Censorship can be a total bore

Censorship can be a total bore

At last, I watched a movie in China.

I am not talking about those illegal downloads or pirated DVDs. My definition of watching a movie is nothing less than going to a cinema, with the time-honoured popcorn and soda beverages.

Instead of Chinese action flicks, martial arts or a romantic comedy _ genres that dominate theatres across the country _ my first movie in China was a Hollywood blockbuster: Looper, the time-travel action movie with Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The film has an interesting history concerning China. The film's director was accused of being a "creative sell-out" as the production company adjusted the script and switched location from Paris to Shanghai, not to mention the addition of pro-Chinese elements into the movie.

The People's Republic of China has been highly protective about cultural products, for both political and commercial reasons.

Foreign movies are allowed to be released in Chinese movie theatres under a quota system: about 34 a year. Only foreign films with Chinese co-production, like Looper, have the privilege of skirting the system.

Looper turns out to be a memorable experience even though I am not fan of time-travel movies. (I still cannot comprehend why people ooh-ahh over Christopher Nolan's Inception and despite being a big fan of the leading actor and actress I did not see The Time Traveller's Wife because of its title).

But Looper is largely fun. But much more fun than seeing puppy-eyed Gordon-Levitt in a prosthetic nose is to witness the work of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), the Chinese censorship regulator.

Needless to say, SARFT is a force to be reckoned with. It never bows or bends to Hollywood moguls, not to mention art-house artists or cheerleaders of freedom of speech. It reports directly to the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the chief administrative authority chaired by premier Wen Jiabao.

With almost absolute power, SARFT manages to chop up Looper _ the kind of movie we expect to see violence glorified as entertainment. Yes, there are guns, blood and explosions but the edited version has toned down the violence and removed the blood. No limbs and rolling heads. I start yawning.

Yes, there is romance and some sexual content _ with Emily Blunt and Chinese actress Xu Qing. But SARFT's diligent scissors are sharp and precise. While watching I had a Proustian time-travelling experience _ losing sense of time and falling into sleep.

The scope of China's censorship goes beyond violence and acts between sheets. SARFT's censorship policy covers movies of any theme _ particularly any film about the bloody crackdown at Tiananmen Square more than a decade ago, the Falun Gong, ethnic protests, anarchism, gossip, disparity of wealth and even food safety.

And SARFT and its scissors can go all the way. Other casualties include the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean flick, Men In Black III and The Dark Knight.

Indeed, Looper's time-travel theme should never have passed Chinese censorship. Since last year, the regulator imposed a ban on television dramas and movies with time travel. The reason is startling, even for those of us who are not fans of the genre.

The censorship policy reportedly describes time travel as "frivolous" and "lacking positive thoughts and meaning and feature fabricated plots" and "treating serious history in childish way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore".

Hollywood moguls are turning to the lucrative movie market in China, with its 1.3 billion-strong population. A few months ago, James Cameron, the director of Titanic and Avatar, travelled to Beijing to discuss a possible joint production with China. His likely project is a 3D documentary about the Forbidden City.

Soon the film Cloud Atlas, another Chinese-Hollywood co-production with futuristic scenes and starring an international cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Chinese actress Zhou Xun and Korean Bae Doo-na, will be released in China.

As for Looper, despite the cut, I did not sleep throughout the movie. Somehow, I even managed to understand the non-linear time concept.

So, the light went on. Elderly Chinese people in the theatre looked perplexed. Small kids woke up. Some even made a noisy cry.

Have I told you that SARFT does not have a rating system?


Anchalee Kongrut is a writer for Life, currently based in Beijing on the FK journalist exchange programme.

Anchalee Kongrut

Editorial pages editor

Anchalee Kongrut is Bangkok Post's editorial pages editor.

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