If you want to get some inspiration for your The Da Vinci Code essay, you are at the right place! Here, you’ll learn about the similarities and differences between The Da Vinci Code book vs movie. So, keep reading to get your essay on the next level!
The Da Vinci Code: Essay Introduction
Almost all the movies are based on books or comics. Moreover, the most successful movies find the reflection in the works of different authors, and The Da Vinci Code is not the exception. Dan Brown is a talented writer, every novel becomes a bestseller. Thus, it is no wonder that the moviemakers were fascinated by the idea of making a film based on the book. However, in the vast majority of cases, the movie and the book are different. It is impossible to cover all the aspects in one movie, and that is, the directors choose the brightest scenes and sometimes change them for the public to be more impressed. Did The Da Vinci Code face the same fate? The primary purpose of the paper is to compare the book and the movie and discover the mismatches.
The Da Vinci Code Book vs Movie: Similarities
The book written by Dan Brown amazes with a variety of details, metaphors, and historical facts that are breathtaking. Due to the structure of the book (small chapters that are telling parallel stories), it is interesting to read it. Furthermore, the reader feels the tension of the plot and wants to read more and more, get deeper involved in the book, and find out all the secrets. From the first seconds of the movie, I realized that the moviemakers tried to follow the book.
The beginning of the movie and novel is the same. They portray the death of Sophie Neveu’s grandfather (Brown, 2013). He was murdered in the Louvre. Mr. Langdon was not France, however, he was contacted by Interpol to give them a hand as an expert. Sophie suspects that Interpol mistakenly thinks that Mr. Langdon is guilty in this murder, and thus, leaves a voicemail, telling him to meet Sophie in the bathroom.
When they met, she gets rid of the tracker in Mr. Langdon’s jacket, and they decide to take a closer look at the body for some symbols (Howard, 2006). After this, they run out of the museum not to be caught by Interpol. The albino monk aimed to kill the guardians of the grail. The scene in the safety deposit box and in the Lee’s house corresponds to the pages of the book.
The Da Vinci Code Book vs Movie: Differences
One of the biggest mismatches between the book and the movie is that the book is focused on telling the story of Sophie’s family, whereas the film is more about the way Robert Langdon helps to find the answers to multiple questions regarding the crime and grail. It seems that Sophie is the main character in the book; however, I did not feel it watching the movie. Another misunderstanding is the man that is presented at the end of the movie. The viewers mistakenly think that this man is an ordinary male working for a church, however, in the book, he is a brother of Sophie (Howard, 2006).
She was sure that the entire family was killed in the car accident; however, it was a myth that aimed to save the bloodline. As a matter of fact, the book is more detailed than the movie; however, this criterion should not be taken into consideration as it is impossible to present all the information in the movie. Our fantasy is unlimited; we can imagine everything better and without limits. The information regarding symbols, religion, history, and art is significant and plays a vital role in the book, whereas the movie presents only the most important aspects.
The movie and the book are different in the following points, namely:
- In the book, Remy tells the albino monk that he helps the Teacher and works for him; however, the movie presents this information in a different way (Brown, 2013). Remy behaves like he is a Teacher (Howard, 2006).
- Fache suspects that Robert Langdon is guilty of the murder of Sophie’s grandfather, Saunier. Fache makes this assumption based on the fact that the name of the professor is written on the floor close to the body (Brown, 2013). However, in the movie, Arigarossa told Fache that he heard that Mr. Langdon confessed to killing Sophie’s grandfather (Howard, 2006).
- In the book, Robert and Sophie assume that Sir Leigh Teabing is in the College Hall (Brown, 2013). They find a note that was left on the tomb of Charles Newton. In the College Hall, they found the Teacher. However, in the movie, the scene is completely different. Teabing leaves no message and forces them to enter the College Hall. Robert and Sophie are surprised to know that Sir Leigh Teabing is a Teacher (Howard, 2006).
- The next mismatch is significant. There are two cryptexes in the book. Sophie and Mr, Langdon open the first one with ease in the plane (Brown, 2013). The first cryptexes has the word ‘Sofia’. This word indicates Sophie, and, in addition, this word is translated as intelligence. In the first cryptexes, there is a second one that Sophie and Robert open with the word ‘Apple’. The moviemakers decided to leave only one cryptexes that can be opened with the word ‘Apple’.
- Silas accidently kills Aringarosa and aims to help him, carrying Arringarosa to the hospital (Brown, 2013). In the movie, the albino monk is killed by the police.
- In the book, Robert decodes the anagram of the artwork created by Da Vinci, namely Mona Lisa. Sophie decodes another artwork, The Madonna of the Rock (Brown, 2013). The police aim to stop Sophie and Mr. Langdon, however, they fail. Sophie tells Robert her discovery only when they got to the car. They keep silence as they both know what it means. In the movie, they work on the decoding together and escape the building before the police came.
- Sophie and Robert go to the church to meet her brother who she thought was dead (Brown, 2013). However, in the movie, she did not have a brother.
The ending, as well as the beginning of the movie, was very close to the book. However, as for me, the scene in the movie was more touching and compelling. The combination of words and music created an atmosphere that cannot leave indifferent.
The Da Vinci Code: Essay Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the book and the movie The Da Vinci Code are closely related, however, not the same. A number of differences described in the paper are understandable as it is impossible to reflect the book on a hundred percent. Nevertheless, some mismatches are significant. In spite of this fact, the moviemakers did their best to save the atmosphere of the book by Dan Brown and depict all the events for the viewers to be better involved.
As a matter of fact, some scenes are even more touching in the movie as the combination of wonderful play of the actors, music, and words contribute to the emotional tension. Although the movie is great, the book is essential for reading as it uncovers mysteries regarding religion, history, and art.
References
Brown, D. (2003). The Da Vinci code. New York, NY: Doubleday.
Howard, R. (Director). (2006). The Da Vinci code [Motion picture]. United States.