuit of the thinking man's Bonnie and Clyde is Javert-ian French police captain Bezu Feche (Jean Reno), intent on pinning the murder of Suanier on Langdon and Neveu, and albino monk, Silas (Paul Bettany) under the command of a mysterious telephone voice known only as The Teacher.

With a pedigree such as the most popular book in the world, two Academy Award winners (Hanks, Howard and writer Akiva Goldsman), French film superstars (Tautou and Reno) and Gandalf (Ian McKellen), you'd wonder how such a film could fail.

Well, how about the miscast of Howard as director. Howard lacks the vision to properly adapt the novel and bring it to life. Some of the blame does go to his Cinderella Man scribe Akiva Goldsman for not writing a fitting script. But Howard's awkwardness is more prominent. If we were going to pick name directors for this film, Steven Spielberg would have been better choice, but I think David Fincher (Se7en and Fight Club) would have been perfect.

The whole production felt rushed. Having just read the book, a lot of plot points were fresh in my mind, and that may have clouded the comprehension of certain things, which I think Howard and Goldsman were counting on. Looking back on it, the first 30-45 minutes were very rushed, and I don't think things were adequately explained. They were still referenced and used in the movie, but not explained well. It suffered from the, what I call, Godfather syndrome: referencing things from the book at the wrong time. They could have taken their time with the film, and it would have told the same story, and been a lot better.

Hanks was out of place as Landon, our hero. He doesn't have or project the same presence about him that Langdon should have. Might I suggest seasoned conspiracy theory veteran David Duchovny? As with Mission:Impossible:III, the supporting cast was impeccably put together, and the one true weakness of the cast is unfortunately the keystone (maybe it's just a bad year for actors named Tom).

Slightly better than your average summer fair, but still doesn't hold up when put against the equally action oriented yet wholly more insightful X-Men franchise.