The Da Vinci Code: Movie Review

By the time I got to read Dan brown's The Da Vinci Code, it was already in controversies. But, I didn't know what this hullabaloo was about and just bought it from a road side vendor. It started with a murder and I was hooked. I'm not a huge fan of religious believes in any forms. But I do love to read stories. So, I knew a lil' bit about Christianity and a controversy always thrills me. Telling that Christ was a saint or that Christ was an ordinary human being doesn't hold much difference to me. (Same for any other religious figure)

But, when you bring in a hugely popular belief and thrash it with seemingly solid evidence..my oh my! How I love it! If a story is presented as a conspiracy theorem, you love it or hate it. But, you sure see it to the end.Yup....Da Vinci Code was a racy read. But, if you can read it without a break, you must be Dan Brown. Because any other mortals would have some doubts and with google just a click away you can always clear it. So, yes. I did some Googling like any other reader. And found that there are a lot of facts, bended facts and lies in this delicious creation. What is fiction with out lies! As long as you aren't thrashing Amitabh Bachchan, anything goes for me.

Should I explain more? The Da Vinci Code holds a special position in my altar of select thrillers. Naturally, I should be waiting with baited breath when the book is made into a movie as everyone knew would be done, right? But, no! From the moment Tom Hanks was announced as the hero of Ron Howard's movie, I lost interest. Don't get me wrong, Tom Hanks is one my favorite actors and ranks very high in my listing. But, as Robert Langdon? Err.....well, doesn't seem right.

So, what's this much talked about story? In entry level the curator of the Paris Museum Louvre is murdered inside the museum. While he was slowly dying he arranges his body like Leonardo Da Vinci's famous work Vitruvian Man. He also manages to leave a coded message with a note that tells to find the famous symbologist Robert Langdon.

Unfortunately the appearance of Mr. Langdon's name in the death note lands him in the wrong list of French police. But, the curator's granddaughter Sophie Navue, who also happens to be an official cryptologist, doesn't think he has anything to do with the murder. In fact, she knows that her grand father had left all these clues so as to reach her and get Robert Langdon's assistance to solve the riddles. What awaits them is a series of tough riddles. What was the curator trying to tell her? Who killed him? What historic/religious secrets did her grand father know?

Now, the story within the story. Heard about Jesus H Christ? World's most popular religion at this point of time, Christianity, happens to have its origins in Christ. Jesus Christ is popularly believed to have lived with out any spouse till his end. The Da Vinci Code makes controversy by playing with the idea that he had a spouse and his successors still exists under camouflage. What's more, his spouse is touted to be Mary Magdalene, who is popularly known as a prostitute who finds peace in Christ. If you don't think this is enough trouble, you are blissfully unaware of how maniacal people can be about religion!

Honestly, if I don't compare the movie with the book (which, no one should in any of such cases) it was an above average Hollywood fare. It is hard to put all those code breaking, religious symbolisms, crash course in history and a dash of mathematics into a movie. So yes, a lot of editing had to be done.

Negatives:

1. No film maker can adapt a book surpassing human imagination.
2. Tom Hanks doesn't seem much interested in the proceedings. At best, he looks confused.
3. Silas, the serial killer, was one of the best characters in the novel. In the movie his characterization is half-baked.
4. An exciting riddle solving sequence in the book becomes confusing in the movie.
5. Dialogues like "That means you’re related to Jesus" sounds laughable on screen.
6. An average movie-goer will find it difficult to follow the proceedings (Even after reading the book so many times I had a tough time)

Positives:

1. Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing gives the much needed sprint to the movie.
2. Jean Reno as Captain Bezu Fache gives a well measured, restrained performance.
3. French actress Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu looks noble if not divine.
4. The way historical flashbacks are picturized.....blending past and present....

So, have you seen it yet?

Categories: The Da Vinci Code, Movie, Review, Movie Review, Hollywood, Thriller