The “Fight Club” is almost back to its original conception in China.
As of Monday, the film’s ending has largely been restored on popular Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video, after fans complained in late January about the complete removal of the iconic final scene.
the end of the classic cult by David Fincher shocked audiences when it first hit theaters in 1999. In a massive twist, the narrator, played by Edward Norton, realizes that Brad Pitt’s character Tyler Durden is his imaginary alter ego, and kill him.
In the last moments, the narrator is with his girlfriend, played by Helena Bonham Carter, as they watch explosives blow up a group of skyscrapers – all part of what was originally presented to the audience as Durden’s plan to destroy consumerism through erasure. bank records and debts.
But a drastically altered version on Tencent Video, which the CNN Business saw in January, cut out the whole scene with the explosions.
Instead, it was replaced with a caption explaining to the public that the authorities arrived just in time to save the day.
“Through the clue provided by Tyler, the police quickly discovered the entire plan and arrested all the criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding,” reads the caption. “After the trial, Tyler was sent to [um] asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was released from the hospital in 2012.”
Chinese social media users complained about the drastic change, saying it had spoiled a piece of classic film history.
In the latest version, this ending is mostly back – although the title still omits a scene with nudity, which was also missing in the version available in January.
While it is unclear how or when edits were made to either version, it is not uncommon for foreign films to undergo heavy censorship before finding a legitimate broadcast in China.
And Chinese companies that own the rights to international films in the country often self-censor to appease regulators ahead of general releases.
Tencent (TCEHY) declined to comment on Monday. But a person familiar with the matter told the CNN Business that the latest version of the film was provided to the company by the distributor, which the Chinese tech giant then broadcast.
A distributor employee, on the other hand, told the CNN Business on Monday that it “had no control” over the film’s content, and was not aware of the latest change. The Guangzhou-based company called Pacific Audio & Video is affiliated with the state-owned Guangdong Radio and Television.
Neither the China Film Administration nor the Cyberspace Administration of China, the internet regulator that oversees streaming platforms, immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday.
Source: CNN Brasil
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