Jean-Pierre Jeunet's highlyanticipated Euros 45m A Very Long Engagement scored the fifth bestopening day of the year when it was released in France on Wednesday (Oct 27).

With 220,821 tickets soldthroughout the country on 707 screens, the wartime epic had the best opening of2004 for a French film.

Compared with other filmslaunched this year, it came in at number five behind Harry Potter And ThePrisoner Of Azkaban, Spider Man 2, Shrek 2 and The Villageto make it Warner Bros.' second best opener of the year.

If the film keeps up itsfirst day average it will beat the coveted one million admissions mark withinits debut week.

Warner Bros. France and 2003Productions chief Francis Boespflug has said that if the film sells less thanfive million tickets it will have missed its target.

Jeunet's last film, Amelie,scored 125,020 admissions on its opening day in 2001 on 432 screens witharguably far less pre-release buzz - and pressure - attached to it.