The Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer

The Da Vinci Code Composed by Hans Zimmer Decca Records Rating: 8/10 More soundclips below provided by AmazonMp3

The Da Vinci Coda
Review by Christopher Coleman

In the last few years, no book has been talked about more than Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE...with, of course, the exception of The Bible itself.  Ironically, it is the central truth of The Bible which many Christians believe both the book and subsequent film by RON HOWARD has attacked.  Thus a firestorm of rebuttal books, pamphlets, videos and television specials have coursed through the veins of media ad nasauem.  With such attention on the book, it was to be expected that the film would only stoke the embers of controversy back into full flame.  Be that as it may, one thing that has been greatly anticipated, at least by many film music fans, was composer HANS ZIMMER's treatment of THE DA VINCI CODE's score.

High profile book.  High profile film.  High profile score? It usually works out that way.  In a Summer filled with well-marketed remakes and sequels comes THE DA VINCI CODE, the most talked about film of the lot.  Hans Zimmer's score THE DA VINCI CODE is a brooding work, well-matched to the religious and conspiratorial tones of the story.  Hans Zimmer crafts a score that parallels the film's ominously mysterious atmosphere.  Truthfully, one could easily sit down and read Dan Brown's novel with Zimmer's score playing in the background and probably find it an equally accurate pairing.

Zimmer's score is simply a sublime effort, echoing music from two centuries passed.  Zimmer aficionados will find the score sharing a number of characteristics with his 2001 work for HANNIBAL,... sans the Hannibal voice-overs. However, THE DA VINCI CODE seems go venture into new territory for Zimmer...and delightfully so.  Tracks such as "Ad Acrana" seem to dance on the edge of something darkly apropos, something ... dare I say it, Rosza-like.  The range of the score reaches angelic heights and plummets to demonic depths...and, at times, quite cleverly simultaneously delivers both extremes.  For a story such as this...one could hardly ask for a better fit.

Decca Records gives the score a sound treatment with a solid recording, sufficient running time (1 hour 5 minutes 20 seconds), liner notes that you actually can turn pages in and a bonus track not used in the film (track 7 "Salvete Virgines").

While no score has ever made a bad movie good, they have certainly made mediocre film's at least palatable.  Conversely, a mediocre film has never helped the Oscar-chances of its score.  Such is the case with THE DA VINCI CODE, while not a critical success, the film has made a significant dent in the box-office.  The film itself will not be mentioned much come award season, but hopefully it will get due credit in regards to HANS ZIMMER's enchanting work.

Rating: 8/10