Chinese stamp on Avatar Chinese censors have reportedly "banned" sci-fi epic Avatar, amid fears it could provoke civil unrest, the Telegraph reports. According to Hong Kong's Apple Daily, the state-run China Film Group has ordered that the film be shown only in 3D, and since there are few cinemas equipped for this, the edict is tantamount to a ban. …
Comrade, Post Cultural Revolution such out moded memes pertaining to ridiculous, semi- mytical historical figures would hardly be appropriate.
What we need is an honest story about two hard working factory employees whose daily contribution to productivity is realised to also benefit well being of all in the motherland.
There can be a sub-plot where the heros detect a whisper of dissent from their neighbours (who are shown to be obstructing the path of progress), report them immediately to the authorities and are duly rewarded for their good citizenary!
if i sent this article to a couple of Chinese colleagues of mine who refuse to believe anything bad about their government and who refused to believe me when i mentioned just how many major western websites are blocked/banned in China?
Or am i a cynic in believing they will just toe the party line?
Having seen Avatar I think the story can be applied to a multitude of such situations. US foreign policy. Modern capitalism as operated by large multinationals. And yes, China.
I guess the truth hurts. Aside of really enjoying the film it certainly made me think about the almost total disappearence of ethics from modern business practice.
I'm not sure how much it's "banned": I watched it last Sunday morning, in 2D, at the Wanda Plaza Theater, Chaoyang District, Beijing.
3/4 of the dozen rooms were showing it, some in 2D, most in 3D. It was fully packed, although the prices are high (matinee CNY40 for 2D, CNY85 for 3D, afternoon CNY80/CNY150).
"Confucius" is not yet out, and seems to be Yet Another Historic Action Movie which are very much in fashion lately. The trailer didn't seem more patriotic than "Mulan" or "Bodyguards & Assassins" that were shown recently. In a nutshell, it was not shot in a hurry last week to counter "Avatar".
Since I'm probably going to watch it again with a friend, I'll report how "banned" it is later.
And with Asian new year coming up, the police will sweep the illegal DVD markets in a few weeks and confiscate them all, after which street markets will pop up for the week when the indoor markets close for the holiday and the DVDs will be available even cheaper from stall operators, many of whom didn't even bother to leave their police jackets at home.
Can't speak for Beijing or Shanghai (showcase cities) but in regional cities, that is my experience.
... or is the censoring of this film admitting guilt. If so... that mean's China is a really bad place.
We can watch a film set on another planet which shows such oppression but then eventual freedom (and we're all very glad the citizens are freed from an awful existence), but then have a real life place which does the same and there seems to be no freedom...
Surely that's a revolution waiting to happen.
We got out of the "making things" business ages ago.... much to the dismay of my unemployed countrymen I'm sure. We're all about imaginative (read: really fucked up) financial instruments. Yup, we're sure advanced here, just making money out of more money.... oh wait that didn't work. Ummm... what DO we do here? Mine's the one with the little red book.
And rulers do as they please when they see fit, for whatever strange reason crosses their minds that particular day.
I'm sure the officials in the Chinese government will all go to private passes to see what the fuss is all about and enjoy a nice evening of good-old commercial cinema from the west.
And that is what life is on a dictatorship state.
I loved the part when after the Na'vi political commissar accepted the self-criticism of Jake Scully, he agreed to let him be part of the Work Unit again to be able to reach the Quinquennial Plan quotas while successfully fighting the counter-revolutionary imperialists plot. All for the greater harmony and prosperity of the People.
No, seriously, it was just a movie, as usual. And the criticism I've heard was, "WTF do Americans make us pay 4 times the price as they ask for in Malaysia?!"
Okay, maybe because with the price of one ticket, you can buy 30 DVDs in the street, but still.
I was saddened by the fact that Avatar, a movie clearly based on unfortunate aspects of the interaction between American settlers and the indigenous people there, was being made now, while battles rage in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thus the entertainment industry should be making patriotic movies that make Americans feel more positive about their country at this time.
That any kind of a movie about justice - even one with Americans as the bad guys - is frigtening to the Chinese authorities, of course, is a sad commentary on the depth of their fear.
That gung-ho, cowboy, patriotic bullshit is how we got in two wars to begin with. Please herd all those morons back to Texas. If I could educate everyone in the states on just one thing it would be the distinct difference between patriotism and nationalism. We have PLENTY of nationalists and very few patriots.
"Reportedly, the authorities have two reasons for this check on Avatar: first, it has taken in too much money and has seized market share from domestic films ..."
Taken in to much money? OMG something successful STOP IT quick!! OMG it's actually GOOD an people like it and want to watch it so are watching less domestic films! OH NO!
FFS!!!!!
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