The last time a studio dared to premiere a major blockbuster in this sanctum of high-brow cinema, it was savaged. The actors and director of The Da Vinci Codebarely escaped with their lives.
For all the warnings of history, however, the makers of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will stage their film’s world premiere at the festival on the French Riviera tomorrow night. The film, which opens in the setting of 1957 at the height of the Cold War, is arguably the most anticipated movie release of 2008. Such is the interest that the trailer was seen more than 200 million times in its first week of release on the internet.
Stepping out of his hotel yesterday, Harrison Ford, who reprises the role of the adventurous archaeologist, looked lean and fit. His jaw was still firm despite his 65 years and he still appeared quite capable of clinging to a rotten rope bridge should it tumble into a ravine.
Even as he strode into town, however, there were premonitions of danger. A review of the new film on the website Ain’t it Cool, said to have been written by an executive after a preview, compared it to the much-maligned Star Wars prequels and described it as “the Indiana movie that you were dreading”. The writer added: “It’s definitely not a good ‘Indy’ movie.”
Some industry observers wondered whether the fact that all the film’s main actors – Ford, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent as well as director Steven Spielberg and and co-writer George Lucas – were flying to Cannes was a sign that the film needs all the support it can get.
Two years ago The Da Vinci Code arrived in town replete with car chases and lengthy discussions of the sacred feminine, to be watched by jet-lagged industry executives and cynical critics.
Timothy Gray of Variety said: “The Da Vinci Code screened to the press a few hours ahead of its evening bow. Word spread quickly on the Croisette of sniggers from the jaded critics, and scathing reviews were posted on the web quickly. By the timeDa Vincihad its 7.30pm screening, the verdict was in. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Tom Hanks climbed the red carpet . . . waving to the crowd and trying not to look shell-shocked.
“Since then, no Hollywood film of that magnitude has screened for the festival crowd. Sometimes it works, as when New Line unveiled 20 minutes of the first Lord of the Rings picture. But when the reception is negative, it leaves a bad taste.
“Many film-makers, after having been burned, have vowed never to expose themselves and their work at a forum as open as Cannes.”
Despite all the perils, Indy may, as usual, have the last laugh. Mr Gray noted that The Da Vinci Code’s commercial success was not hampered by the upturned noses at Cannes. “Negative reviews can’t hurt,” he said. “Da Vinci Code eventually grossed $758 million worldwide.”