Chinese film

Chinese film's and censorship

In Western culture, ratings systems like the MPAA are in place the protect children from objectionable content. In china, censors are also tasked with protecting the status quo of authoritarian rule. State Administration of Radio Film and Television enforces media censorship in China. The SARFT has committee of 30+ staff who control the content of radio, film, TV, satellite, and internet broadcast.

Chief aims are to promote Confucian morality, political stability and social harmony in 3 steps:

1. The filmmakers submit their screenplay or finished film to the Censorship Board for review. The board has 15 days to offer a response, though things don’t always move this quickly.

2. SARFT then offers comments and often suggestions for altering the film to meet censorship requirements. The filmmakers are given the opportunity to make modifications to comply with any requested changes.

3. The script or film is submitted back to SARFT for review of the changes and an approval decision.

If the filmmaker disagrees, they can apply for another review

Filmmaker’s aren’t told what to do, only advised what they can’t do

Taboo topics include: sex and violence, obscenity, religion, superstition, gambling, drinking, drug abuse, and criminal activity

Any story element not rooted in scientific fact, like ghosts or time travel, might also be censored, and no criticism of the Communist party is tolerated

Distorting Chinese civilization and history, seriously departing from historical truth distorting the history of other countries, disrespecting other civilizations and customs disparaging the image of revolutionary leaders, heroes and important historical figures tampering with Chinese or foreign classics and distorting the image of the important figures portrayed therein

Disparaging the image of the people’s army, armed police, public security organ or judiciary;

Showing obscene and vulgar content, exposing scenes of promiscuity, rape, prostitution, sexual acts, perversion, homosexuality, masturbation and private body parts including the male or female genitalia

Containing dirty and vulgar dialogues, songs, background music and sound effects

Showing contents of murder, violence, terror, ghosts and the supernatural

Distorting value judgment between truth and lies, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, righteous and unrighteous

Showing deliberate expressions of remorselessness in committing crimes; showing specific details of criminal behaviours; exposing special investigation methods

Showing content which evokes excitement from murder, bloodiness, violence, drug abuse and gambling; showing scenes of mistreating prisoners, torturing criminals or suspects

Containing excessively horror scenes, dialogues, background music and sound effects

Propagating passive or negative outlook on life, world view and value system

Deliberately exaggerating the ignorance of ethnic groups or the dark side of society

Advertising religious extremism, stirring up ambivalence and conflicts between different religions or sects, and between believers and non-believers, causing disharmony in the community

Advocating harm to the ecological environment, animal cruelty, killing or consuming nationally protected animals

Showing excessive drinking, smoking and other bad habits

Opposing the spirit of law

Robert Cain of Pacific Bridge Pictures filmed in China in 2006 and after filming 5-6 takes of a conversation set in a cinema, filmed a “comedic” take that involved a patron in the background with a camcorder filming the screen

A spy from SARFT was in the crew and reported them

Their production was shut down because their depiction of an act of piracy was “naïve” and “untruthful” and damaging to China and the Communist party

They were able to beg to be allowed to continue because while the laws may seem draconian, human beings guide censorship in China and they do want films to be made there

500 productions were allowed in 2010 alone

Zhang Yimou 
(1951- )

Known for

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

To Live (1994)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhRgMU0wyB8

Hero (2002)

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Trademarks include exploring sexual repression and political oppression, the dark side of rural life, collaborating with actress Gong Li, being part of a group of Chinese filmmakers known as the Fifth Generation, and a relationship with the Chinese government that improves the less he tackles controversial subjects

In 2019,  Zhang Yimou’s film “One Second” was withdrawn from the Berlin Film Festival’s main competition days before the premiere

It was withdrawn for “technical reasons”, which means that the Chinese government censored it

Since 2017, all Chinese films must be approved at the script stage and secure a travel permit, after which no changes to dialog, length, producers, or investors can be made

One theory is that the subject matter, related to Mao Zedong’s 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, was the problem

Other theories are that the travel permit wasn’t obtained, or the Propaganda Department has tightened up ideological oversight

Zhang was sent for re-education during the Cultural Revolution

His 1994 epic “To Live” was banned in China, in spite of winning awards in Cannes

Zhang choreographed the 2008 opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics

He was fined over $1 million for violating China’s one-child policy, which was officially dropped the next year

Ang lee (1
954- )

Known for

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Hulk (2003)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Lust, Caution (2007)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CizN-DvGhrc

Life of Pi (2012)

Trademarks include being able to cross high and low culture and East and West with his films, capturing family dynamics, and being at ease in multiple genres

Born in Taiwan

Studied in the US and got a Master’s degree in Film Production at New York University

Entered two screenplays into a Taiwanese national screenwriting competition and came in first and second place

Lee has made films in the west and in Taiwan

Lust, Caution (2007) was given a rating of NC-17 in the US and forced to make cuts in order to be shown in China

“When you make a movie in Hollywood, you have to make sure the audience will be happy,” said Lee, who cut several minutes of explicit and politically sensitive scenes from his 2007 “Lust, Caution” for its mainland Chinese release. “When you make a movie in China, you have to make sure the leaders will be happy.”

What do I censer for myself?