DAVINCI CODE DISAPPOINTS


As with most films adapted from incredible literary works, “The Da Vinci Code,” directed by Ron Howard based on Dan Brown’s bestselling theological suspense thriller of the same name, falls dramatically short of its promise to take you on a lightening-paced, intelligent, intricately layered, and suspenseful international scavenger hunt to uncover a centuries old mystery.

While the novel ingeniously mixed action with intrigue while exploring the intricate complexities of religious theory and history and made it accessible in the guise of a captivating chase story, the reported $125 million film adaptation fails to live up to its provocative source material. Although the film does succeed in raising some thought provoking questions about history versus the creation of history, its 2-1/2 hour running time and uneven pace turn it into an overly long, bloated, and disappointing melodrama – the antithesis of Brown’s exciting, tightly wound page-turner.

While in Paris delivering a talk and promoting his latest book, acclaimed Harvard symbologist Professor Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) receives an urgent summons to the Louvre Museum where an elderly curator, Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle), whom he was scheduled to meet earlier that day, has been brutally murdered. Once inside the museum, Langdon finds a baffling cipher near the body. He joins forces with gifted French police cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), and together they attempt to decode the enigma. Along the way, they discover a mysterious trail of symbols, bizarre riddles, and unexpected secrets hidden in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci – clues that are visible for all to see and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Their dangerous quest leads to a covert society dedicated to guarding an ancient secret that has remained concealed for 2000 years.
The stakes are raised when Langdon uncovers a startling link: the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion – a secret society whose members included Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton, among others. Langdon suspects they are on the hunt for a breathtaking historical secret, one that has proven through the centuries to be as enlightening as it is dangerous.

The pair’s frantic race to solve the mystery before the secret falls into the wrong hands takes us on a whirlwind adventure through the cathedrals and castles of Europe from Paris to London to Scotland as they collect clues in a desperate attempt to crack the code. Along the way, they match wits with a mysterious powerbroker who appears to anticipate their every move. Unless they can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle, the Priory’s secret and an explosive ancient truth will be lost forever.

Akiva Goldsman’s dull-witted, plodding adaptation strives to remain faithful to the book’s major plot elements, but it inadvertently brings to light the obvious shortcomings of Brown’s entertaining bestseller which were well disguised by the novel’s clever structure and compelling premise. At first glance, the novel appears to be highly cinematic with its fast-paced action compressed into a 24-hour time frame.

But appearances are deceiving. While Goldsman attempts to meet the daunting challenge of interpreting a complex, intricate piece of fiction and turning it into compelling cinematic narrative, the end result is stodgy, confusing and frequently too literal-minded. His script awkwardly blends intrigue and menace with mystery in a confusing and illogical tale of enigma, secrets and riddles layered clumsily one upon another.

According to production notes, the script incorporates several things that Brown learned after writing the novel, making the movie in some ways an updated, annotated version of the original book. Director Howard also adds backstory to the film that was only referred to in the novel. Unfortunately, the digitized flashback sequences are cheesy, distracting and confusing. They disrupt the narrative flow rather than enhance and clarify the storyline, and they add unnecessarily to the film’s already considerable length.

Indeed, the film seems to get lost in its own maze of puzzles and riddles and long-winded explanations that suck the life out of what was originally a very engaging and fun story, offering audiences instead something that is extremely laborious and solemn. Howard insists on telling us everything rather than showing us.

Howard seems at a loss for how best to bring the novel to life on film. He takes a cautious approach to provocative material that robs it of its excitement. His attempt to capture visually what appears to be so deceptively cinematic in the novel is less than satisfying, and he insists on advancing the complex, plot-crammed narrative at the expense of essential character development. Indeed, while he has cast his film with an impressive international ensemble of experienced and respected actors who are well able to bring to three-dimensional life the fascinating personalities that populated Brown’s novel, Howard gives them little opportunity to develop the personal aspects of their character unless it’s directly related to advancing the story.

As a result, their performances often seem awkward, stilted, and filled with missed opportunities that would have made their characters more engaging and the film more entertaining.
In addition to Hanks and Tautou in the lead roles, the strong supporting cast includes Sir Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing, the story’s Holy Grail historian and deranged puppetmaster; Jean Reno as the relentless French police captain Bezu Fache; Alfred Molina as the manipulative Bishop Aringarosa; and Paul Bettany as Silas, the deadly albino monk. Hanks’s character is driven by curiosity and a wonderfully dry sense of humor.

He’s smart, fascinated by the world around him, and convincing as a thinking man’s hero who is determined to unravel the mystery. And despite the off-screen jokes about it, his long, swept back hairdo seems appropriate for an unsuspecting university professor who is unexpectedly caught up in a mysterious and deadly conspiracy.

That said, there are moments when the actor seems a little lost as though he’s trying to find a hook for his character and there is none. Hanks also lacks the dashing, charismatic qualities that would have made his character’s relationship with Tautou’s Neveu far more interesting. In the second English-language film of her career, alluring French actress Tautou brings impressive nuance to her work and creates a pivotal character that is enigmatic, intrepid, and ethereal, although occasionally her heavy accent makes her dialogue unintelligible.

Unfortunately, the chemistry between Hanks and Tautou is sadly missing as is any romantic involvement between their characters.
McKellen lives up to his reputation as one of Britain’s finest actors, drawing upon his unique physicality and impeccable delivery to mine the sensibilities and subtleties of his crippled, manic character. His performance is especially compelling in two fascinating scenes, one where he reveals the stunning secrets concealed in Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and another where he explains to a skeptical Neveu “the greatest cover up in human history.” Bettany skillfully humanizes Silas, the film’s most bizarre and terrifying character, whose penchant for self-chastisement provides some of the movie’s more disturbing scenes. Molina, whose Bishop Aringarosa manipulates Silas’ damaged psyche to achieve his selfish ends, lends strong authenticity to the character that reflects the actor’s personal knowledge of the culture. Reno slips effortlessly into the character of Bezu Fache as though he were born to play the role, cleverly embodying the sangfroid, restraint, patience, and intense resolve of the one of the novel’s most crucial figures. (Brown supposedly wrote the character with Reno is mind.) He pursues his homicide investigation with bulldog tenacity and considers Langdon his prime suspect.

The film’s technical elements are solid and reflect the director and his production team’s meticulous attention to detail. Director of photography Salvatore Totino shot the film on location in Europe and on the island of Malta as well as at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios where several sets were reconstructed including sections of the Louvre’s Grand Galerie, the interior of Saint-Sulpice, and several rooms of the Chateau Villette which served as Teabing’s residence in the French countryside.

Totino employs a cool palette of browns, blacks, blues, and grays accented with reds that gives the film a sinister and brooding look. His fluid camerawork and inventive camera angles, along with skillful editing by Daniel Hanley and Mike Hill, heighten the suspense and convey a sense of something unseen looming that is bigger and more menacing than we or the characters initially suspect. Most of the film’s action is set at night which enhances the dark, suspenseful, conspiratorial atmosphere.

The dramatic opening sequence sets up audience expectations for the rest of the film. When Sauniere is stalked by Silas, Totino cleverly frames his last desperate moments. He captures the frightened curator’s terror as he stumbles along the dark museum corridors under the watchful eyes of the subjects of famous portraits that hang in the Louvre’s Grand Galerie, silent witnesses to his chilling demise. As the sole guardian of one of the most powerful secrets ever kept, Sauniere attempts with blood stained hands to leave clues behind that will pass the secret on to those who will discover him later, a daunting task that requires every remaining second of his life.
Unfortunately, much of the rest film is filled with mediocre action scenes that simply fall flat. There is, however, one exhilarating high-speed chase in which Neveu expertly maneuvers her Smart car in reverse through the streets of Paris with the determined Fache and his men in hot pursuit.

Production designer Allan Cameron recreates masterpieces including the Mona Lisa by reproducing them digitally, then blowing up the photographs and painting over them. Scenic artist James Gemmill gives the reproductions the authentic look and texture of the originals through the use of special glazes and crackle techniques.

The film’s props also play a critical role in the story, especially the cryptex, a portable safe deposit box, which holds the secret to finding the Holy Grail. Cameron designed the device based on the description in the novel, but made it small enough to fit into Langdon’s coat pocket for the film. The film’s fabulous costume design is by Daniel Orlandi. Versatile composer Hans Zimmer delivers a tragically beautiful score using classically inspired, overly dramatic chord progressions reminiscent of his work on “Batman Begins” that infuse the film with majesty and power. His rich atmospheric score is dark, mysterious, scary, and perfectly matched to the enigmatic tone of the film.

Whether you are a history buff, Vatican conspiracy theorist, puzzle lover, murder-mystery aficionado, or just curious about self-flagellating homicidal albinos, Howard’s “The Da Vinci Code” has something for everyone. Unfortunately, thanks to a dreary adaptation and uninspired direction, it’s nowhere near as riveting, fascinating and absorbing as Brown’s first-rate novel.

I recommend saving the $7-9 for the movie ticket and instead, buying the paperback. Better yet, shell out the $25 for the hardback. This is one book worth keeping for posterity. The movie will no doubt fade into obscurity.