China censors Cloud Atlas

GlobalPost

Chinese authorities have taken a goodly hack at the film "Cloud Atlas," shrinking it by 23 percent, according to the Hollywood Reporter, via Newser.

The film follows the relationship between a young composer, Robert Frobisher, and fellow Cambridge student Rufus Sixsmith.

Chinese authorities appear to have a problem with the progressive love story. They cut 40 minutes of the 169-minute-film's juicier moments, removing "passionate love scenes," Hollywood Reporter cited the Shanghai-based Dongfang Daily as saying

The Hollywood Reporter, making no secret of its feelings on the matter, went on to note that China cut the love "while gory sequences depicting a character being shot in the head or another having his throat slit remained." 

"Cloud Atlas" directors were not believed consulted on the film's China edit, announced a day after they tweaked the latest James Bond film "Skyfall," which premiered in China on Monday.

"Skyfall" — version Chinam — no longer shows a Chinese security guard being killed, and drops conversation alleging Chinese involvement in torture, the BBC reported.

The head of China's "Cloud Atlas" co-producing Dreams of the Dragon Pictures firm, Qiu Huashun, explained that “Chinese audiences might want to see more of a popcorn movie, and considerations for the Chinese market were made in the making of the Chinese version of the film,” Hollywood Reporter cited him as telling journalists in Beijing today. 

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.