HONG KONG
China is too cautious about the lust in Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” or so alleges a Chinese student who is suing the government for asking the Taiwanese director to cut steamy sex scenes from his new movie.
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 has accused the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, or SARFT, of failing to set up a ratings system that would allow adults to see uncensored version of the movie, the Beijing Times newspaper said in report on its Web site Thursday.
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 a consumer’s right to information, and wants 500 Chinese yuan (US$67; euro46) for mental suffering and apologies from the theater and SARFT, the Beijing Times reported.
“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 has filed such a lawsuit but that the court hasn’t decided whether to accept the case.
