Article
The Da Vinci Code's Adaptability
Oscar Lopes

Movies are constantly being scrutinized and applauded by viewers who range from the skeptical fan to an avid movie critic. Stars are given and thumbs are raised depending on the reaction that one has while watching a movie; however, when it comes to movies that were adapted from novels there is an added variable that can drastically influence one’s opinion. Novel to movie adaptations have been hot commodities in Hollywood recently. Omissions, additions and casting decisions are all factors that greatly affect the experience of the reader/moviegoer. If done correctly, as was the case for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, critics and readers will both be pleased. If the adaptation is lacking or deviates greatly from the novel, faithful readers will be upset no matter how great the movie is (i.e. Bourne Identity and Bourne Supremacy).

So why this long introduction? Well with the release of The Da Vinci Code this May an analysis of the adaptability of the novel should ensue. After all with sales that exceed 40 million copies and the fact that it has been translated to 46 languages, one must expect that many of the movie viewers will have read the novel and will consequently be influenced by it. Having read the novel myself, I have also thought about the movie adaptation and realize that while there are certain aspects that will translate beautifully onto the silver screen, others will be very difficult to present and may impede on my cinematic experience.

Casting

When I first heard that The Da Vinci Code was being made into a movie, the first thing that I contemplated was who would be selected to play the main character, Robert Langdon. Fans wanted to see individuals such as Sean Bean (my personal choice) and Greg Kinnear to play Langdon and the director, Ron Howard, even wanted Bill Paxton to play the lead but could not get him due to scheduling conflicts. When it was revealed that Tom Hanks was chosen for the leading role, many fans, including myself, felt that this was a very odd choice. Despite his vast credentials and talent as an actor, Hanks is a bit to old for this role and just did not seem to ‘fit’ the description that is presented in the novel. While the role of Langdon was met with some grumblings, subsequent casting decisions have been perfect. Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou and Ian McKellen fit their respective parts perfectly.

Imagery

This will undoubtedly be one of the factors that will make the movie more enjoyable than the novel for many viewers. While the novel provides many in-depth descriptions of places, art and scenery, through the movie medium the audience will be given spectacular images that are not available through text. The novel takes place in Paris, Versailles, London and Edinburgh and the movie was filmed in many of these places. Permission was granted to film in places such as the Louvre and Temple Church in London. This is quite important as both these places figure prominently in the plot and will greatly enhance the adaptation.

Interactivity

A main attraction of The Da Vinci Code, is the interaction that the reader has with the novel. Through the exposition of art, architecture, history and secret codes, the reader is actively engaged in this thriller and can put down the novel at any time to simply ponder on information and attempt to solve problems before the main characters do. Unfortunately, this luxury is not available in a theatre. However, it appears that the marketing team behind The Da Vinci Code is addressing this problem and capitalizing on the enjoyment that many readers experienced through the interactivity of the novel. The introduction of online code breaking contests and games, such as The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google and the placement of encrypted clues in the movie trailers and in interviews conducted by Entertainment Tonight, will hopefully provide viewers with their code breaking fix prior to the movie.

Narration

In addition to the lack of interactivity by the reader, the educational aspect of the novel may also be impeded on. Dan Brown begins his novel by stating that “all descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” Much of what the reader learns in this novel is related not through dialogue but through the narrator. With a run time of 2 hours and 29 minutes, details that greatly enhanced the novel but do not directly relate to the overall plot, may have to be trimmed. How Ron Howard decides to present all this information will greatly influence the viewer who has read the novel. The trailer presented a bit of how this will be done through the animation of the art work. In the trailer one of the figures in the “Last Supper” painting begins to move from one side to the other. If the trailer is any indication of the direction that the movie is taking, then it looks like this problem may be diminished considerably.

Controversy

Since its release, the words controversial or controversy have often accompanied a description of The Da Vinci Code. This is primarily due to the novel’s exposition of a theory that conflicts with fundamental Christian values (which I shall not reveal for those who have yet to see the movie). Critics include Christian leaders, Italian government officials, prominent historians and even seemingly random organizations such the Philippine Alliance Against Pornography have all denounced the novel and the release of the movie. As a result of these critiques and the fact that about 75% of the US population is Christian, a need may arise to tone down the controversial aspects of novel. Due to the high volume of books sold however, I doubt that Ron Howard would allow for such a modification to happen.

While there are many obstacles in the adaptation of The Da Vinci Code from its novel to movie form, it will be great to see how this will be accomplished and at what sacrifice. Will this join the ranks of The Harry Potter Franchise or will this be another Sphere? I can’t wait until May 19th, 2006 to find out!

The Da Vinci Code is a Sony Pictures Release and is rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content. Running Time: 159 Minutes.