Film Censorship In China

Film censorship in China. References.

Western world highlights importance of liberty and freedom of speech. Unfortunately, not all countries around the globe have gained these rights. According to the media in western countries freedom of choice, expression and speech is still supressed in China. While citizens of democratic countries support liberal views and human rights, majority of Chinese people are satisfied with the current situation, giving them access to limited freedom, which is framed and filtered through communistic prism. In my opinion, film censorship, as strict as in China, overtly deprives public of global knowledge, keeps them from development and takes away the chance to experience the film as a whole work of art.

The history of film censorship in China goes back as far in time as 1911, when first regulations for “obscene content” were issued by Shanghai Autonomous Bureau. Two decades later, Chinese government required to edit or ban films violating public order, hurting pride of Chinese nationality, supporting superstitions and violating Three Principles of the People. The Film Censorship Committee was formed so that international and local films could be reviewed. In 1949, the Communist party with Mao Zedong in the lead founded the People’s Republic of China. The Communist government has controlled the country completely with a false image of strong patriotic nationalism. Mao governed using “socialist reconstruction” concept. The Cultural Revolution, which has flipped the country over, became the most obvious representation of censorship mechanism in a totalitarian regime.