The Da Vinci Code [M]

When the murder of a museum curator takes place, history professor and symbols interpreter, Robert Langdon is called on to be of service in the case. But Landon gets the shock of his life when he discovers that he was not called as an investigator, but as a suspect. Now Robert, with the help of French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, is trying to find the real killer, but their investigation is going to prove to be something more that just a case of murder. 

Based on the book by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code is a great thriller filled with conspiracy, murder, and the devastating consequences of Faith and Truth. 

When the murder of a museum curator takes place, history professor and symbols interpreter, Robert Landon is called on to be of service in the case. But Langdon gets the shock of his life when he discovers that he was not called as an investigator, but as a suspect. Now, Robert, with the help of French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, is trying to find the real killer, but their investigation is going to prove to be something much bigger and sinister than a simple case of murder. 

This is one of the rare films that I watched before reading the book; so I’ll say what I think here and now, but I’ll bet you that my opinions will change when I read the book. Anyway, here we go: The Da Vinci Code. 

The story was already there and of strong support. Dan Brown’s novel was big when it first came out. I think, to watch films such as these; that deal with history and religion, Christ, the Last Supper, and all that jazz, you really need to the know the stories in order to get more out of the film. The extent of the audiences’ understanding of the subject matter will strongly influence how much they enjoy the film. Me, who only knows vague stories about the Holy Grail and stuff by watching Indiana Jones movies, sat and watched this movie, armed with no knowledge of the subject matter whatsoever and, as a result, probably didn’t enjoy it as much as someone who knew what was going on would. That’s the only failing that I can see. 

The way the film was put together was really intriguing as, in particular, the memories and supernatural sequences intercut seamlessly with the present. The editors and special effects people deserve congrats for that. 

With brilliant performances from Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, and Paul Bettany, The Da Vinci Code was a goose bump-inducing thriller that was filled with action, drama, conspiracy, murder, and the devastating, ageless war between Faith and Truth. I think if you’ve read the book or at least know more about the subject matter, the better, but it was still a film that I enjoyed.