The Da Vinci Code (film)
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- This article is about the film. For other uses, see The Da Vinci Code (disambiguation).
Because of some controversial interpretations of Christian history, both the book and movie version of The Da Vinci Code have been the target of criticism by the Roman Catholic Church. Some bishops have even urged members to boycott the film. [link] Many of the early showings were accompanied by protesters outside the movie theaters, and early critical reviews were decidedly mixed. However, in its opening weekend, the film earned over US$224 million worldwide, second only to the opening of 2005's . Its worldwide gross to date, as of July 13, 2006, is a staggering $728,877,259 U.S. [link]
Plot Summary
The film opens with a man (later revealed to be Jacques Saunière) being pursued by a mysterious hooded character carrying a handgun through one of the Grand Gallery in the Louvre. While trying to evade the man, he is confronted by him and the man reveals himself as Silas. Silas begins demanding the location of the Priory's clef de voûte or "keystone." However, Jacques instead tells him a lie that was told by the other three keepers of the secret as well, whom Silas all shot. Silas then shoots Jacques in the stomach, and walks out.
Saunière reveals a place (Church of Saint-Sulpice beneath the Rose), but we soon discover that this revelation was only a lie that was created by the Priory of Sion in case they were compromised.
Meanwhile, American symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is in Paris as a guest lecturer on Symbols and the sacred feminine, is contacted by the French police, and summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Saunière had created an intricate display using black light ink and his own body and blood. Capitan Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene.
Next on the scene is Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), French Cryptologist. She discreetly informs Langdon that he is in danger, and must get away without arousing suspicions. Langdon, in confusion, excuses himself and heads to the men's washroom, where Sophie meets him and warns that he was bugged with a tracking device by Bezu Fache on the way into the Louvre. Sophie tells him to get rid of it, which he manages by placing it in a bar of soap and throwing it onto a passing truck. After throwing the chip out the window, French are alerted of Langdon's attempted escape and begin pursuing the automobile. Sophie begins explaining that Fache had erased a line of black light ink text which appeared to incriminate Langdon, and that Fache believes Langdon to be the murderer.
However, Sophie also believes that Saunière, who, it transpires, is her grandfather, wanted to pass a hidden message on to her, and that he had wanted to bring Langdon into the equation so that he could help her crack the code.
After the pair manage to buy some time by disorienting the French agents with throwing the chip out, they begin exploring the Louvre, finding some more anagram messages that Saunière had left behind. Many of these messages relate to Leonardo Da Vinci's art, and the pair find a key with a Fleur-de-lis behind Madonna of the Rocks.
When the French agents stop the suspected car in which Langdon supposedly escaped, they realise they were tricked and immediately head back to the Louvre. Upon arrival, Robert and Sophie evade agents and are pursued by the French Police. Sophie tells Robert that she can continue with the investigation and that if they get to the American embassy then they can safely fly Langdon back to the United States.
After arriving at the front gates of the American embassy, the French authorities are already waiting for them both. Sophie then manages to drive into a narrow alleyway created by two moving trucks. Both of them abandon the car and head into a park where Langdon closely inspects the key. He notices an inscription on the side which is an address. The address appoints them to head over to the Depository Bank of Zurich where the key is used for a safety deposit box.
When they enter Depository Bank of Zurich, both now appear as wanted criminals on French television. One of the security guards recognises Langdon and Sophie and informs the police when both enter into a vault. They discover that Saunière had a safety deposit box, which requires a 10 digit code for them to access. Langdon then remembers Fibonacci numbers which were found previously on Jacques Saunière. When arranged in the correct order, it becomes 1123581321.
When they succeed in entering the code, they acquire a box. The box turns out to contain a cryptex; a device which can be aligned in different ways, something like a Rubik's Cube, and must be set-up to spell out a 5-letter code word in order to open and access the parchment message inside which surrounds a vial of vinegar. Using force to open the cryptex would cause the vial to break and dissolve the parchment, effectively destroying the message.
Differences between film and novel
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 film.- In the film, Langdon received the photograph of Saunière's corpse after giving a symbology lecture in a university, while he is autographing his books. In the novel, he is contacted after he returned to his hotel.
- In the film, Langdon is more moderate in his views of the Roman Catholic Church than he is in the novel. In the novel, he agrees with Teabing on just about every accusation Teabing levels at the Roman Catholic Church. Langdon is also much more skeptical about the Priory of Sion in the film than he is in the novel.
- The film 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. Also, the Bank of Zurich's emblem closely resembles a Phi.
- In the film, Sophie found the hidden message near the Mona Lisa written at the bottom right of the painting. In the novel, it is written on the plexiglass guard shielding the painting, making it appear as if it were written directly across the Mona Lisa's face.
- In the film, Langdon deciphered the anagram, "So Dark The Con of Man," written near the Mona Lisa with the help of Sophie a few minutes after they found it, while, in the novel, Sophie deciphered it when Langdon couldn't.
- In the novel, bank manager and friend of Jacques Saunière André Vernet turns against Langdon and Sophie because he has been waiting 20 years for somebody to return for the contents of the safe and believes they may have killed Saunière to access his valuables. In the film, Vernet's selfish interest in the contents are insinuated while, in the novel, a fuller explanation is given of his dedication to protect Saunière's interests as his client and friend.
- In the film, Sophie's relationship to Saunière is not revealed to Vernet until he holds Langdon and Sophie at gunpoint. In the novel, she notifies Vernet that she is Saunière's granddaughter when they are in the bank.
- In the film, Fache meets Vernet in the hospital and tells him to turn on the homing device for the armored car, while, in the novel, Vernet does so without informing Fache so that his bank's reputation would not be compromised.
- The answer to Teabing's second question at the Château Villette gate is changed in the film. In the film, the question is put to Langdon whether he wants milk or lemon with his tea, and Langdon responds that it depends on the type of tea they are having. In the novel, he is given the choice of milk or sugar, and he hesitates before realizing that the correct answer is actually lemon and that the tea should be Earl Grey. In the film, when he is already in Teabing's residence he is offered this tea and asks for lemon to go with it.
- No mention is ever made in the film of the surveillance equipment in the loft at the top of the barn at Teabing's manor, nor of the miniature knight in Saunière's office in which a bug had been placed although there is a glimpse in the film of the knight. Rémy Legaludec's criminal record is scrutinized by the police showing that he was kicked out of college for rewiring phone lines to obtain free service. This ties him into the plot as a surveillance expert. In the novel, the French police uncover Teabing's central role in bringing about the actions against the Priory of Sion.
- In the film, there is no second cryptex inside the first as there is in the novel, and, in the film, the solution to the cryptex is the same as that for the second cryptex in the novel.
- The role of Opus Dei in the film is significantly scaled back and far less ominous than their portrayal in the novel. In the film, Aringarosa is a sinister member of a secret council of priests, called the Council of Shadows, dedicated to the destruction of the Sangreal and the living descendents of Christ, instead of the desperate leader of Opus Dei dealing with the Vatican's desire to sever ties with it.
- In the film, Silas, Bishop Aringarosa, Leigh Teabing, Rémy, Opus Dei, and the Council of Shadows all either know about or are responsible for the murders while, in the novel, only Silas, Leigh Teabing, and Rémy are responsible for them.
- In the film, Opus Dei is portrayed as an organization trying to destroy the Sangreal while, in the novel, Opus Dei is trying to gain control of the Sangreal in order to wield more influence in the church.
- It is revealed that Bezu Fache is a member of Opus Dei in the film by his lapel pin ("the cross in the world") according to Langdon who sees it; this is not mentioned in the novel. In the film, Fache decides to pursue Robert Langdon on the basis of a false tip by Bishop Aringarosa whom he trusted—the Bishop told Fache that Langdon confessed to killing Saunière. In the novel, Fache learns of Silas from Aringosa who tries to stop Silas from committing crimes as he realizes that he has been duped by the "Teacher."
- In the film, Langdon does not carefully hide the cryptex under a couch to prevent Teabing from discovering it prematurely the way he does in the novel.
- In the film, Teabing uses sophisticated computer animation to demonstrate codes in Da Vinci's paintings; whereas, in the novel, he merely points to the prints. Due to Teabing's uses of sophisticated computer animation with Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper, Teabing was able to digitally move Mary Magdalene's figure over to Jesus's left making it seem as if the figure is resting on Jesus's shoulder.
- The name of Rémy Legaludec, Leigh Teabing's butler, is changed in the film to "Rémy Jean".
- In both the book, and film, Robert Langdon finds Mary Magdelene is (A)The true Holy Grail and (B)Is buried at the very bottom of The Louvre, as kept secret by the Priory of Sion
- In the film, Rémy tells Silas that he is the Teacher while driving him to the London Opus Dei house; in the novel, Silas is given to understand that he is one of the Teacher's servants. In the film, Rémy is apparently poisoned by a pier in the Docklands of London while sitting outside the limo. In the novel, he is sitting in the front seat of the limo in St. James's Park with the "Teacher" when he dies as the result of an allergic reaction to peanut dust placed into a liquor flask passed to him by "the Teacher."
- At the British airport where the Hawker lands, Teabing mentions a cannabis charge. In the book, he doesn't mention this.
- In the film, Silas allows himself to be killed by police-assisted suicide in his remorse for shooting Aringarosa. In the novel, mortally wounded but still ambulatory, he flees the scene and goes to the hospital with the wounded Bishop Aringarosa, who tells him to pray. He goes out into the hospital courtyard where he dies.
- In the novel, Robert and Sophie go to a library in London to discover the relevance of "A. Pope" while, in the film, they borrow someone's mobile phone (which had a web browser) on a city bus, after they realize it will take too long to get to the library.
- In the novel, Sophie and Robert find a message scrawled on Newton's tomb with rubbing chalk telling them to go to the Westminster Abbey chapter house in order to save Teabing, and it is there that Teabing reveals himself as "the Teacher." In the film, Sophie notices Teabing's cane marks in the dust of the floor and Teabing reveals himself right at the tomb.
- The revelation of the Teacher and the rest of the ending is presented differently. In the film, Langdon and Sophie discovered the Sangreal documents–and with them the secrets of Sophie's ancestry–hidden beneath the Rosslyn Chapel. In the novel, the documents are not discovered. Sophie, who is reunited with her grandmother and brother (the "caretakers" of the chapel), is told by her grandmother that she is a descendant of Jesus Christ.
- The entrance to the tomb beneath Rosslyn Chapel is easily found in the film, marked by the symbol of the unified blade and chalice over the door to the passage. In the novel, no such entrance to the underground chamber exists, and the chalice/blade symbol is less obvious as a sign worn into the floor of the chapel by the path walked by countless visitors.
- In the film, Sophie's parents and brother were killed in a car accident of unknown origin. In the novel, Sophie's brother survives and is raised by their grandmother at Rosslyn Chapel. In the novel, the grandparents agree to separate in order to protect the children. According to the novel, Sophie and her brother are reunited at the end–he is the guide or docent working at Rosslyn Chapel. In the film, the man working at Rosslyn chapel as a guide is not presented as her brother: her brother is said to have died in the car accident.
- In the novel, one of the most important aspects of Sophie Neveu's relationship with her grandfather, Jacques Saunière, is that she hasn't spoken to him in ten years. During those ten years, she never opened his many letters, nor did she ever tell another person about her reasons. The novel presents Sophie coming to grips with why she was estranged from her grandfather. With Langdon's prompting her she comes to the realization that she accidentally witnessed a Hieros Gamos sex ritual involving her grandfather. In the film, this traumatic event is presented only as a flashback: we see Sophie looking in the windows of a door at masked men and women encircling a couple engaged in intercourse. Sophie realizes that the man of the couple is her grandfather. In the novel, Langdon explains this ritual to Sophie, but, in the film, he does not.
- In the novel, Jacques Saunière is really Sophie's grandfather, and she is reunited with her grandmother Marie, who lives behind the Rosslyn Chapel with Sophie's presumed-dead brother, the docent. The novel has Sophie's grandmother tell Sophie that with great difficulty she and Saunière separated in order to protect the children by changing their family names and raising the two children in separate families. In the film, Langdon tells Sophie that Jacques Saunière is not her real grandfather on the basis of the Grail documents in the cellar of the Rosslyn Chapel. The docent is not shown to be Sophie's brother, and a large number of protectors of the Sangreal with Sophie's grandmother meet her as she comes out of the crypt of the Rosslyn Chapel: all else is left unexplained in the film.
- In the novel, Robert and Sophie kiss at the end and plan to meet in coming months in Florence, Italy. In the film, Sophie "cures" Robert's claustrophobia, and there are other touching moments between them, implying that some relationship could continue without implying romance. They are shown making their farewells at the end.
- In the film, Langdon tells Sophie that since the tomb of Mary Magdalene was apparently lost with the death of Saunière, it would not be possible to prove that Sophie is the last descendant of Jesus Christ and it may not necessarily be important or right to prove the bloodline. The choice was Sophie's. In the novel, Sophie's grandmother explains to Langdon that it was never the Priory of Sion's mission to reveal the "truth" about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. Teabing's belief was that this was the priory's mission that he thought was thwarted by Jacques Saunière.
- In the film, Sophie playfully tries to walk on water and muses jokingly about turning water into wine, presumably because she was descended from Jesus. This sequence does not occur in the novel.
- In the novel, Leigh presents quotations from Leonardo da Vinci and many books, including Holy Blood, Holy Grail.
- In the novel, Silas has red eyes, and Sophie has green eyes. In the film, they have bright blue and brown eyes respectively.
- In the novel, Langdon is a firm believer in Grail lore, having become a believer while researching his book Symbols of the Lost Sacred Feminine; however, in the film, he dismisses most of it as myth and even argues with Teabing about it several times.
- In the novel, Sophie's skill as a cryptologist is reiterated again and again, showing that she is adept at solving riddles, anagrams, and puzzles while, in the film, it was only mentioned once in the beginning at the Louvre.
- At the end of the film, a stubborn Aringarosa is placed under arrest by Fache as he is carried into an ambulance. In the novel, an innocent, though remorseful, Aringarosa arranges to have the bearer bonds he acquired divided among the families of Silas's victims as he lays recovering on a hospital bed.
- In the novel, when Teabing and the rest are escaping from France, they call the pilot and say they need to go to London. In the film, Teabing has his pilot fly to Zurich, Switzerland, from which Langdon and Sophie could not be extradited back to France. When Langdon finds a secret message on the crytex's rosewood box mentioning London, Teabing has the pilot change course for London.
- In the novel, Teabing claims that over 3 million women were burned at the stake during the witch trials. In the film, it is Langdon who first posits the figure of 50,000 people, and Teabing who goes on to add that "some people say much more, possibly millions."
- In the novel, Teabing's claim that Emperor Constantine invented Christ's divinity is met by Langdon with a "soft nod of concurrence." In the film, Langdon passionately challenges this claim of Teabing's.
- While the novel represents the Christians as waging war on the pagans in an attempt to suppress them, in the film, this claim of Teabing's is countered by Langdon that it is unknown whether it was the Christians or the Pagans who initiated the violence.
- In the novel, Sophie reads from the Gospel of Philip that "Jesus loved Mary Magdalene more than the other disciples and kissed her often on the mouth". In the film, Teabing reads the passage out loud, but is significantly cut off by Robert just after the words "often on the . . ."! (For the very likely reason behind this, see the Gospel of Philip article.)
- In the book, Langdon and Teabing agree unanimously on the existence of the Priory of Sion and its nature. In the film, Langdon challenges Teabing, stating the Priory was proven to be a hoax, which Teabing retorts is "exactly what they want you to think".
- In the novel, Sophie has red hair, reinforcing her connection to Mary Magdalene, but the actress in the film (Audrey Tautou) is a brunette.
- In the film, there is no mention about Langdon’s Mickey Mouse watch, although it does make a brief appearance in the sequence of Langdon and Sophie in the back of the armored van.
- In the novel, Bezu Fache is not a member of Opus Dei, but in the film he is.
Cast
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Taglines
- Seek The Truth
- Seek the truth, seek the codes.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." 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 an anagram of "Silas," the name of the fictitious Opus Dei Character.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
- So Dark The Con of Man.
- Can you crack the code?
Filming
Location
Permission to film on the premises was granted to the film by the Louvre (although, since the crew was not permitted to shine light on the Mona Lisa, a replica was used instead, whilst the film crew used the Mona Lisa's chamber as a storage room), while Westminster Abbey denied the use of its premises, as did Saint-Sulpice. The Westminster Abbey scenes were instead filmed at Lincoln Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral, both belonging to the Church of England.Lincoln reportedly received £100,000 in exchange for the right to film there, with filming there occuring between 15 and 19 August 2005, mainly within the cloisters of the cathedral. The Cathedral's bell "Great Tom" which strikes the hour was silent for the first time since World War II during that time. Although it remained a closed set, protestors led by the 61-year-old Roman Catholic nun Sister Mary Michael from Our Lady's Community of Peace and Mercy in Lincoln demonstrated against the filming, spending 12 hours praying on her knees outside the 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.[link],[link], [link], [link] and [link]
Meanwhile Winchester answered criticism by using its location fee to fund an exhibition, lecture series and campaign to debunk the book [link], [link] and [link].
Filming also took place elsewhere in the UK (London, including the Temple Church, and Burghley House) and in France and Germany.
Studio shoots
In the film's opening sequence, Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, is taken by French police to the Louvre, where a dead body has been discovered. 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. (Lighting effects, however, were utilized to obscure the body's genitalia (an effect also used on television programmes such as CSI).
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 ˚C (72 ˚F).
Pre-release reactions
Catholic
The Vatican
At a conference on April 28,2006, the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a Vatican curial department formerly known as the Inquisition, Archbishop Angelo Amato, specifically called for a boycott of the film version of The Da Vinci Code; he said the movie is "full of , offences, and historical and theological errors."Cardinal Francis 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 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, in contrast to Sony Corporation’s published "Code of Conduct" the company has announced that the film will not include such a disclaimer.
American Catholic bishops
US Catholic bishops launched a [website] refuting the key claims in the novel that are 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 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."Peru
The Peruvian Episcopal Conference (CEP) appointed the movie—and the book—as part of a "systematic attack on the Catholic Church" [link]. Furthermore, the Archbishop of Lima, a Cardinal and member of Opus Dei, 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." [link]During a preview for movie critics in Cannes, the main climax of the film, when Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) discloses Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tatou) that she is a "without a doubt" the decendant of Jesus Christ, was met with thunderous laughter. Nearing the end of the screening, the conclusion of the movie was met with boos instead of the usual applause. [link]
NOAH
The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has expressed concern about Silas' character giving albinos a bad name. However, the filmmakers did not change his appearance. See also evil albino.China
Although the Da Vinci code was passed by Chinese censors, it was abruptly removed from public view, by order of the Chinese government, after "a remarkable run in China, grossing over $13 million". [link] Its last screening was made on the 9th of June 2006.No explanation was given.
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, because it seems to be blasphemous in their point of view [link]. Havnar Bio is privately owned, and their decision is based on their own private opinion.A private initiative by the individual Herluf Sørensen has arranged the movie to be played, despite the boycott by Havnar bio. The movie opened at the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands on the 5th June 2006.
Philippines
See The Da Vinci Code in the PhilippinesThailand
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. [link] [link]. This last-minute decision caused the premiere, opening-day showing of the movie to be delayed or cancelled in some provincial theatres as the updated film reels were shipped from Bangkok.
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. [link]Samoa
The film was banned outright in Samoa after church leaders watching a pre-release showing filed a complaint to film censors. []India
There was a huge outcry in many states by the Christian minorities to ban the film from screening in India for the perceived anti-Christian message. This issue has even brought the minister responsible to view the film along with the senior Catholic representatives.In the end, the movie was allowed to release without any cuts but with an A (Adults Only) certification from the Central Board for Film Certification and a 15-second Disclaimer added at the end stating that the movie was purely a tale of fiction. However the movie was delayed by a week by which time the grey market was flooded with pirated copies of the movie.
The screening of the film Da Vinci Code has been banned in Punjab, Goa, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. [link], [link]. Later, the Andhra Pradhesh High Court quashed the State Government's order banning the screening of the film in the state [link]. The Indian censor board however had cleared the movie for release on Friday,2 June. The Supreme Court of India also rejected petitions calling for a ban on the film, saying the plot which suggests Jesus was married was fiction and not offensive [link].
Pakistan
Pakistan on June 3rd, 2006 banned cinemas from showing "The Da Vinci Code" because it contained what officials called blasphemous material about Jesus. The authorities decided to ban it, as Jesus is a revered prophet in Islam, and possibly also out of respect for the feelings of the country's Christians, which makes up about 3 percent of Pakistan's 150 million people.
Cast/crew response
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 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." He also stated at the Cannes Film Festival that he and his wife saw no contradiction between their faith and the film, as "My heritage, and that of my wife, suggests that our sins have been taken away, not our brains."[link]Also at Cannes, Sir Ian McKellen was quoted as saying - "While I was reading the book I believed it entirely. Clever Dan Brown twisted my mind convincingly. But when I put it down I thought, 'What a load of ... [eloquent pause] potential codswallop."[link] During a May 17, 2006 interview on The Today Show with the Da Vinci Code cast and director, Matt Lauer posed a question to the group about how they would have felt if the film had borne a prominent disclaimer that it is a work of fiction, as some religious groups wanted. (Some high ranking Vatican cabinet members had called for a boycott of the film.Philip Pullella, "[Boycott Da Vinci Code film]", Reuters 28 April 2006. Accessed 20 May 2006.) McKellen Larry Carroll: Ian McKellen Sticks Up For Evil In 'Da Vinci Code,' 'X-Men' [link], MTV News May 15, 2006 responded, "I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying 'This is fiction.' I mean, walking on water? It takes. . . an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie—not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story." He continued, "And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing when they've seen it.""[Ian McKellen Unable to Suspend Disbelief While Reading the Bible]", Us Weekly 17 May 2006. Video clip available [here].
Marketing campaign
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. (In reality, the painting plays a very little role in the film and is showed only for a few seconds.)
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 through having already read the book.[[Citing sources citation needed]] Even theater owners saw the 2 1/2 hour film only 5 days before the film festival, which by exhibition standards is as last minute as it gets. [link]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.
Reactions to the film
Several of the changes made in the film, notably those of Langdon's views on the subject, appear to be intended to counterpoint or soften some of the viewpoints expressed in the novel.
Protests
There have been protesters at several movie theaters across the United States on opening weekend protesting the themes of the film, citing it as 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 shortly before opening day. In Manila the movie was banned from all theaters and the set by the local MTRCB as an R18 movie for the Philippines. In Pittsburgh, protesters also showed up at a special screening of the film the day before its widespread release. Protests also occurred at the filming sites, but only a monk and a nun stood in a quiet protest at the Cannes premiere [link]. In Madras, India, the film was banned for a two month period to appease local Christian and Muslim groups [link]Critics' response
The critical response to the film was generally negative.Before the film was released in theaters, ratings for The Da Vinci Code on the Rotten Tomatoes website was poor. As of June 15, 2006, the film has a rating of 24% on the Rotten Tomatoes website, representing 47 positive reviews out of the 199 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." [link]
On the one hand, the film was not well received at the Cannes Film Festival. [link] In addition, some film critics such as 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." [link]
On the other hand, other critics liked the film. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and stated, "the movie works; it's involving, intriguing and constantly seems on the edge of startling revelations." [link] Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer, who also liked the film, gave it three and a half out of four stars and noted, "unlike most Hollywood blockbusters, this one assumes audience members will be smart." [link]
Box office response
Opening weekend
Despite the protests and poor pre-release reviews, the film still opened with an estimated $29 million in box office sales on its opening day, averaging $7764 per screen. During its opening weekend, 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.CNN ["'Da Vinci Code' a hot ticket"]It also enjoyed the biggest opening weekend for the year to date, and the second biggest worldwide opening weekend ever, just behind 2005's . [link] This has led some critics, particularly in the UK, to moot the idea of the 'critic-proof film' [link].
Ranking and current gross
- The movie was easily the #1 movie domestically at the box office during the week of May 19-25, 2006, grossing $102.5 million during that span.
- According to Boxofficemojo.com, as of July 9, 2006, The Da Vinci Code has grossed $213.2 million domestically (2nd highest of 2006) and $728.3 million worldwide (highest of 2006) since its release on May 19, 2006. On June 20, it became only the 2nd movie of 2006 to pass the $200 million mark on the domestic front. [link]
- In the Netherlands, the film was released on May 18 in 127 cinemas. The film debuted at #1 grossing over € 2,249,322 in its first week, the highest debut in 2006. In its second week, it topped the Boxoffice Top 10 again, grossing over €1,996,735 in that week. The two following weeks, it remained on the top position. As of June 14, the film has grossed a total of € 5,671,506.[Boxoffice NL]
Trivia
- There is a quick shot of a poster for an operatic version of Les Miserables. Victor Hugo, the author of the book, 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."
Cameos
- Brown and his wife can be seen in the (out of focus) background of one of the book signing scenes. [[Citing sources citation needed]]
- The authors of book The Templar Revelation, a major source of information on the Priory of Sion myth, Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, make a brief appearance as characters on a bus. [[Citing sources citation needed]]
Ratings
- British Columbia Film Classification Office, Ontario Film Review Board (Canada): 14A
- Quebec, Canada: 13+
- India: Film released in India after an agreement to run 15 seconds announcements at the beginning and end of the movie. Statement: "The characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are fictitious, and any similarity to the name, character or history of any person is entirely coincidental and unintentional." Film banned in Punjab Goa, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, and Pondicherry.
- BBFC (United Kingdom): 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) [link]
- MPAA (USA): PG-13 (Disturbing Images, Some Nudity, Thematic Material, Brief Drug References and Sexual Content)
- OFLC (Australia): M (Moderate Violence, Moderate Themes)
- MTRCB (Philippines): R-18 (Restricted to children below 18 years old)
- IFCO (Ireland): 15A (Very strong violence, menace & self-harm)
- VET (Finland): K-15
- Medietilsynet (Norway): 15+ years (12+ with parents)
- Greece: 17+
- Malaysia: 18PL (Restricted to children below 18 years as it contains non excessive religous, violent scenes)
- Pakistan: Banned.
- China: Banned.
See also
References
External links
- [Official site] by Sony
- [Official secret site]
- [The Da Vinci Code - Facts and Fiction] MalGo Media Services
- [The Davinci Code Trailer] at [Free Video Clips]
- [}}}] at Rotten Tomatoes
- [Slant Magazine: The Da Vinci Code Review]
- [Review] at Lunapark6.com
| Characters |
|---|
| Robert Langdon > Sophie Neveu | Bezu Fache | Silas | Bishop Manuel Aringarosa | The Teacher | André Vernet | Sir Leigh Teabing | Rémy Legaludec | Lieutenant Jérôme Collet | Guardian of the Rosslyn Trust |
| Fictional organizations |
| Council of Shadows > Depository Bank of Zurich | The Priory of Sion in the Da Vinci Code |
| Media |
| The Da Vinci Code (film)>Film | Video Game | The Da Vinci Code WebQuests |
| Other |
| Criticisms of The Da Vinci Code > Bibliography of The Da Vinci Code | Cryptex |
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