Chinatown (Bụi Đời Chợ Lớn) [Archive]

GeneChing

07-08-2013, 02:54 PM

Lost track of this one. Now I know why.

Johnny Nguyen's CHO LON Banned in Vietnam, Rest Of World To Miss Out (http://twitchfilm.com/2013/06/johnny-nguyens-cho-lon-banned-in-vietnam.html)
Trung Rwo

http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2013/06/8c079565-dab9-44f9-91cd-f673f9e20085-thumb-630xauto-39093.jpg
It sucks, I know, but it's official. According to the Vietnam Film Department, Cho Lon (original title: Bụi đời Chợ Lớn) has been banned. Given that local clearance is required before Vietnamese producers are permitted to release a film internationally, this means the film isn't just banned in Vietnam, but won't be seen anywhere.

In April, the Nguyen brothers' project was blocked by Vietnamese censors due to the violence of the killing between gangsters in Chinatown. And today, the powers have spoken, ensuring the latest action flick of Johnny Tri Nguyen will go straight to the dusty warehouse of Banned Vietnamese Films. As the Central Board of Film Evaluation of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism concluded:

Cho Lon violated the Law of Cinema when showing scenes of gangsters blatantly set in battle, chaotic fighting with knives, swords, machetes, with blood spilling everywhere ... without the interference of government, polices, people or any other social forces.

Recently the producers sent the edited version of Cho Lon, which cut some violent scenes and inserted some appropriate scenes. But it's still not repaired overall, so the Central Board of Film Evaluation of the Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism shall not issue licenses for Cho Lon.

I heard Moebius was banned in Korea yesterday, but it's still luckier than Cho Lon. This news means it can't pass the Vietnamese censorship, which means it can't receive the popularization licenses, which means it can't be shown anywhere on Earth, which means 16 billion VND budget of the film will go straight to hell.

That's harsh! And it's now breaking news in Vietnam. The Nguyen brothers haven't said anything about this as yet, and maybe they're busy filming the new film Young Teo. Let's hope that Young Teo won't suffer the same fate as Cho Lon.
Now I really really want to see this...

Johnny Nguyen's Banned CHO LON Is (Briefly) Leaked Online (http://twitchfilm.com/2013/07/johnny-nguyens-banned-cho-lon-is-briefly-leaked-online.html)
Trung Rwo, Writer

http://twitchfilm.com/assets_c/2013/07/Cho%20Lon%20Still-thumb-630xauto-39968.jpg
[As a further FYI on this story, Twitch has learned that the version leaked was NOT the original, director's cut of the film but one of the subsequent re-edits with a great deal of violence removed in an attempt to pass censorship. So, if you're looking for the version that was originally intended, this isn't it. Also, the investigation under way to find the source is being conducted by police, so this is clearly being treated as quite serious and could have significant ramifications going forward.]

This morning, Vietnamese netizens went wild when a version of Johnny Nguyen's banned Cho Lon was leaked on YouTube. Only a few minutes later, that video was taken down. However, many people were able to download the 90-minute banned film and share it online. Soon after, Facebook was flooded with comments. One humorous Facebooker even said: "This will be the most-watched movie of 2013 in Vietnam."

Nobody knows for sure who leaked the film, but an investigation is underway. Charlie Nguyen published the following comment:

I am absolutely shocked and sad as if someone was killing my child. This is just a draft with incomplete content, sound, light, color, special effects and frame rhythm. I don't want anyone to see this version because it's like a raw meal! We've spent countless efforts and billions to make it perfect for the audience. And now I have to endure seeing people watching a bad draft version and evaluating the movie through it. People who leaked the film is a lack of knowledge and too cruel to Cho Lon and our brothers. Hopefully, he'd be arrested and sent to the court.

When Cho Lon was banned by Vietnamese censors last month, it officially spelled the end of the film's existence, as a domestic ban also prohibits the film from being sold or screened overseas. But now, a movie banned by the State was made public, albeit briefly, for anyone to see. If caught, those responsible for the leak could be charged with "spreading banned materials".

This is something that never happens in Vietnam. We'll keep you updated with the latest news as it develops.