Chinese Actress Banned Over Racy Role

SARFT reportedly sent a memo to all TV stations and print media outlets in China on Thursday, announcing that a Pond’s skin care commercial featuring Tang was not to be broadcast under any circumstances. All print ads were to be pulled as well. The memo did not state a reason for the ban.

Tang’s deal with Pond’s is worth a reported 6 million yuan ($843,000).

In a statement dated March 7, titled “Reassertion of Censorship Guidelines,” SARFT said it had informed all major film and broadcast entities and governing bodies that it was renewing prohibitions on “lewd and pornographic content” and content that “show promiscuous acts, rape, prostitution, sexual intercourse, sexual perversity, masturbation and male/female sexual organs and other private parts.” However, the public notice, posted on SARFT’s Web site, did not specifically mention “Lust” or Tang.

In addition, all awards shows in China were advised to exclude Tang and the producers of “Lust, Caution” from their list of guests, while discussions about the film and Tang on online forums were deleted, Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily reported Friday.

“Lust,” Lee’s artsy thriller, reportedly upset China’s central government, where top officials were said to have criticized the film’s content as “glorification of traitors and insulting to patriots.” SARFT reportedly was singled out in the censure for permitting the film to be released in China last year, even after seven minutes of graphic sex scenes were cut from the film’s theatrical release.

“Lust, Caution” is 28-year-old Tang’s first major film, and both audiences and critics lauded her for holding her own, particularly given the intense nature of the sexual scenes with co-star Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Have any of you seen “Lust, Caution” yet? I heard it was Ang Lee’s best work in quite a while.

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