Italy ignores Da Vinci boycott
2006-05-20 21:02
Rome - The Da Vinci Code has broken box office records in Roman Catholic Italy. Tens of thousands of Italians have ignored Vatican calls to boycott the film.
The movie adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller earned €2m (about R13m) on its opening night.
It nearly doubled the takings of Italy's previous top film, Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni's 1997 tragi-comic Holocaust drama Life is Beautiful.
Italian news agencies reported record queues at cinemas around the country.
The controversial film of the controversial novel has ignited Vatican ire. The book revolves around the plot that says Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene and the Catholic Church hushed it up.
Millions are expected to flock to see the film on its opening weekend worldwide, shrugging off protests by Christian groups and tepid reviews at its Cannes film festival premier this week.
Da Vinci tourism booms
Many Christians believe the theories in The Da Vinci Code are blasphemous.
The Vatican has led an offensive against the book and the film, and has called for Christians to boycott the film.
Members of ultra-Catholic group, the Christian Militants, picketed some cinemas in central Rome, close to the Vatican.
They chanted: "Dan Brown, remember you will also be judged by Christ."
Many Italians are fans, however, buying tens of thousands of the more than 40 million book copies sold worldwide.
Italy's tourist industry has also leapt on the Dan Brown boom.
Special tours are running in Rome and to the church in Milan containing Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper", a painting central to The Da Vinci Code plot.
Florence, where the Renaissance master lived, is holding a series of exhibitions during the European summer. The exhibitions are focused on cracking the code of da Vinci's paintings and designs.