StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television - Movie Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
This movie review "The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television" presents the airing of the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ that caused much debate among Chinese ‘netizens’. The most surprising factor about the broadcast was that the film had been allowed to retain the much controversial quotes…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER99% of users find it useful
The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television"

The Airing of ‘V for Vendetta’ on Chinese Television The Chinese run movie channel CCTV 6 recently surprised people by airing the anarchist-themed film ‘V for Vendetta’. People did not understand why the already banned movie which could easily bring discomfort to the Chinese political environment was broadcasted on CCTV-6, China Central Television’s movie channel. The most surprising factor about this event was that it did not omit even the subversive lines "The people should not be afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of the people" from the film. The 2005 released movie gained wide attention throughout the word, and the protagonist Vigilante’s Guy Fawkes mask has been adopted by several groups as their symbol. Now with the media event in China, the movie has become bone of contention among the common Chinese people and Beijing elite groups alike, and it is likely to cause notable impacts on the Chinese media and population as a whole. The Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman starred film is set in a fictional English community, and exposes a daring, charming freedom fighter known as "V," (Vigilante) who initiates a revolution against a futuristic authoritarian regime. The James McTeigue directed movie is based on the 1982 comic book V for Vendetta written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. It depicts a futuristic situation in Britain where V has to use radical tactics to fight the oppressive fascist state to regain the state’s freedom. Another main character of the story is Evey, a young woman who is rescued by V from a crucial life-and death condition. As the story progresses, she also identifies her role in the mission carried out by V and voluntarily join him. V wears the mask of Guy Fawkes and invites all the people to join him to blow up the parliament and thereby regain freedom and justice. Although V’s activities are genuine and reasonable, the corrupt Chancellor deems them as acts of terrorism. The movie begins reminding the event when Guy Fawkes plotted to destroy the parliament and the king in order to regain catholic sovereignty in England. The movie really intends to criticize the traditional tactics (fear and the voice of God) used by the government to create a feeling that the wrath of God will soon avenge who went against the regime. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter). In this context, the airing of the movie V for Vendetta raises numerous questions with regard to the Chinese censorship laws and entertainment policies. The Chinese government has been very much concerned about preserving its political authority and hence maintained a tight rein on traditional and new media so as to prevent any potential threats from their part. The government has very often entailed strict media controls which involved but not limited to using monitoring systems, shutting down publications or websites, jailing etc. As Bennet (2013) points out, Chinas censorship of its media has been getting attention recently when Southern Weekly, a liberal-leaning paper based in Guangzhou, staged a extensive confrontation with the government. Googles battle with the Chinese government over Internet censorship in China is another example. However, as many thinkers believe, the airing of the controversial film indicates China’s attempt to balance its media controlling power with the growing need for information. In other words, it seems that China is badly in need of press freedom while at the same time worried about the impacts the liberalization would bring upon the economy. The airing of the V for Vendetta would be counted as a remarkable event in the history of Chinese media. The event got wide media coverage and multiple responses around the globe. As the Guardian reported dated 20th December 2012, “after the telecast, Chinas internet crackled with quotes of a famous catchline from the movie: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people." The reports indicate that people at the helm of affairs were not very much aware of the content of the movie or few were aware of the ban. For instance, the spokesman for the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said he had noticed the online reaction to the broadcast. He also said "Ive not heard of any ban on this movie," (The Guardian). Another person commented that it: "I begin to suspect that I was dreaming!" (Bannister, n. d.). The Hollywood Reporter, Dated Dec 20, 2012 concluded that “either CCTV was taking a risk under Chinas censorship, or this was a signal that new Communist leader Xi Jinping is committed to reform”. (Source: The Guardian 20th December 2012) Evidently, the event involved some sorts of unclear objectives and raised lot of confusion among the viewers of the movie and officials concerned. Many people believe that the incident was not inadvertent but it reflected the stance of certain individuals who really propose reforms. Another report in Huffington Post said “some commentators and bloggers think the broadcast could be CCTV producers pushing the envelope of censorship, or another sign that the ruling Communist Partys newly installed leader, Xi Jinping, is serious about reform” (Watt, Dec 20, 2012). The report in the Yahoo movies also gives the same opinion regarding the stunning event. It said that the airing of the controversial movie "V for Vendetta" points the possible changes that would occur under Xi, Chinas new leader. The report reminds that Xi had already announced a ‘trimmed-down style of leadership’, which would insist officials to ‘reduce waste and unnecessary meetings and pomp’, because Xi wanted to satisfy the public who are heavily affected by local corruption (Yahoo movies). ("V for Vendetta" director James McTeigue (left), producer Joel Silver (center), and Hugo. Source: Yahoo Movies, Dec 20, 2012). One comment appeared on the China Digital Times said that the airing of the movie could be understood linking with the previous CCTV broadcasted interview of Labor Camp University Village Official Ren Jianyu. It continued “It’s been one unbelievable action after another! Could they be testing the waters for greater room for free speech? Or perhaps this was just the new leadership trying to butter up us rabble?” (China Digital Times). The film has indeed conveyed a message to the people of China; and human rights activists have already made use of the film to protest against the human rights situation in China. The youtube video link given below would show this fact. http://globalvoicesonline.org/2012/12/18/censorship-lift-for-v-for-vendetta-shocks-china/ A Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia wrote on Twitter as follows, “this great film couldnt be any more appropriate for our current situation. Dictators, prisons, secret police, media control, riots, getting rid of heretics ... fear, evasion, challenging lies, overcoming fear, resistance, overthrowing tyranny ... Chinas dictators and its citizens also have this relationship" (as cited in The New Indian Express, Dec 20, 2012). Evidently, the media event has fueled the debate on press rights across China. As per the reports found in MSN Entertainment, Xie Fei, a filmmaker and Beijing Film Academy professor, published an open letter on Sina Weibo on Saturday calling for authorities to replace the outdated movie censorship system which has been in force since 1950 (Watt, 2012). The new Communist Party secretary Xi Jinpings election itself has been given prominent coverage by most newspapers and media outlets including China’s Central Television Channel. It seems that the airing of the movie has raised a lot of expectations among the people of china regarding the changes likely to occur in censorship laws and media rights under the new leadership. However, some thinkers are of the opinion that the reformation would reach only to an extent where single party system is not challenged. Among the millions of online comments on the airing of the ‘V for Vendetta’, one goes like this; “what this country needs aren’t tall towers, but hope. The character "V" is my father, my mother, my younger brother, my friend. He is both you and me; he is each and every one of us. My goodness CCTV-6, you have actually broadcast this movie; all along I had thought that this movie is banned in China!” (as cited in Terroir, 2012). Although Chinas constitution guarantees freedom of speech and press to its citizens, it also raises certain restrictions in the form of media regulations. For instance, recently in April 2010, the government revised its laws and insisted all media including internet companies to comply with ‘Law on Guarding State Secrets’. According to critics, the new rules can be used to censor any information once the authorities deem as subversive or someway harmful to the political interest of the government. This really forces media people to ensure the political acceptance of the content they publish. However, recent incidents like the airing of ‘V for Vendetta’ and the growing number of nongovernmental publications indicate that China’s media is entering a new phase of change so as to bear up the growing information needs of the economy without compromising its policies. To illustrate the new changes, Shirk (2010, p. 70) points out the mass lead poisoning case in Fengxiang came to light as the concerned villagers reached the office of Sanqin Metropolitan Daily, the local commercial paper. The writer comments that if it was earlier, the incident would not have known to the outer world. Evidently, since 2001 when China bid for the Beijing Olympics, it has been making intensive efforts to improve the environment for local as well as the foreign media, because the nation wanted to demonstrate its current and progressive image before the world. Thus china has been entering a new phase of development by professionalizing its media management system; and as part of this strategic move, it released several journalists who had been jailed for crimes against the state. Although the changes have been mainly driven by the state’s objective to showcase its progress before the world, they caused considerable levels of socio-economic developments in the country. The ultimate effect was more profound that the people of China became aware of their rights as citizens, and at the same time the leadership became more confident. Hence, analyzing the history of China’s media control strategies, it seems that the airing of the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ was purposeful. Admittedly, the result surpassed the wildest expectations of the authorities as it caused wider coverage and very heated responses both locally and globally. The airing of the no cut movie has also repealed the argument that the reporting liberalization granted by the state would be withdrawn soon after the Olympics. All these recent developments as a whole show that present China is concerned about how the global media perceive and report on the state’s policies. Today China, though at slower pace, tends to comply with the international standards and allows access to information better than ever before. In response to the airing of the movie, Liu Shanying, a political scientist at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Associated Press; “It is very possible that CCTV decided by itself to air the movie, possibly due to a gut feeling that China’s film censorship will be loosened or reformed” (Boehler, 2012). In short, the airing of the movie ‘V for Vendetta’ caused much debate among Chinese ‘netizens’. The most surprising factor about the broadcast was that the film had been allowed to retain the much controversial quotes like “people shouldnt fear their government, a government should fear the people”. Although viewers and thinkers are deeply at odds regarding who was at play, the event has raised hopes that the pace of reform has been accelerated in the State. Another notable aspect was that the responses of the officials toward the event were rather passive and no one raised questions about the unusual act. Also, regardless of the intention of the airing, the event would change the global media’s perceptions on the state’s policies in a way that bring far reaching positive effects on the economy. References Banister, T. (n. d.) “V for Vendetta shown on Chinese state TV”. Shangaiist [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. Boehler, P. (2012) “Chinese State-Run Television Airs Anarchist Movie”. Time News Feed, Dec 21 Bennett, I. (2013) “Media Censorship in China”. Council on Foreign Relations. [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. China Digital Times. [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. The Guardian. (2012) “China anti-censorship hopes rise after state TV airs V for Vendetta”. Dec 20 [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. Hollywood Reporter. (2012) “V for Vendetta Broadcast on China Central TV Shocks Viewers”. [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. The New Indian Express. (2012). “Chinas airing of V for Vendetta stuns viewers”, Dec 20. [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. Shirk, S. L. (2010) Changing Media, Changing China. New York: Oxford University Press. Terroir. (2012) “V for Vendetta” Shown “Uncut” on CCTV, Bullet-time Made Free in China” Synopathic, Dec 17. [online] available at (accessed 18 March 2013]. Yahoo Movies. (2012) “Chinas airing of V for Vendetta stuns viewers”. Dec 20 [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. Watt, L. (2012) “V For Vendetta Airs In China, Stunning TV Viewers”. Huffington Post, Dec 20 [online] available at [accessed 18 March 2013]. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1, n.d.)
The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1798395-the-airing-of-v-for-vendetta-on-chinese-state-television-its-positive-and-negative-effects-on-the-chinese-people-media-and-censorship-laws
(The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 Words - 1)
The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 Words - 1. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1798395-the-airing-of-v-for-vendetta-on-chinese-state-television-its-positive-and-negative-effects-on-the-chinese-people-media-and-censorship-laws.
“The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 Words - 1”. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1798395-the-airing-of-v-for-vendetta-on-chinese-state-television-its-positive-and-negative-effects-on-the-chinese-people-media-and-censorship-laws.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese State Television

Politics surrounding Main character V in movie V for Vendetta

Name: Instructor: Task: Date: Politics in v for vendetta The movie, which is a production of the novel by Moore and Lloyd, has several instances that call for political action to end totalitarian authorities in the society.... The setting is in the Great Britain in 1988 and the theme is a struggle by one of the citizens to oppose tyranny and oppressive authority (Billias 200)....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Inclusion of the Character to The Movies Plot V for Vendetta

v for vendetta is a story of a dystopia that takes place in England in the near future under the leaderships of a conservative dictatorship, which exerts control over its people through fear and lies until a radical revolutionary called V comes alone.... v for vendetta is a story of a dystopia that takes place in England in the near future under the leaderships of a conservative dictatorship, which exerts control over its people through fear and lies until a radical revolutionary called V comes alone....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Televisions Grip on the Mind of America

Your Your Obey Your Thirst: television's Grip on the Mind of America Very few people can all (or many) of the following people who have considerable power over their lives: the President; the two Senators who represent their state; the Representative for their district; the governor of their state; the mayor of their city.... Neil Postman rightly identifies the iron grip that the television has on minds throughout American society.... Perhaps the fundamental reason for television's power is the way in which it has given "an exquisite and dangerous perfection" to the "epistemological biases of the telegraph and instancy....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

70's Television - The Carol Burnett Show

Everyone was excited because it was the first time that people could sit in front of their television and see more than the monochrome that was a part of everyday… Those old television sets only had a few channels and if you lived in a small town they were designated as Channels 3,5 and 8.... By 1967, television was seeing a variety of sitcoms and variety shows that attempted to entertain the American public.... By 1967, "Batman" was the hottest television show with Burt Ward and Adam West heading the show with a host of criminals like "Catwoman," "The Joker, " and "The Riddler....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Era of the Weak State

The paper "The Era of the Weak state " highlights that as the two-party system emerged, the possibility of a third voice was suppressed and a common understanding was arrived at to maintain the 'weak state' so as to further the capitalist society and its primary socio-economic structure.... hellip; it is quite important to state that on the political front, the era of the 'weak state' is marked by the people getting highly mobilized as political pressure groups but all the same, the government being the weakest in the US history in terms of power and national pride (Henretta and Brody, 600-606)....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Hiring in All 50 States

In positions like police officer, one must be a holder of high school diploma in New York or any equivalent diploma from education departments found in any state of the United States or any diploma that may be compared with high school diploma in any commonwealth country.... Unlike in Florida, New York requires public officers and police officers to be citizens of the United States and reside in New York state.... They are also different because every state is conducted differently and with different laws....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Connection and theme that are between V for Vendetta and The Road

From this paper, it is clear that both v for vendetta and The Road are based on a post apocalyptic future where the world as we know it has been destroyed and the result is that people have descended into chaos which they cannot control.... The same is the case in v for vendetta where V, seeing the injustice that is taking place in society, chooses to take action to bring the fascist government that presides over it down....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Dystopian text - 1984 and v for vendetta

The dystopian text is v for vendetta.... The theme for this… The novel called the 1984 and the film known as v for vendetta are a representative for the future of England from the perspectives of the author of the novel and the overall writer of the script and the films The two were written at different times, the novel in 1984 and the movie occurs after 2010 though it was released in 2005 (Overeem 23).... In the film, v for vendetta, Chancellor Adam sutler is the leader who is hungry for power....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us