Fight Club China Restores Original Ending Following Censorship Backlash

Fight Club: China Restores Original Ending Following Censorship Backlash

Chinese streaming service Tencent restores the original ending of David Fincher’s Fight Club, following backlash stemming from the censorship.

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The Chinese Communist Party’s censorship policies and streaming service Tencent caused a stir in recent weeks after director David Fincher’s Fight Club was released with a new ending attached. In a rare occurrence, Tencent has now reversed its censorship of the film and restored the original ending.

The film, which previously included an ending consisting of a text card detailing the aftermath of Tyler Durden’s assault on capitalism, is now available for Chinese viewers in full. There are exceptions, however, including certain sex scenes and other explicit content, as per the guidelines of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA).

The censored ending presented audiences with a message reading, “The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding. After the trial, Tyler was sent to a lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment.”

While critics and audiences around the world have criticized the ending, not just for the display of censorship, but for destroying the essential message or meaning behind the film’s story, author Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote the novel that inspired the film, stated that the censored ending is incidentally closer to his original ending that Fincher’s film.

Chinese media has come under increasing pressure from the CCP-ruled government to further censor certain television shows, films, video games and more. As part of a larger crackdown on culture, the NRTA released a set of new guidelines in 2021, essentially banning certain qualities, such as those authorities deem to be “effeminate.” In addition, films, shows and games are unable to depict criminals succeeding, ghosts, or use plot devices, such as time travel. Some of the more drastic restrictions include those placed on ethnic minorities, including Tibetans and Uyghurs.

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Furthermore, over the last year — the CCP’s centennial — Chinese media has undergone drastic changes as part of a larger cultural shift. The shift has resulted in the quota for foreign film releases to be reduced to 34 from 42 in 2020. On top of the official limits placed on cinema, there have been a number of unofficial lockouts, with major Hollywood releases — including Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home — passing state censors but lacking a release date.

Tencent has not provided comment on the matter.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/fight-club-tencent-china-original-ending-censorship-backlash/

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