The music in "The Da Vinci Code" comes from the baton of Richard Harvey, the Briton who contributed so much to the mood in MC Chatrichalerm Yukol's epic "Suriyothai" and who's lived part-time in Thailand for the past decade.

Harvey conducted the orchestra that brought to the screen the music of his friend Hans Zimmer, known best for scoring "Gladiator".

Harvey's a Christian, but the protest against "The Da Vinci Code" by Thailand's Christian community, he told The Nation recently, was "sad".

"I hope they change their mind," he said ahead of last Monday's announcement that the film board had agreed to delete a controversial 10-minute scene.

"Not even Italy, the home of the Catholic Church, wants to censor it. The movie is a form of freedom of expression, it's not a work of hatred. 'The Da Vinci Code' is a new work of ideas, a fantasy, a new look at things."

Censorship, Harvey said, would be regrettable "but all the more reason to go see it".

He personally feels free to question Christianity.

"A large percentage of religion is myth. I don't like the way Christianity is sold - you go to a church and there's no one there, but in Thailand lots of people are in the temples on religious holidays. In England everything has a lot of style but very little content."

Tom Hanks, Harvey observed, asked for a priest's guidance before accepting the starring role in the movie.

"The priest said just because you believe in Jesus Christ doesn't mean you don't have to think. Tom Hanks is religious - he still acted in the film. Just because you have faith, you don't have to turn your brain off."

The film's score, he insisted, isn't controversial at all, though some media have suggested Zimmer's music might frighten young viewers.

"The music in it isn't as frightening as the music in 'Batman'," Harvey said. "Even some of the music in the Harry Potter films is more frightening. It's nonsense anyway - ask any kid if they've ever been frightened by music!"

Harvey composed one of the tracks - the choir piece "Kyrie for Magdalene" for the epilogue.

"I hope it will be sung by choirs all over the world," he said, noting that the novel and film refer to a long-established goddess cult that celebrates female divinity.

" 'The Da Vinci Code' is an interesting story, and a woman involved in this religion other than the mother of Christ makes the story even more compelling."

The movie score cost US$5 million (Bt189 million), Harvey said, with 160 people in the orchestra.

"The average British movie with orchestral music would use a 30- or 40-piece symphony, so there's lots of possibilities in this movie," he said.

Harvey loves Thailand as much as his native England and divides his time between them, with occasional visits to the United States.

"America is where all the money is, but that's not for me," he said. "For me the work comes from the soul, comes from one's own spirit, and goes into the spirit of others.

"In Hollywood there's a high level of stress. You have to die for your movie. You feel that the only thing that matters is the movie. When they make a bad movie, you can sense all the tension and the difficulties. When you're working in this industry, you don't want to be always worried, always scared, tense and stressed. You have to relax."

Somehow the director of "The Da Vinci Code" copes well in California, Harvey said.

"Ron Howard is a lovely man, the nicest guy working in Hollywood, where there's lot of sharks swimming around. I was very happy to meet him, but for me, Hollywood is just so high-powered."

Harvey is also musical director for a pair of upcoming films shot in Thailand.

Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn" stars Christian Bale as an American fighter pilot shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War.

Harvey is using classical Asian musical instruments for the soundtrack, which goes without saying in the case of his other project, MC Chatrichalerm's "Naresuan", which he predicts will be even better than "Suriyothai" and reach a wider international audience.

" 'Naresuan' will be shot in Kanchanaburi. It's set in the 16th century, with horsemanship, war elephants and big army. It has a strong story line - one that everyone can relate to, with a real hero."

Although Harvey's musical background is classical, and woodwind instruments are his forte, this time he'll be utilising the Thai xylophone, flute and cymbals to create the characteristic Siamese sound.

Meanwhile, Harvey's favourite part of "The Da Vinci Code"?

"I like the scene right in the middle when the professor played by Ian McKellen talks to Tom Hanks about the details of the history. He turns the whole thing into magic. Ian lights up the show."

Fans will be listening to find out whether Harvey's music lights up the film as well.

Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

The Nation