The Da Vinci Code (2006)

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.

Director:

Ron Howard

Writers:

Akiva Goldsman (screenplay), Dan Brown (novel)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Robert Langdon
Audrey Tautou	...	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

Storyline

Dan Brown's controversial best-selling novel about a powerful secret that's been kept under wraps for thousands of years comes to the screen in this suspense thriller from Director Ron Howard. The stately silence of Paris' Louvre museum is broken when one of the gallery's leading curators is found dead on the grounds, with strange symbols carved into his body and left around the spot where he died. Hoping to learn the significance of the symbols, police bring in Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a gifted cryptographer who is also the victim's granddaughter. Needing help, Sophie calls on Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a leading symbolized from the United States. As Sophie and Robert dig deeper into the case, they discover the victim's involvement in the Priory of Sion, a secret society whose members have been privy to forbidden knowledge dating back to the birth of Christianity. In their search, Sophie and Robert happen upon evidence that could lead to the final resting place of the Holy ...

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Plot Keywords:

based on supposedly true story | secret | holy grail | opus dei | leonardo da vinci | 

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Taglines:

Seek the truth, seek the codes.

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Falcon and Columbia Pictures [Czech Republic] Official site [Russia]

Country:

USA Malta France UK

Language:

English French Latin Spanish

Release Date:

19 May 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

El código Da Vinci

Filming Locations:

Rue Saint-Georges, Paris 9, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$125,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$77,073,388, 21 May 2006, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$217,536,138, 20 August 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$758,239,851, 25 November 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Imagine Entertainment, Skylark Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

149 min 174 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shipped to cinemas as "Artistry" in three cans.

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Goofs

(at around 2h 15 mins) Near the end of the movie Langdon cuts his chin while shaving, causing a big drop of blood to drop into the sink, but from then on his face is not cut at all.

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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... 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]

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Crazy Credits

The "A" and "V" in the film title are replaced with the "Blade" and the "Chalice" symbols described by Langdon in the movie.

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Alternate Versions

The film was originally shown to the UK censors in an unfinished form, with a temp score and sound mix. The BBFC advised Sony Pictures that sound levels during some acts of violence may be too impactful for the requested "12A" rating, so the film was likely to receive a 15 classification. When formally submitted, the final levels of sound effects on the completed soundtrack had reduced the strength of some acts of violence to an extent which made the film able to get a "12A" rating.

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Connections

Featured in The Da Vinci Code: The Music of The Da Vinci Code (2006)

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Soundtracks

Phiano
Written and Performed by Dan Brown
Courtesy of DGB Records

User Reviews

The best movie critic is YOU

So I suggest not writing this off as a Hollywood hack film, simply because it's the bandwagon thing to do. Before you go and see The Da Vinci Code, let all the negative and positive hype surrounding this production cancel each other out, clear your mind, and judge this film fairly. Do NOT judge it on its usually weak director, do NOT judge it entirely on the source material and do NOT judge it on your religious beliefs. All this will be rewarding.

I have not read the book so I will not attempt any kind of comparison.

Plot essentially goes like this: In the middle of the night, Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is summoned as an expert to a crime scene in Le Louvre where a terrible murder has been committed. The victim's body is self-placed in such a bizarre, symbolic way next to one of the world's most famous paintings that the investigation gradually unlocks age-old mysteries that many do not wish to be unlocked.

The Da Vinci Code is a chilling, thrilling and well-sewn together mystery thriller that often keeps you on the edge of your seat. The cast do not disappoint either. Paul Bettany is genuinely creepy as Silas and thereby reinforces the stereotype that all albinos are evil. While Audrey Tatou is annoyingly frail as Sophie Neveu, she is captivating and lovely and is able to project both charisma and presence on screen in this film. However, Tom Hanks did not at all feel like the protagonist in the story and I am unaware whether that was intentional or not but I'm guessing no, in which case Hanks definitely fails in both attracting and keeping our interest.

So the cast usually perform well (with the exception of Hanks) and the story is also facilitated by some very striking visuals. A big plus for this film which elevates it slightly above generic formula is its beautiful locations often seen through epic aerial shots. Good call, Howard! Another big plus is its distinctly Euro-centric feel in both style and substance. This surprised me since it is Tom Hanks and Ron Howard in the same film, but they do manage to keep the overblown Hollywood clichés to a minimum. This is even apparent in the score by Hans Zimmer; it is not overblown, but subtle and appropriate in the scenes to which it was scored. Similarly, Frenchmen do not speak English with a French accent when they were alone together, but speak in French. That said, the plot does unfold in a somewhat Hollywood fashion -- and the plot happens to be thinner than an Olsen twin.

To counter the good parts, two big minuses in The Da Vinci Code are its wooden and sometimes even placeholder dialogue and its distinct lack of humor. I felt the actors were much too serious for this kind of film, which is first and foremost an adventure story, fast-paced and constantly unlocking new mysteries. The issues in the film were serious enough and needed more comedy to balance them.

As I write this review, more and more bad points about it spring to mind. This is strange, since I remember sitting in the cinema with my friends just a few hours ago and being thoroughly entertained and captivated by the whole thing. So, never mind the occasionally insultingly far-fetched plot and plot-twists by Dan Brown; The Da Vinci Code is a nicely done and very entertaining film in which nothing feels missing or incomplete.

7/10