De"code" this

By Megan Garrity, staff writer
Friday, June 2nd, 2006

So you like puzzles? Here's one:

What is the most successful story bringing both its book and movie to the top of the charts and sparking a wave of controversy and excitement worldwide?

If you haven't guessed yet, it's Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code; its achievements are unstoppable. With controversy, wild chases, treasure hunts, and thrills, how could it not be? In writing, the story sold over 25 million copies in 44 languages worldwide and there is no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. And now, after being released a week ago on May 19, 2006 , the movie has been released in over 3,000 theatres and has raised $77 million dollars in the US alone and $224 million dollars worldwide. On top of all this, it did itself justice by reaching #1 in the US box office. How special does a story have to be to receive this kind of recognition?

The story opens up with a man, Jacque Sauniere, running for his life throughout the infamous museum of The Louvre in Paris--only to be shot by an anonymous killer in the stomach, giving him limited time before he dies. How does he spend this time? By rearranging himself to bring the image of DaVinci's painting “The Vitruvian Man”. The story continues with college professor, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who specializes in symbology and is called to the Louvre to assist in the FBI investigation concerning Jacque Sauniere. The story unfolds its true beauty as Robert Langdon teams up with Jacque Sauniere's granddaughter Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) to follow the clues Jacque Sauniere left behind before he died to reveal the biggest cover-up in history. According to reader's worldwide who are glued to each page of The DaVinci Code, it sets the guidelines on how a story should be.

Outside the text, religious controversies tried hard to put this book and movie in the trash, stating that fictional facts throughout the book “malign Christianity”. However, despite these statements, The DaVinci Code, both in writing and on screen, is the most profitable story in the world and does not appear to lighten its affect in the near future.

Unfortunately for some, this movie may not appeal to you since it is a tad on the graphic side. Those who have read the book know of how the monk character in the book punishes himself after he has killed someone, and is also a little scary since it is a historical thriller. However, if you love codes and puzzles, this book and or movie will most likely cause you to join in the excitement sweeping across the world. So dive in and enjoy the ride.