Vatican call to flick Da Vinci ignored

[cal04]

The Da Vinci Code has broken box office records in Roman Catholic Italy as tens of thousands of Italians ignored Vatican calls to boycott the film. The movie adaptation of Dan Brown's bestseller earned €2 million ($US2.6 million) on its opening night, nearly double the takings of Italy's previous top film, Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni's 1997 tragi-comic Holocaust drama Life is Beautiful.

The film's distributor, Columbia Pictures, will release worldwide sales data later today. "We had an exceptionally strong Friday with sell-out business reported in territories virtually all over the world," said Steve Elzer, the studio's senior vice president of media relations. Italian news agencies reported record lines around the country to see the film of the novel that ignited Vatican ire by saying Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene and the Catholic Church hushed this up.

Millions worldwide are expected to flock to see the film on its opening weekend, shrugging off protests by Christian groups and tepid reviews at its Cannes film festival premier this week. Many Christians across the world believe the theories in The Da Vinci Code are blasphemous, and the Vatican has led an offensive against the book and the film, calling for a boycott. Members of the Catholic group Christian Militants picketed some cinemas in central Rome, close to the Vatican, chanting "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 copies of the books 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 throughout the European summer focused on cracking the code of Da Vinci's paintings and designs.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19207728-1702,00.html

[rodeodance]

1. Houstan-we have a problem

[Kutjara]

2. Now we'll find that the Vatican Bank...

...was the film's major backer (through a web of dummy corporations) and that the whole Catholic 'uproar' has been a stunt to ensure the film's success.

I'm joking of course. There's no way we'll find out, because the transaction records will be buried in the Vatican Library and sealed until the year 2500.

[JVS]

14. Crafty! I've heard rumors that the Vatican Bank invests in condom...

and birth-control pill factories as well. And we'll never see the truth :tinfoilhat:

Ah, speculation is fun.

[Mr_Spock]

3. Fuck the Vatican

...bunch of stale old white male bigots - who gives a crap what they say anyway.

[CatholicEdHead]

4. Most Italians (and western Europeans) are pretty secular anyways

so this should have come as no suprise.

[stepnw1f]

5. They are Making the Movie Even More Popular

The more they bitch and moan about this movie, the more people will see it and then wonder why their church told them not to. How stupid and narrow minded.

[Kerrytravelers]

6. Good for Italy.

[jerry611]

7. They hate it because it causes CONFUSION!!!!

It has nothing to do with the fact that anything in it is true or false. The church isn't fighting the accuracy of the book or film. They are not afraid people will believe the book, they are afraid it will cause confusion.
The movie provokes people to ask questions and think. It tests the faith held for thousands of years. And the Church does not like questions of any kind. They want you to simply accept what they preach.

Dan Brown said himself to believe in whatever you want. The book is not meant to change your beliefs, it is meant to make you think. And not just about christianity, but all religion. Open your eyes to history and you may find that the catholic church is just as evil as the devil they claim to be against.

Galileo was branded a devil worshipper and jailed because he had the nerve to suggest that the Earth revolves around the Sun. The nerve of that man to suggest such a terrible lie! BLASPHEMY! May he burn in hell!
One proven fact is that the church has destroyed and will destroy anything and anyone that threatens its wealth, power, or influence. There is 2,000 years of history to back up that claim.

[Warpy]

8. We've had the grim faced, sour looking pickets here

so the true believers are heeding the call. They're the best advertisement to see the movie and avoid the church that I know of.

I wonder if the pope invested in the film. He's made certain every Catholic will go out to see it, preferably after dark when they won't be recognized as a daytime picketer.

[BayCityProgressive]

9. These crazy protesters are here

in Mid-Michigan as well. I am so glad I am not Christian. These people are an embarrassment. This section of the article is just creepy:

Members of the Catholic group Christian Militants picketed some cinemas in central Rome, close to the Vatican, chanting "Dan Brown remember you will also be judged by Christ."

Christian Militants!?! These people are nuts! It's a MOVIE!

[jerry611]

11. When you question someone's faith

...you are attacking their very belief of existance. And many people will take great offense to this.

When co-workers asked me if I was going to go see the movie, and I said yes, I got some very scary looks from people I've been close to and worked with for years.

This kind of stuff really makes a lot of people angry.

[Lost-in-FL]

12. Some people don't know any better

and take things the way they are said in church. When I confronted my coworkers with some of my thoughts on the bible and the portrayal of God by Christians they have this look in their faces and say "you know? I never thought of it that way and you are right".

[IntravenousDemilo]

13. And you know what? Too damn bad.

It's healthy. All cherished traditions should be challenged at least once every 10 years or thereabout, just to see if they're still valid. Prune away the old wood and let the new growth flourish.

[Lost-in-FL]

10. Unfortunately one of my coworkers...

was going to be part of a demonstration in front of the theater. She is one of these people

we would call "an angel". She is so sweet and caring. Cause I respect her so much I asked her to please

not to make the fool of herself and to think of all the bad things the Catholic church was witness to. I

told her that if Catholics wanted to do something good for God, to go to a shelter and serve food to the

poor, or send a delegation to NOLA. She told me I was right, that she was going to spend time with her

son who's coming to visit in the weekend. I know she has the right to do what

she wants but the thought of seen her there and looks on people made me tell her what I though of the

demonstrations. She sounded convinced. I just care too much to be silent to that cause she is such a

great person.

[pnwmom]

15. They aren't disregarding the Vatican's disapproval -- that's the

reason so many are going. Curiousity. The filmmakers couldn't have paid for such great publicity.