FRANCE: The Da Vinci Code gets the show going in the South of France, with the film's world premiere kicking off the 59th Cannes Film Festival.

Record ID: 508377

  • Title: FRANCE: The Da Vinci Code gets the show going in the South of France, with the film's world premiere kicking off the 59th Cannes Film Festival.
  • Date: 18th May 2006
  • Summary: CLOSE UP DIRECTOR DAVID CRONENBERG
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA123ZK3UO6JKRYS5BXWOUAV04X
  • Story Text: The world premiere of 'The Da Vinci Code, on Wednesday (May 17, 2006) kicked off 12 hectic days of screenings, interviews, photocalls and partying in Cannes, the world's biggest film festival.
    On the red carpet, mood was cheerful despite the fact that most critics panned "The Da Vinci Code" earlier on Wednesday ahead of the world premiere of the year's most eagerly awaited movie.
    Ron Howard's adaptation of the Dan Brown bestseller was described as "grim", "unwieldy" and "plodding", though one reviewer bucked the trend and said "You'll Louvre It!"
    Even before its general release on May 18 and 19, the movie starring Tom Hanks generated controversy as Christians around the world called for it to be banned.
    The novel has enraged religious groups because one of its characters argues that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene and had a child by her, and that elements within the Catholic Church resorted to murder to hide the truth.
    In Thailand on Wednesday, a police-run censorship board overturned an earlier decision to cut the last 10 minutes of the film, but insisted the distributor add disclaimers stating it was fiction.
    In Ireland, volunteers plan to distribute free copies of a special edition of The Irish Catholic newspaper outside cinemas showing The Da Vinci Code over the weekend.
    The Vatican has called for a boycott of the picture, and the Indian government said it would show the movie to Christian groups before clearing it for release. In the mainly Catholic Philippines the censors have given it an "adult only" rating.
    On Wednesday, Howard and Hanks defended the film at a news conference, saying it was a piece of fiction. British actor Alfred Molina, who plays a Machiavellian bishop in the movie, blamed the media for creating controversy where there was little or none.
    At a screening late on Tuesday (May 16) in Cannes, members of the audience laughed at the thriller's pivotal moment, and the end of the 125 million U.S. dollar picture was greeted with stony silence.
    Critics say the controversy surrounding the film, and the fact that more than 40 million people have bought the book, will ensure a strong box office performance, but they believe word-of-mouth is likely to hit sales later on.
    The movie industry will be watching The Da Vinci Code particularly closely after the first two summer blockbusters, "Mission: Impossible III" and "Poseidon", stumbled.
    Also on the red carpet for the opening ceremonies were a host of celebrities ranging from screen legend Sidney Poitier to Indian actress and model Aishwarya Rai. The president of the jury for the 59th Cannes film festival, Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai, led his jury on the red carpet. The jury now faces the hard task of choosing a winning film from the 20-strong Palme d'Or competition. The winner will be awarded the Golden Palm at the May 28 closing ceremony.
    ENDS.
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