China heavily censors ‘Skyfall’

DHAKA: Record-breaking James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ in China, but according to reports, some of its scenes have been censored and altered to make it acceptable to the Chinese authorities.

One scene that has been completely culled takes place in Shanghai, when a French hitman (played by Ola Rapace) is shown shooting a Chinese security guard in the elevator lobby of a skyscraper before preparing for an assassination.

In another scene, filmed in a casino in the Chinese territory of Macau, Daniel Craig’s Bond is talking to a hostess, Severine (Berenice Marlohe), about whether her tattoo is the result of her being forced into prostitution at an early age.

Although the lines remains intact on the soundtrack, the Chinese subtitles have been changed to suggest that 007 is asking her about her connections to the mob.

Any references made by Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), the film’s villain, about being tortured by Chinese authorities have also been removed.

It is not uncommon for imported films to open in China with potentially politically or culturally controversial scenes edited out.

‘Men in Black 3’, ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean’: ‘At World’s End’ and ‘Mission: Impossible 3’ were all heavily altered by the Chinese authorities, reports The Telegraph.

‘Skyfall’, which has so far taken $1.03bn at the global box office, was originally scheduled to be released in China last November, but was delayed to 2013 to allow domestic blockbusters such as ‘Back to 1942’ and ‘The Last Supper’ a clear run at Chinese audiences.

BDST: 1653 HRS, JAN 22, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor- eic@banglanews24.com