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| by Bridget Petrella with additional writing
by John Mundazio |
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| Sony's ‘The Da Vinci Code’— Thought-provoking and Taunting. | |
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“He knew we were
going to have to streamline it somewhat. But he was a really important
resource in helping us interpret things he had learned or read including
several things he discovered after he wrote the book, which have found
their way into the script. So, our movie is in some ways a kind of an
updated, annotated version of The Da Vinci Code.” The Cast and Characters
After Goldsman’s screenplay was completed, the next major hurdle for the
filmmakers was to assemble a cast that would embody the essence of the
fascinating personalities that populate Brown’s novel and could translate
to the screen as engaging and entertaining characters in their own right.
As executive producer Todd Hallowell sees it: “This is a unique film in
that it has a truly international cast. Watching Ron slowly piece together
all the right elements so that they perfectly meshed was a pretty amazing
process. He really put together an extraordinary ensemble.”
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UPBEAT Editor-In-Chief
Bridget Petrella continues to wander about aimlessly through a vast
feature film wasteland of what appears to be Hollywood gone completely
mad... Occasionally she likens the whole bizarre experience to that of
being 'Green Acres' Mr. Douglas, which is precisely why she and business
partner actress Sonia Satra, have founded
Nite
Owl Productions, Ltd, a madcap bunch of visionaries with hearts the
size of The Grinch once he discovered compassion. |
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Dan
Brown's best-selling book The Da Vinci Code gets adapted for the big
screen thanks to director Ron Howard, who helms this big budget
production. Veteran actor Tom Hanks stars as professor Robert Langdon,
whose Parisian lecture tour on feminine symbolism gets disrupted when he's
implicated in a murder at the Louvre. Co-starring with Hanks is Audrey
Tautou, the French police analyst who comes to Langdon's aid and who may
hold the key to some of the mysteries. The cast is fleshed out by Jean
Reno as a hangdog French detective who thinks he can trick Langdon into a
confession; Paul Bettany as Silas, the murderous monk; Alfred Molina as an
evil Catholic cardinal; and Ian McKellan, who steals the movie in the
second act as a crotchety old authority on the Holy Grail. During the
course of the film, all sorts of riddles, keys, clues, and enigmas are
thrown in our hero's path, along with bullets, knives, and devious
betrayals. Cinematographer Salvatore Toltino shoots in a dark and somber
style, with lots of detailed flashbacks to grim scenes from ancient Rome,
the Crusades, and the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. Tautou looks
gorgeous in the perpetual dim light, as does the ancient French and
British architecture. With so many centuries of hidden knowledge, cults,
sects, and Christianity-shattering secrets involved, this may have been
confusing to those not acquainted with the book, but Howard and
screenwriter Akiva Goldsman ingeniously weave the myriad layers into a
true thrill ride. Ultimately, The Da Vinci Code is a thoughtful action
film, with a refreshingly clear-eyed approach to world history that may
scandalize the close-minded, but is sure to enlighten those open to new
ideas.
Howard’s
wife was reading the book with her book group when he mentioned that
he might direct a film version, and was delighted that their reactions
were all glowing. He says: “I discovered the book more or less the way the
whole world did— through amazing word-of-mouth. People are interested in
it for different reasons and are personally impacted by it in a variety of
ways.” But the main reason he was eager to direct The Da Vinci Code has to
do with his love of the adventure thriller genre. “This story has all the
style and traditional suspense elements that make a movie work as an
entertaining narrative,” says Howard. “It takes the viewer along with the
confidence that it’s headed in a particular direction but then surprises
you in so many ways. That’s why the story Dan Brown created so captivated
his readers. It feels familiar as a mystery and as a thriller but then,
wow, there’s this fascinating turn of events.” Calley was glad to hear of
Howard’s interest in The Da Vinci Code, having long searched for the right
opportunity to work with the Oscar®-winning director. “I’ve always admired
Ron,” says Calley. “He’s skillful and moderate in the best sense, in that
he never has an agenda. He was a great choice for this project, since he
brings a kind of fundamental intelligence that is totally appropriate to
the material.”
“Robert
Langdon is the thinking man’s hero, someone who is on a relentless
quest to unravel this mystery,” observes screenwriter Goldsman.
“Throughout history, we have been drawn to people who seek out the truth,
who search for the grail. They were often knights, men who were pure of
heart, strong of spirit and unrelenting.” Hanks was eager to work with
Howard again, particularly since he was taking on the challenge of playing
a character so different from anything in his own life experience.
“Langdon has this arcane knowledge that is very deep and quite extensive
and he is fascinated by it,” says Hanks. “He has somehow turned this
knowledge into a lucrative career. As a symbologist, he can tell you what
three marks on a cave wall represent, what they meant then and how they’ve
come to be interpreted down through the ages. This is a guy who is
continuously observing absolutely everything. He sees all these
connections, all the time.” The actor says his collaboration with Howard
was essential in his process of discovering the character of Robert
Langdon: “Ron is so easy-going. At the same time he’s incredibly
responsible, creatively vigilant and dedicated to excellence.”
