Practicing self-flagellation, the donning of a cilice, and bloodthirsty violence against nuns, Silas is nastily defined through his actions but his pasty skin, demonic eyes, and tendency to jump out at unexpected moments like a horror movie serial killer also add to the disturbing, lasting impression he generates.
He’s a psychologically tortured soul who believes he’s an angel sent to help the ruthless Bishop Manuel Aringarosa (Alfred Molina), a man also at the heart of the conspiracy. In many ways, the setup would work better in a video game (like “Tomb Raider”), wherein the player could more engagingly participate with the puzzles and the detective work.īut for its existence here in the filmic medium, “The Da Vinci Code” introduces audiences to one of the more memorable evildoers of late: Silas the monk (Paul Bettany). The legends and lore are amusing bases for a morbid mystery thriller, but the copious references to cryptic organizations and complicated riddles are a lot to sort out. It may all be speculation, centering on the famed paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, but Langdon and Neveu are dragged into a world of dangerous people who think this stuff is real – resulting in a life-threatening pursuit for the answers before the mysterious “Teacher” and a killer monk catch up to them. Their opposition is a fiendish, cult-like faction of the Catholic Church, known as Opus Dei, which relentlessly seeks out the artifacts of proof that the Sion protects, stopping at nothing to destroy them to forever bury harmful truths. But with Langdon as the prime suspect for the curator’s murder, his efforts to solve the mystery are curbed by tracking devices, the French and London police, unreliable allies, and a murderous albino.Īccording to legend, the Priory of Sion is a cloak-and-dagger society assigned to guard a devastating secret about Jesus Christ and the origins of Christianity. Covered in markings scrawled in his own blood, Sauniere has, in his dying moments, provided extremely camouflaged code to help Langdon and French cryptology division agent Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) uncover the “dark con of man” – a myth that spans some 2000 years. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a renowned symbology expert. Ouvre curator Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle) is discovered murdered in the famous museum, with several desperate clues left for Dr. Release Date: May 19th, 2006 MPAA Rating: PG-13ĭirector: Ron Howard Actors: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany, Alfred Molina, Jurgen Prochnow, Etienne Chicot L THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.Genre: Mystery and Thriller Running Time: 2 hrs. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory’s ancient secret - and an explosive historical truth - will be lost forever. In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move.
Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion - an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.
While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci - clues visible for all to see - yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum.