Sunday, February 3, 2013

Global Times Says Hollywood is to Blame for Chinese Government Movie Censorship


On January 22, 2013, China's official news agency Xinhua published a report in English entitled "Bond Movie Prompts Call for Film Review Reform." Some excerpts:
An edited version of the new James Bond film "Skyfall" hit Chinese theaters on Monday, prompting film industry insiders to call for reforms for the country's movie review system.
. . . .
Changes to the latest Bond movie include the removal of a bloody scene in which a Chinese security guard is shot by a French hitman, as well as changes to some of Bond's lines that inquire about a woman being forced into prostitution.
The state-sponsored Global Times published an English language report entitled "Censorship Decreasing in Hollywood Films, but Still Needed" that placed the blame on film makers:
The new James Bond blockbuster Skyfall has stirred controversy over China's movie censorship system as it started screening in China. Chinese bond fans are dissatisfied with a slightly different version from director Sam Mendes' film, due to a missing scene of an execution in Shanghai and some altered dialogue referring to prostitution and politics related to China.
. . . .
However, the Chinese public doesn't accept all Hollywood blockbusters. For example, many Chinese Hollywood fans expressed their discomfort with the scenes in Big Fish which defamed Chinese soldiers during the Korean War.  
Ideological divisions can often be found in Hollywood movies, especially in those which take place during the Cold War.  
Chinese movie censors might need to relax a bit more. But if Chinese people are portrayed more accurately in future, they will surely be less busy.

Translation: Xu Zhiyong's Statement in His Own Defense

 Source: https://chinadigitaltimes.net/chinese/694913.html China Digital Times: On April 10, 2023, Xu Zhiyong, a well-known human rights de...