To boost cinema attendance, China wages war on critics

CHINESE cinema-goers are used to the government’s tight grip on the film industry. In deference to the Communist Party’s qualms, filmmakers eschew happy endings for teenage lovers or homosexuals, let alone anything critical of the party itself. To boost audiences for home-grown productions, the authorities have recently tried a new form of control: clamping down on unflattering reviews. Long-suffering film fans see this as a step too far.

Their anger erupted in December after the release of “The Great Wall”, a Chinese-made fantasy starring an American actor, Matt Damon (pictured, trying to save China from an alien invasion). Xinhua, an official news agency, praised the film as “innovative” and accused its many online detractors in China of “giving it a hard time just for the sake of it” (critics had panned the film for being heavy on special...Continue reading