By Niya Diamo
Last week James Cameron’s blockbuster “Avatar” was banned in Chinese cinemas. With the imminent approach of the Chinese New Year, the film has been taken off screens to make room for a domestic production.
The country is known for its strict rules on foreign films, allowing only 20 productions to enter Chinese cinemas in order to support domestic industry. However, when it comes to bans, the reasons go further deep.
China doesn’t have a film classification system and all movies are passed to general audiences. However, the main reason for banning is not violence, nudity or language, but a rather more sensitive political situation.
Banned films
On the list of banned movies around the world, we can find violent horrors such as “Hostel”, “Saw”, “Halloween” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, as well as films such as “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”, “Borat” and “Bruno”, for pornographic material, language and nudity.
What we can find on China’s list, however, is a rather more complicated process. Most banned movies, whether foreign or domestic, are related to delicate political issues. Only here can we find “Seven Years in Tibet” (for its view on a free Tibet), “Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider” (for unflattering depictions of Chinese society), “Memoirs of a Geisha” (because it could rouse anti-Japanese sentiment) and “Pirates of the Caribbean” (for negative portrayal of Chinese people).
One of CUEAFS’s screenings, “Shinjuku Incident”, was also banned in China for its violence, although it has been speculated that the real reason behind the ban was the sensitive situation with Chinese immigrants in Japan.
The story with “Avatar”
For those of you who have not yet seen the movie, stop reading and go do so!
As far as the reasons for ban go, the Chinese government claims that with the approach of the Chinese New Year, it is time to make room for the film “Confucius”, starring well-known Chow-Yun Fat (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”).
However, speculation leads in another way. Allegedly, the authorities feared the public might make a connection between the plot and the present delicate situation in China, where people are being evicted to make way for mines, dams and other government infrastructure projects.
The other side of the coin
It is worth knowing that China is far from being the country with the biggest number of banned films in the world. One of the leaders in this race is actually Australia, with reasons being mainly sex and violence, with examples such as “Of Mice and Men”, “Frankenstein” and “Dracula”.
With whatever measures, though, it is well-known that people are going to see what they want to see. The government might have its reasons to ban certain productions, but the audience has the reasons (and moreover the right) to see them. In today’s situation, “banned” is strictly a term, as it has become almost obsolete with the accessibility of prohibited films over the internet and on pirate DVD’s.Labels: cueafs |
