The controversial movie directed by Ron Howard and adapted from Dan Brown's megaseller book, had met with protests around the world before hitting the big screen. 　　

 

The Beijing premiere ceremony was held at the Junyue Hotel, where the Oriental New Century Theater is located. To increase publicity for the movie, Beijing premiere organizers had designed a code-breaking game related to the content of the movie. Celebrities such as Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat, director Lu Chuan, and actor Huang Lei were invited to the premier.

 

The Beijing premier was held a few hours earlier that of the Cannes Film Festival, where a black-tie premiere brought the film's stars, Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany onto Cannes' famous red carpet.

 

　　

 

According to a report on CNN Online, one scene in the film that was meant to be serious, elicited prolonged laughter from the Cannes audience, and later when the credits rolled, there was no applause, only a few catcalls and hisses. And in New York, reactions to the screening were apparently no better. 　　

 

The screen adaptation, like the novel, suggests that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and fathered a child, and a present-day powerful organization linked to the Catholic Church conspired to commit murder to keep it secret.

 

 

 

(CRI May 18, 2006)