CHINA: Memoirs of a Geisha, the hit film about the life and loves of a Japanese courtesan featuring Chinese actors in the lead roles, has fallen victim to Sino-Japanese tensions and been banned in China by high-ranking officials, industry sources said yesterday.
Geisha had already received the seal of approval from China's powerful film regulator SARFT and distributors were awaiting a release date. However, film business sources said top officials fear the sight of some of China's most beloved actors - Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi, as well as Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung - playing Japanese courtesans could prove inflammatory on the mainland and the movie will not now be shown.
China believes Japan has not atoned enough for its invasion and brutal occupation from 1937 to 1945 and the tensions between the Asian powerhouses led to violence on the streets of Chinese cities last year.
The Chinese media has been filled with speculation about when, or if, Geisha would open in China. The tentative release date given was February 10th, but it seems the movie, adapted from Arthur Golden's best-seller about the life of a geisha in Tokyo, has touched a nerve.
A number of scenes have proven controversial, sources said, including one where the main geisha character, played by House of Flying Daggers star Zhang, "sells" her virginity to a group of men.
The film's distributors in China said they had received no official notification the film would not be shown.
"The movie has been passed by the censors and is in the dubbing process now," said Li Chow, Columbia Tristar's general manager in China. "We've had no official screening date but we're optimistic Geisha will be shown here."