Something For The Censors
I guess it all depends on how you wish to look at things. For the one something is aesthetically beautiful, for the other it is a sexual degradation. Some consider the written word to be solid and nothing but the truth as passed down from on high, while others consider it to be filled with historical inaccuracies.
Photo Source: unknown, via Tumblr
On the one side we have the censors in China who, after the initial public viewing, decided that there was far too much cleavage on view in the historical drama The Empress of China and so had it changed. All views where the hint of a boob threatens the sensibilities of the Chinese public are now tastefully altered to allow a glimpse of the actresses faces alone or, at least, everything above the shoulders.
The Egyptian view is something else. The banning of a movie because of historical inaccuracies may sound good on the publicity release, but what it comes down to is religious differences. Exodus – which I have not seen anything of – is based around the Israelites flight from Egypt – presumably before they could be called Israelites – into what became Israel, and that after many years of slavery under Egyptian control. It is clear why certain authorities would not wish such a film to be shown, not necessarily because of certain inaccuracies, but more because it can be used as another tool to justify actions on one or another side in present conflicts.
This all brings us to the controversy over The Interview and objections raised by North Korea, a third film which has been in the news recently, although for slightly different reasons. The Interview is a work of fiction, and meant to be a comedy at that. Exodus is meant to be based upon the perceived truth of the Bible, which can also be interpreted at will and has many sides which can be taken. The Empress of China is also based on a historical figure, but one which is properly documented from the time of her life, and not through hearsay many centuries later.
Photo Source: unknown, via Tumblr
For The Interview, a certain amount of artistic license should be allowed, there is bound to be someone who finds the idea of killing a head of state amusing, after all, the President of the United States has either been killed, kidnapped or seriously injured – right down to the hijacking of Airforce One under President (Harrison) Ford – without the country or its standing in the world being injured.
For Exodus, and mainly from a religious point of view, the banning is perhaps a tad harsh, but understandable. It will be many more centuries before this story can really be worked through and either accepted or disproved – the latter not making the former impossible – and everyone can live with it. Religious strife, disagreements and widely differing interpretations of historical, pseudo-historical and Biblical ‘facts’ will always be there.
And as for the Chinese censor cutting out the cleavage from The Empress of China: these photographs are for you. No matter whether anyone believes the story or not, whether there were murders, assassinations, court intrigues, in-fighting or whatever, women still had cleavages back then, and that is a historical fact which few can dispute.
- Viktoria Michaelis.
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