| | |  | ITALY | Home » » Da Vinci and the Code He Lived By (History Channel) | | | | | | | Description: | | Renowned as the "Mind of the Renaissance," the genius of Leonardo da Vinci reaches beyond the centuries. Painter, sculptor, engineer, and scientist, in each field Leonardo da Vinci was both master and pioneer. Creator of some of the world's great artistic masterpieces, such as the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, he was also a visionary whose fantastic inventions would become reality only hundreds of years after his death. Against a backdrop of 15th century Italian opulence, DA VINCI AND THE CODE HE LIVED BY follows the original Renaissance man through glittering palaces of merchant princes, accusations of blasphemy, and whispers of betrayal and romance--all to satisfy a limitless desire for knowledge. From the producers of Islam: Empire of Faith and Barbarians, and available on DVD for the first time ever, DA VINCI AND THE CODE HE LIVED BY tells the remarkable story of one man's boundless talent, his towering legacy, and his courage in the face of powerful adversity. DVD Features: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette "History in the Making: Da Vinci"; 16:9 Widescreen Format; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection | | | Features: | |
• Renowned as the "Mind of the Renaissance," the genius of Leonardo da Vinci reaches beyond the centuries. Painter, sculptor, engineer and scientist, in each field da Vinci was both master and pioneer. Creator of some of the world's great artistic masterpieces, he was also a visionary whose fantastic inventions would become reality only hundreds of years after his death.Against a backdrop of 15t
| | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Leonardo Da Vinci | | Format:
| Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| A&E Home Video | | Run Time:
| 91 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| January 31, 2006 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 4 reviews |
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6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Good History - But don't look for DaVinci Code Here!Dec 25, 2008
By Edward J. Barton
This is a well done historical work in typical History Channel fashion. I agree with the other reviewer that there is enough violence and blood that it is probably best left to a PG audience. Having said that, this work does a nice job of discussing DaVinci's life in a 90 minute movie - and there is little in the way of speculation, conspiracy theories or ancient secrets - unless you are a Medici or a Borgia. Worth the 90 minutes.
17 of 24 found the following review helpful:
Painfully De-Gayed, but Generally GoodDec 28, 2006
By Jeffery Mingo
The title of this work clearly references Dan Brown's hyper-successful novel. However, the work never mentions Mr. Brown and people need to learn that Da Vinci was an amazing man in his own right. Rotten Library Page starts off saying, "He didn't have a [expletive] code!"
I usually hate, hate, hate cheesy historical reenactments. This work is made entirely of reenactments, but they are not bothersome. There are more actors than usual. They were ornate clothing. When giving their lines, they speak Italian (though a boy Leonardo says "Mother" when I am so sure that's not how "mother" is said in Italian). It was more gory than what is usually portrayed in this cable channel's productions. Truthfully, it would have been boring just to see Renaissance paintings and the narrator mentions that no one knows for sure what Da Vinci looked like.
Too many people assume that artists are separate from the world and don't care about the power struggles taking place outside their windows. I applaud this work for contextualizing the times in which Da Vinci lived. History buffs may appreciate this work just as much as art or invention fans.
This work is de-gayed in a cowardly manner. The narrator says, "Da Vinci was accused of sodomy, but acquitted." Homophobic viewers could misconstrue this to mean that Da Vinci didn't love other males. The work never points out that Da Vinci never had girlfriends, wives, or children. Later, the narrator calls Salai and Melzi "assistants," rather than "lovers" or at least eremenos. Notable Names Database and Wikipedia clearly indicate that these males were Da Vinci's lovers. Perhaps the documentary makers were also squeamish about the cross-generational dynamic of these couplings, given present and necessary concerns about child abuse. It also stands out that one modern interviewee is a man with an earring in his right ear, but he never speaks about himself.
In all fairness, the work covers a lot within a limited time. They mention Da Vinci's anatomical studies, that he might have had ADD, and that he may be the subject of the Mona Lisa painting. In general, I loved learning more about this important genius and gay historical figure.
Somewhat eye-opening...albeit in a negative wayMay 04, 2012
By EquesNiger
This is a competent program, covering Da Vinci's life from birth to death. There's very little mystery inherent in the coverage of his life - he starts as a frustrated artist, and ends life pretty much the same, albeit with accolades (his role as court artist for Henry of France was largely ceremonial, and Da Vinci was apparently quite frustrated that he was not able to work as much as he would have liked, both due to limitations of his responsibilities and his advanced age). The program serves to demystify much of the current cult surrounding him. He was a humble man - albeit a brilliant and talented artists and engineer - and there is no evidence presented that he in any way participated in many of the secrets ascribed to him in more modern days.
There are dramatic recreations at various points in Da Vinci's life. Personally, I could take or leave them, and I found the heavy modern Italian accents on the English used a bit patronizing. Regardless, one gathers that the History Channel felt they were necessary to maintain viewer interest.
Frustratingly, I have long believed the popular myth that Da Vinci was a man hundreds of years ahead of his time as a scientist and inventor - part of the modern cult of Da Vinci. While this documentary certainly does show him to be a brilliant artist and competent engineer, it goes far to set the record straight, perhaps unintentionally, that the man was no savant in the area of so-called ground-breaking inventions. His "inventions" were, for the most part, already extant in some form or another. Da Vinci's contribution seemed largely to make the item bigger. Much, much bigger. Da Vinci did not "invent" the helicopter, for example - he took a child's toy of the day, made it bigger, and put hand cranks on it so it could be turned by men riding it (practicalities aside).
Even his engineering brilliance is inadvertently put into question marks. When building the bronze statue for Sforza of Milan - planned as the largest of its day, and never actually developed beyond a full-sized clay model prototype - one commentator mentions that, had it actually been produced, Da Vinci could have been responsible for explosions and minor devastation due to the proximity of the water table to the surface during the casting. The commentator seems to regard this as Da Vinci pushing the boundaries of the possible. Another read would be complete ignorance of the potential consequences.
While an exemplary artist and keen observer beyond question, he also seems to be more enamored of the process than of achieving results. His "Last Supper", for example, was painted in an experimental way that severely impeded its longevity. It was a technique he is only mentioned as using once - probably since the result wouldn't even survive his own lifetime due to the technique in question. He was, undeniably, a keen observer. His paintings show a contrast in light and shadow unprecedented in his day, and his anatomical reproductions reflect a level of detail only someone with an artist's eye could possibly produce.
Interestingly, there is a small amount of detail on the rivalry between Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Apparently the two detested one another.
Irrespective of my now changed view of the man, the documentary is a good one - perhaps best illustrated by the fact that I have changed my view of him as a result. There is much information here I have not heard before, presented in easily digested form.
5 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Da Vinci ReviewJun 09, 2008
By Susan Scripts
I had hoped to use this in an advanced glass for gifted students, grades 2-6, but couldn't--too much violence, did not focus enough on Da Vinci's art.
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