The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 feature film based on the bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code, by author Dan Brown. It was one of the most anticipated films of 2006, and was previewed at the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2006. The Da Vinci Code then entered major release in many other countries on May 18, 2006 with its first showing in the United States on May 19, 2006.

Because of some controversial interpretations of Christian history in both the book and movie, they have been criticized by the Roman Catholic Church. Some bishops have even urged members to boycott the film.[2] Many of the early showings were accompanied by protesters outside the movie theaters, and early critical reviews were decidedly mixed. However, in its opening weekend, the film earned over US$224 million worldwide, second only to the opening of 2005's Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It is the second highest grossing movie of 2006 worldwide — grossing an impressive US$756,270,019 as of November 2, 2006.[3] The Da Vinci Code was nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score — Hans Zimmer.

The film opens with a man (later revealed to be Jacques Saunière) being pursued by a mysterious hooded character carrying a handgun through one of the Grand Gallery in the Louvre. While trying to evade the man, he is confronted by him and the man reveals himself as Silas. Silas demands the location of the Priory's clef de voûte or "keystone." Under threat of death, Saunière finally confesses the keystone is kept in the sacristy of Church of Saint-Sulpice, "beneath the Rose." Silas thanks him, and then shoots him in the stomach.

Meanwhile, American symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is in Paris as a guest lecturer on Symbols and the sacred feminine, is contacted by the French police, and summoned to the Louvre to view the crime scene. He discovers the dying Saunière had created an intricate display using black light ink and his own body and blood. Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Reno) asks him for his interpretation of the puzzling scene.

Silas calls a mysterious man known as the Teacher, revealing that he has killed all four protectors of the keystone and that all confirmed the same location. He dons a cilice and castigates himself with a lash for the sins of murder. Facilitated by Bishop Manuel Aringarosa, Silas then travels to Saint-Sulpice and is admitted by an elderly nun; left alone, he excavates beneath the floor of the church to find a stone saying only JOB 38:11. He confronts the nun, who quotes the passage: "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further." Realizing that he has been deceived, Silas is enraged and kills the nun.


Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu and Tom Hanks as Robert LangdonNext on the scene in the Louvre is Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), cryptologist with the French police. She discreetly informs Langdon that he is in danger, and must get away without arousing suspicions. Langdon, in confusion, excuses himself and heads to the men's washroom, where Sophie meets him and warns that he was bugged with a tracking device by Bezu Fache on the way into the Louvre. Sophie tells him to get rid of it, which he manages by placing it in a bar of soap and throwing it throught the window onto a passing truck. The police on the scene are alerted of Langdon's attempted escape and begin pursuing the automobile. Sophie begins explaining that Fache had erased a line of black light ink text which appeared to incriminate Langdon, and that Fache believes Langdon to be the murderer.

However, Sophie also believes that Saunière, who, it transpires, is her grandfather, wanted to pass a hidden message on to her, and that he had wanted to bring Langdon into the equation so that he could help her crack the code.

Having bought some time by removing the tracking device, the pair begin exploring the Louvre, finding more anagram messages that Saunière had left behind. Many of these relate to Leonardo Da Vinci's art, and the pair find a key with a Fleur-de-lis behind Madonna of the Rocks.

When the police stop the truck carrying the racking device, they realize their mistake and immediately head back to the Louvre. Upon arrival, Robert and Sophie evade agents and are pursued by the French Police. Sophie tells Robert that she can continue with the investigation and that if they get to the American embassy then they can safely fly Langdon back to the United States.

But at the front gates of the American embassy, the French authorities are already waiting for them. Sophie manages to drive into a narrow alleyway created by two moving trucks. Both of them abandon the car and head into the Bois de Boulogne where Langdon closely inspects the key. He notices an inscription on the side -- an address. The address directs them to the Depository Bank of Zurich where the key is used for a safety deposit box.

When they enter the bank, both now appear as wanted criminals on French television. One of the security guards recognizes them and informs the police when both enter into a bank vault. They discover that Saunière had a safety deposit box, which requires a 10-digit code for them to access. Langdon then remembers Fibonacci numbers which were found previously on Jacques Saunière. When arranged in the correct order, it becomes 1123581321.


Silas (Paul Bettany), the albino killer.The code opens the safety deposit box to reveal a rosewood container, which contains a cryptex: a cylindrical container with five alphabetical dials which must be arranged in the correct sequence to spell out a 5-letter code word, in order to open and access the parchment message inside. Using force to open the cryptex would break a vial of vinegar inside, which would dissolve the parchment and destroy the message.

The manager, Andre Vernet of the bank then walks into the vault only to tell them that the police have arrived and that they must leave. The manager assists them in escaping by offering to take them as passengers in an armoured truck to escape the routine checks of the police. To distract the policeman that is conducting searches the manger tells him that he must quickly deliver the 'precious cargo' or he will be fired. The policeman reluctantly lets him off.

In the back of the truck Langdon and Neveu have a lengthy discussion about the cryptex and Neveu says that her grandfather often played games with her involving cryptexes. Langdon says that the cryptex might hold valuable information or another clue about what they are trying to discover. Eventually, they come to sudden halt, and Langdon fears that it might be another check by the French police. Instead it is Vernet opening the rear door and pointing a gun towards both Langdon and Neveu.

He says that he has been waiting 20 years for someone to open that specific safety deposit box, and now that Langdon and Neveu have the cryptex, he would like it back. He threatens to kill them if they do not return it and shoots a bullet into the wall to prove how far he is willing to go. Langdon begins to approach Vernet to hand him the cryptex, when he notices the spent shell casing and subtly slips into the door's railing, all the while handing over the cryptex. When Vernet goes to close the door, Langdon shoves through pushing Vernet to the ground, quickly disarming and grabbing a hold of the cryptex. He assists Neveu out of the truck, and they hop into the front, leaving Vernet to fend for himself in the forest, where he has triggered the GPS device, hidden under the truck.

As Langdon begins to drive off, Neveu attempts to solve the code and open the cryptex, but it proves futile. Langdon then says that he has a friend, Leigh Teabing, he doesn't live too far off the highway, suggesting that they could go to him for assistance as to opening the cryptex.