The David Fincher cult classic,Fight Club, is getting a completely different ending due to a new online release in China. The original conclusion to the 1999 film sees the narrator (Edward Norton) slaying his alter ego, Tyler (Brad Pitt), and then watching the surrounding buildings explode as he holds the hand of his love interest, Marla (Helena Bonham Carter).
However, the version of20th Century’sFight Clubreleased to the Chinese streaming site,Tencent Video, will be entirely opposite to this. In this edit, the explosion scene has been removed and in place of this, the audience are informed that the state successfully prohibited Tyler’s plan to cause destruction to the world.
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The message that China replaced forthe original endingofFight Clubstated that the police figured out the whole plan to destroy the city and successfully prevented the bombs from exploding. Subsequently, Tyler was sent to a “lunatic asylum” after his trial and received psychological treatment before being released in 2012. Over the weekend, screenshots of the alternate finale went viral on social media, offending many fans with the removal of what they deemed a cinematic classic. One user on the microblogging site,Weibo, commented “There is no point watching this film without that scene.” While the ending ofFight Clubis what’s often talked about in regard to the film, it is not unusual that it was eliminated as, in some cases, films edited by the Chinese industry even get an entirely new storyline in order to deviate from any violence or sexually explicit themes.
The censoredFight Clubfinale is still vastly different from what feels like a victory for the characters in the original film. SinceTencent Videohave declined to comment on this, it remains uncertain whether the scene was revised out ofgovernment order or self-censorship. It is also unclear what version Chinese fans were shown when the film was first released in cinemas during the Shanghai International Film Festival. However, sinceFight Clubhas received over 740,000 reviews and an impressive rating of 9 out of 10 on the Chinese social networking site,Douban, it is clear that the fans are more than pleased with this movie.
China often alters imported films to depict that the law enforcement, on the side of righteousness, always triumphs over the villain.Tencent Video, which has produced many prominent Chinese-language films, frequently edit amore censored version of moviesin order to appeal to the mainland Chinese market. Rather than crime bosses ruling the city, like what is regularly displayed in American movies, the Chinese modifications show gangsters being rounded up and punished. Further to this, the industry leaders also do not allow any nudity and gore to be screened.
It is evident that the Chinese industry can be very restrictive when it comes to what is shown to their audience. While it is likely thatmany Chinese fanshave watched pirated versions ofFight Clubsince its initial release, there is no sign that China will ease its constraints on their films any time soon.
