New ‘Da
Vinci Code’ movie not as good as book
By Krystle Ralston
Calendar Editor After being one of the millions of people who read the “Da
Vinci Code,” I went to see the movie with pretty high expectations because
the book was absolutely amazing.
Though the film was not able to match the book’s greatness, it is not far
behind. Directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman, the “Da Vinci
Code” takes us on a roller coaster ride that has very high and some low
moments of excitement.
Based on the controversial novel by Dan Brown, the movie has been discussed in
churches and religious groups around the world because of the sensitive subject
matter: the search to find the Holy Grail, which, unbeknownst to most of the
world, is not the cup that Jesus Christ drank from at the Last Supper. It is
something much bigger, something that has been hidden behind centuries of Christian
teachings.
The film stars Tom Hanks as religious symbolism professor Robert Langdon, who
is called upon to observe and analyze codes a murdered man left behind through
self-mutilated markings for others to decipher. These images are very disturbing,
but so are many more to come as the story develops.
Audrey Tautou, who plays cryptographer Sophie Neveu, shares a connection with
the victim and shows Langdon why he was truly called to look upon the body and
its symbols.
Ian McKellen plays a friend of Langdon and his acting never seems to disappoint.
His character is extremely likable and a very important part of the story.
Their acting is all very good, but the best actor of the film by far is Paul
Bettany, who plays a monk called Silas and is also in search of the Grail. Silas
is a member of the religious group Opus Dei. It becomes very clear early on just
how far he will go to protect the church’s secret from the rest of the
world.
The twists and turns of the journey are brilliant; it feels like you are on a
treasure hunt just as the characters are. You will most likely find yourself
questioning all of the coincidences found in the artwork that holds clues to
the mystery.
Think you’ve seen the Last Supper painting? Look again. There is much more
to it. The book goes into more detail when it comes to the Holy Grail’s
connection to our everyday lives and it is even more mind-boggling.
As usual with any book-turned-movie, there are portions cut out to fit the screen
time. Howard, however, fits enough into the story for it to be detailed and intriguing
while making sense for someone who has not read the book. The scenes are shot
on location at various churches and museums throughout Europe and they are incredibly
beautiful.
The legend of the Holy Grail and its power to expose the dark secrets of the
Christian church is a risky thing to put to film, but Howard did it very well.
It is very obvious that it was not easy, especially with churches across America
bashing it. I am happy he decided to step up to the plate because I got to see
one of my favorite books come to life.
When it comes down to it, the book does take first place over the movie, but
the movie is still a very close second.
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