Product 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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41031 in DVD
• Brand: A&E
• Released on: 2006-01-31
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 91 minutes

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

Amazon.com
The "code" referred to in the History Channel's Da Vinci and the Code He Lived By has nothing to do with theories about the High Renaissance master's involvement with secret societies (as explored in Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code). Instead, it refers to Da Vinci's implacable work ethic, his insatiable curiosity and the talent and discipline required to keep his busy mind satisfied. Da Vinci reminds us that the great engineer, inventor, and painter was born illegitimate and was not entitled to use his father's name, let alone the latter's financial resources or reputation within Florence. A long stint as student in a respected studio earned Da Vinci his first renown during a treacherous time in Florence. He was denounced as a sodomist by an unknown enemy; fortunately, the charges were dropped. Da Vinci went on to find patronage for his art, if not for the engineering marvels and weapons designs that (few know today) so preoccupied him. This History Channel documentary explores every major chapter in Da Vinci's life, including his patronage by the bloodthirsty Cesare Borgia, his passion for studying human anatomy (and the legacy his research left to scientists), and his certainty that one day human beings would fly. As for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, sure: Such masterpieces are discussed at length. But they're not dissected for hidden meanings. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Painfully De-Gayed, but Generally Good
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.

Good History - But don't look for DaVinci Code Here!
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.

Da Vinci Review
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.