Eric Schwartzel, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and author of 'Red Carpet,' delves deep into Hollywood's delicate dance with Chinese censorship. He discusses how films like the latest 'Fantastic Beasts' are altered for Chinese audiences, illustrating the tension between creative freedom and commercial success. Schwartzel traces Hollywood's historic entry into China and the cultural transformation that followed. He also highlights the geopolitical tensions that complicate Hollywood's relationship with China, reflecting on the broader implications for global cinema.
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The Fugitive in China
The first Hollywood movie to earn real money in China after the Cultural Revolution was "The Fugitive" in 1994.
This marked a turning point as Chinese theaters struggled with propaganda films, and Hollywood saw an opportunity.
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China's Rising Importance
China became financially crucial for Hollywood around 2008 due to two factors.
The rise of expensive blockbusters like "Iron Man" needing global audiences and the collapse of the DVD market.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Censorship Examples
Chinese censorship impacted even minor details, like a scene in "Mission: Impossible" with clotheslines, which they deemed made China look backward.
Paramount preemptively removed a scene implying a Chinese origin of the zombie outbreak in "World War Z" to appease censors, though the film wasn't released in China.
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World War Z is an apocalyptic horror novel that presents a series of interviews conducted by a fictionalized version of the author, Max Brooks, a decade after the end of the Zombie War. The book chronicles the outbreak of the zombie pandemic, which begins in China and quickly spreads globally, causing widespread chaos and the collapse of global order. The narrative includes accounts from various individuals around the world, highlighting the desperate struggle for survival, the failures and successes of different countries' responses, and the eventual reclaiming of the planet through a combination of military strategies and societal changes. The novel comments on themes such as government ineptitude, survivalism, and the human condition in the face of catastrophic events.
Red Carpet
Erich Schwartzel
Red Carpet explores the complex relationship between Hollywood and China, highlighting how China's influence in the film industry reflects a broader struggle for cultural supremacy. The book delves into the history of Hollywood's entanglement with foreign governments and the impact of China's growing film industry on global entertainment. It also examines how China uses its influence to control the narrative of China globally through film.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Justin Hill
Wang Dulu
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film directed by Ang Lee, based on the novel of the same name by Wang Dulu. It follows the story of a warrior and a young woman who fall in love.
Warner Bros. is censoring the newest Fantastic Beasts movie for Chinese audiences. It’s the latest reminder that Hollywood’s reliance on China comes at a cost.
This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro and Paul Mounsey, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Victoria Dominguez, and hosted by Noel King.
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