Memoirs of a Geisha
Thursday, February 23, 2006
HONG KONG Feb 4, 2006 (AP)— "Memoirs of a Geisha" has became the latest movie censored in China despite increased openness, and analysts say communist leaders will likely ramp up ideological controls as outside influences flood the nation.China has not explained the decision made public Wednesday to reject "Memoirs of a Geisha," which stars two of China's leading actresses as rival Japanese entertainers.
There's speculation the government feared the film would whip up anti-Japanese sentiment because many Chinese remain pained by Japanese atrocities in China during World War II
"Memoirs" isn't the first Hollywood production frowned upon by China. One frequent area of contention is unflattering portrayals of China's rule of Tibet, seen in movies like Martin Scorsese's "Kundun" (1997) and "Seven Years in Tibet" (1997), starring Brad Pitt.
Domestic films face even closer scrutiny. While foreign movies must be screened by censors, domestic productions must submit their plots and final product for approval. Many of China's prominent filmmakers have run afoul of the censors.
But the communist government's ability to block unwanted material has withered, thanks to the Internet and a black market that made copies of unauthorized movies available. Hit films often generate tens of thousands of black-market copies, and "Memoirs of a Geisha" is widely available on pirated DVDs.
Jiang Wen's "Devil on the Doorstep" winner of the Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival came under fire when it was released in 2000. It's the story of Chinese villagers who take care of a wounded Japanese soldier during World War II until deciding to trade him for food.
Zhang Yimou's 1994 film "To Live" was banned because it deals with the Cultural Revolution, which saw millions of people persecuted in the 1960s and '70s on suspicion of opposing the communist government.
Zhang has since veered away from political topics, making martial arts epics like "Hero" (2002) and "House of Flying Daggers" (2004).
China's censors take cues from the Communist Party's powerful Central Propaganda Department, which sets the country's ideological agenda and keeps news and media content in check. Chinese politics scholar James Sung of the City University of Hong Kong said he expects China's rulers to tighten their grip because they are opening up the country's economy, a move that lets in cultural imports that may contradict the government's message.
China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, opening its markets to more foreign products.
"Now that China has joined the World Trade Organization, it steps onto the world stage more frequently. Once you participate in this platform, others can also influence you," Sung said.
China still maintains an annual import quota of about 20 foreign films.
Hong Kong director Stanley Kwan said he obliged when Chinese censors asked him to delete Cultural Revolution scenes from his recent "Everlasting Regret," the life story of a Shanghai beauty.
"Now everyone is placing a great emphasis on the China market, and this market happens to have these limitations or regulations. So you have to work with these things," he said.
posted by Evil @ 6:56 AM,
