An ambitious film

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2006)

There are three films that come to mind while watching The Da Vinci Code: "Citizen Kane", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
This film mixes fact and fiction in much the same way that "Citizen Kane" portrayed the life of William Randolph Hearst: it's not close to being accurate, but there is enough truth to be compelling.
The film is really an adventure/mystery in the style of "Raiders": An expert in history becomes part of history itself. This film is a nice travelogue. You find yourself wanting to visit Paris, London and the Holy Land.
What makes this film unique is that it ties together two of the most fascinating and extraordinary figures in history: Christ and Da Vinci.
When people use the term "Renaissance Man", they are referring to someone who is extremely accomplished in many fields, and the archetype is, of course, Leonardo Da Vinci. Not only did he create two of the greatest paintings ever ("The Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper"), but he was a great inventor and excelled in many other fields.
You leave this film with a yearning to learn: about Da Vinci, history, religion, symbology, cryptography and cinematography.
The plot and character development is convoluted, but you find yourself constantly saying: "I hope it doesn't end here!"
Admittedly, this film doesn't flow like "Raiders", but would you call "The Bible" anything less than great because you think some of the passages are slow?