The DaVinci Code - Controversy in film
The DaVinci Code is a controversial but much anticipated film that was released in 2006 and is based on the bestselling 2003 novel by author and novelist Dan Brown. Read more on this page!
The basis of The DaVinci Code is about Robert Langdon who is a professor of symbology, and he is called to the scene of a murder in the Louvre. Along with Sopie Neveu, a young French cryptographer, Robert Langdo tries to solve the message which is left by the victim to try and preserve a secret which has been kept for the past 2000 years which concerns Jesus and Mary Magdalene. If the secret is revealed, it could revolutionize the Christian faith.
The cast of The DaVinci Code is comprised of actors such as Tom Hanks, who plays Robert Langdon, Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, Ian McKellen as Sir Leigh Teabing, Alfred Molina who plays Bishop Aringarosa, Paul Bettany as Silas and Jean Reno who plays Bezu Fache.
The Lourve granted permission for The DaVinci Code set to be filmed on the premises however they were not allowed to shine light on the Mona Lisa. France, London and Germany were also other locations where filming took place. There were also many inside scenes that were shot at Pinewood Studios.
Much controversy surrounded the pre-release of The DaVinci Code. Bishops in the Vatican called for boycotts of the film because of its historical and theological errors. The Opus Dei (which is the Catholic organization features in the film) asked for portions of the film to be edited so that it wasn’t hurtful to Catholics. They also asked for a disclaimer to be shown which Sony pictures denied. Catholic bishops in the United States launched a web site which refuted the claims in the novel that were about to be shown on film. Their biggest concern about The DaVinci Code was that it was erroneous and that it was morally offensive regarding the supposed relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdeline.
Tom Hanks, the main actor in The DaVinci Code was public in his denouncing those who wanted the film boycotted based on its historical inaccuracies. There were protests at many movie theatres the opening weekend of the film and several theatres banned The DaVinci Code entirely. However, despite the protests and controversy, the movie’s opening day grossed an estimated $29 million in box office sales and during its opening week, it estimated $77 million in the United States and $224 million over the world. It should soon be released that you can search for it on DVD to be viewed at home.