China is too cautious about the lust in Ang Lee's (
The case highlights public dissent about China's censorship system, which doesn't classify films by age-appropriateness. All movies that clear censors are open to everyone.
Dong Yanbin (
The graduate law student at the China University of Political Science and Law is also suing the movie theater where he saw the film, alleging that it denied him his right to information and wants 500 yuan (US$67) for mental anguish and apologies from the theater and SARFT, the Beijing Times said.
"The publicly released version of Lust, Caution is structurally flawed. It fails to portray the psychology of the female lead," Dong was quoted as saying.
Asked about the newspaper report, a man who answered the phone at the publicity office of Beijing's Xicheng courthouse said Dong had filed such a lawsuit but that the court hasn't decided whether to accept the case.
"He has filed the lawsuit, but the court had not created a case yet," the man said, declining to give his name. He said he didn't know the details of the case.
Dong couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Calls to the graduate student office at his university, to a SARFT spokesman and the movie theater, UME Huaxing International Cineplex, went unanswered.
Lust, Caution is about the sexually charged relationship between an undercover student activist and the Japanese-allied intelligence chief in World War II Shanghai. Its explicit nature -- featuring abusive sex and a variety of lovemaking positions -- have earned it adult-only ratings in the US and Asia.
Although the censored version was shown in China, local audiences appeared to be aware of the cuts from media reports.
Despite the cuts, Lust, Caution has quickly become a big hit in China, earning more than 90 million yuan (US$12 million) since opening two weeks ago and generating a huge number of Internet commentaries.
Lee, however, hasn't made a big fuss about the cuts in China.
"It doesn't affect the story or character development because they only involve a few minutes ... The movie will feel much less intense. That's all," he told reporters while promoting the film in Hong Kong recently.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
RSS