Comments on: Jia Zhangke’s Latest Film, “A Touch Of Sin,” Looks Spectacular

By: Zhang Fei

Zhang Fei — Tue, 21 May 2013 02:56:22 +0000

I totally agree with your assessment. Tragic movies are fine to the censors, so long as it is about the past. Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige got their start that way – nowadays, writing about the horrors of imperialism and the successive disasters during Mao’s reign isn’t a big deal. But film a movie about contemporary ills and watch how fast the harmonization happens.

Then again, maybe this will work in Zhang Jiake’s favor. Getting banned can give you big film festival buzz – that’s actually precisely what happened to Zhang and Chen. Underground commerce in the Mainland is what can overturn the censors’ will from time to time.

By: SeaHorse

SeaHorse — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:27:27 +0000

Not necessarily, the Chinese do have a taste for tears-streaming-down-your-face-hate-my-life-movies. Pretty Big Feet, Red Sourghum, and if we go to Hong Kong that horrible PTU movie No Way Out. Post Modern Life of my Aunt is another crappy one for the same reason as PTU, no plot, just the main character constantly being shat on. Pretty Big Feet I liked though, addressed social issues without making the other party look like pitiful animals. Still Life was screened uncensored I hear.

The real test of this is the true story it’s based on has to do with a high profile case involving government corruption. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they do censor it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t. The CPC censors things on a coin flip, maybe two if you’re a really famous director.

By: PD

PD — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:49:53 +0000

Looks great! Maybe China will now punish France and the French?