China: Bewildered Chinese cinemagoers are trying to penetrate the mind of state censors and crack the secret of The Da Vinci Code ban, after the popular movie was pulled three weeks into a record run.
Film fans have applied a code-breaking diligence worthy of Robert Langdon or Sophie Neveu in Dan Brown's best-selling novel as they struggle to solve the mystery of why the movie was banned.
Particularly confusing is the arbitrary way the censor wields his power. Mission: Impossible III will now show on Chinese screens on July 20th, despite an earlier ban for its downbeat depiction of Shanghai, though no one can fathom the change of heart.
The official reason given for the ban on The Da Vinci Code after a 22-day run, during which it took in a hefty €10 million, came in a letter from the state film group, China Film, telling cinemas to pull the film to "protect the market for locally-made films and give them more screen time".
But given that Ice Age: The Meltdown and Poseidon are both still running, and a censored Mission Impossible III has been given the green light, this excuse is seen as a smokescreen. Some said it was because protests by China's state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association and a demonstration by a handful of Catholics in Hebei province meant the movie was seen as a political risk.
It was a surprise when The Da Vinci Code was approved, as religious themes are frowned upon in this avowedly secular communist country. It is the first time a foreign film has been banned after initially being approved, even though the number of foreign movies allowed in China is restricted and there is a blackout on foreign films for much of the summer because it is the Communist Party's 85th anniversary on July 1st.
The Da Vinci Code premiered in Beijing on May 19th and was on course to become one of the best-earning foreign films in China.
Earlier this year, censors banned Memoirs of a Geisha because they were worried it could inflame anti-Japanese sentiment.
The banning of Mission Impossible III came as a surprise, too, as it had script approval from the government and was shot with much ado and official glee in Shanghai.