Censorship

That night, at the guesthouse. Having washed up, Gong Xue sat at her desk reviewing the class notes she had taken during the day. She listened attentively in every session, but Chen Qi had never given her a rigid mold to follow, leaving her to develop her performance freely. With two films under her belt and Chen Qi’s pointers, she had already developed a fair grasp of acting. For instance, she knew the lessons he gave Li Lianjie and the others were merely the most basic fundamentals; back on Mount Lu, she had already learned a round of them herself. What, then, was the more advanced level? To her mind, it was the crying scene she had delivered on the final day of filming Romance on Mount Lu. “Would it be good if I added a little something? Chen Shaomei is frail, but she is the daughter of a legendary master after all, immersed in that world since childhood… She can't engage in strenuous exercise, but what if she plays with a slingshot or skips stones?” As Gong Xue read through her notes, inspiration struck, and she hastily jotted down her thoughts. She then rose and walked over to the mirror, practicing various facial expressions to see which one captured Chen Shaomei’s essence. Next, she began pacing across the floor, moving as delicately and gracefully as a willow swaying in a gentle breeze. After circling the room a few times, she suddenly planted her left foot and snapped her right leg up into a stunning high kick. Her posture was supple, crisp, and clean. Having executed the move, Gong Xue could not help but smile. Though she possessed a delicate, gentle appearance, she was actually in excellent physical shape. She had studied dance and even practiced martial arts for a year—not professionally, of course, but purely to keep fit and build stamina. In real history, when Xie Jin directed Qiu Jin, Gong Xue had been his very first choice for the titular role. Qiu Jin, the celebrated Female Knight-Errant of Mirror Lake, was skilled in swordsmanship! Regrettably, Gong Xue was replaced before filming began because the public’s impression of her as fragile and demure was simply too deeply ingrained. People couldn't picture her fighting, and opposition had run high… Chen Qi had fallen prey to that same preconceived notion, deliberately giving her a character who knew no martial arts at all. While Gong Xue felt a twinge of regret, she never mentioned it to him, willing to let him arrange things as he saw fit. Human nature was always a bundle of contradictions rather than a single trait. She had a competitive side that strived to excel, yet she also had a gentle, obedient side; the two were hardly mutually exclusive. Every night, she practiced diligently in her room, scrutinizing each scene in the script to figure out how she would interpret it. In the industry, this was known as desk work. Among domestic actresses, the one who mastered desk work to the absolute extreme was Qin Hailu. Long before cameras rolled, Qin Hailu would thoroughly digest every line and detail, planning out every single nuance so that once she stepped before the lens, she could effortlessly blow everyone away. The exact opposite was Zhou Xun—Lady Zhou was purely an actress of intuition; if she didn’t feel it in her bones, she simply couldn't perform. *Knock, knock, knock!* “Xiao Gong!” Wang Haowei’s voice came from the hallway outside. Gong Xue hurried over to open the door, asking in surprise, “Director Wang, what brings you here so late?” “A lot piled up today, and I just finished wrapping things up!” Making herself right at home, Wang Haowei stepped inside, sat down on the bed, and smiled. “I'm here to bring you good news—two pieces of it, in fact. Which one do you want to hear first?” “Good news?” Pondering for a second, Gong Xue asked in delightful anticipation, “Could it be that post-production on Romance on Mount Lu is finished?” “You really are a sharp girl! Yes, it’s completely finished. We held an internal screening today, and the studio leadership was thoroughly satisfied across the board. They gave it exceptionally high praise and couldn’t stop complimenting your performance.” “That’s wonderful! Does that mean we’ll be able to see Romance on Mount Lu in cinemas very soon?” “Well, now that we’ve vetted it internally, it still has to be submitted to various departments for censorship review. If it passes all of them, it will be forwarded to China Film. China Film organizes an exhibition screening every quarter, where representatives from regional film distribution companies come to watch the films and decide on copy purchases.” Wang Haowei explained the standard procedure and added, “We’re currently in the second quarter, so it will likely be scheduled for a third-quarter release. July would be the absolute earliest.” These buyer screenings relied entirely on the personal impressions of regional representatives, which left a tremendous margin for error. Gong Xue knew nothing of such industry intricacies; she was simply thrilled. Wang Haowei then said, “The second piece of good news concerns you directly. Studio Head Wang feels you have immense potential and wants to officially transfer you into Beijing Film Studio. What do you think?” “Ah!” Gong Xue covered her mouth, nearly losing her composure. At this stage of her life, her ultimate goal was to secure a position at a major film studio. She and her parents had originally planned to wait until Romance on Mount Lu premiered, approach Shanghai Film Studio first, and then weigh Beijing Film Studio’s offer. Who could have guessed Beijing Film Studio would make the first move? “This…” A fleeting hesitation crossed Gong Xue’s mind. She considered asking Wang Haowei for some time, but that might seem ungrateful. Discussing it with her parents? Sending letters back and forth would take days… The decisive side of her character won out—such an opportunity might never come again! She quickly said, “Thank you for thinking so highly of me. I would love to!” “Wonderful! Take me to your military unit tomorrow, and I’ll speak to your commanding officers first.” Wang Haowei was equally delighted, beaming as she said, “Xiao Gong, from now on, we’ll be colleagues. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to collaborate in the future—see, I wasn’t teasing you, was I?” “Not at all! I’ll still be relying on your guidance!” Wang Haowei soon took her leave. Basking in the joy of finally stepping onto the path of a professional film actress, Gong Xue lay in bed, her imagination running wild. Then, something unbidden crossed her mind, and she hastily pulled the quilt over her head in embarrassment. … In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. As agreed, Gong Xue sat waiting in her room, but after waiting and waiting, Wang Haowei never showed up. She waited patiently until noon, yet there was still no sign of her. Having no choice, she hurried over to the main building, but she couldn't find the director there either. A faint sense of unease immediately crept into her heart. *Did something go wrong?* She had few acquaintances at the studio. Just as she was thinking of heading over to Chen Qi to ask about it, she bumped into Zhang Jinling. “Sister Jinling, have you seen Director Wang?” “Shh!” Zhang Jinling made a shushing gesture and whispered, “Director Wang is undergoing censorship scrutiny!” “What happened?” “Who knows which bastard started cooking up wild rumors, claiming that Romance on Mount Lu promotes the ‘Four Links’ with Taiwan! When municipal leaders in charge of propaganda caught wind of it, they demanded an immediate review. Everyone is gathered in the small auditorium right now!” In 1979, the mainland had issued the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan, advocating for the establishment of postal, transportation, and trade links across the Taiwan Strait. These were officially known as the Three Links. And certainly not the crude anatomical sort. The so-called Four Links added intermarriage to the list, which ran contrary to state policy at the time! “What? Then… what should we do?” Having never encountered anything like this before, Gong Xue panicked on the spot. Zhang Jinling was equally at a loss. “I don't know either. I was just on my way to find Xiao Chen—he's well-versed in these matters.” “Let's go together, then!” The two hurried to the soundstage. Chen Qi had just finished lunch and was entertaining the group with stories, with Li Lianjie, Ji Chunhua, and the others listening intently. “Xiao Chen! Xiao Chen!” “What is it?” The two women pulled him aside and explained the situation. Unexpectedly, Chen Qi remained completely unruffled. “A screening review is standard procedure. What’s all the fuss about?” “But what if they don't approve it?” “They will. This… this whole situation is complicated, hard to explain in a few words. Bottom line is, don't worry. I’ll go sniff around for news. By the way, Sister Xue, why weren't you in class this morning?” He even mimicked Li Lianjie’s habit of calling her Sister Xue. Gong Xue glared at him—how could he still be in the mood for jokes at a time like this? “Director Wang originally arranged to take me out today. When she didn't show up, I went looking for her, and that was how I found out about all this.” As she spoke, her heart fluttered with anxiety. Would her studio transfer fall through now? Chen Qi offered a few soothing words to the two women before making his way to the doors of the small auditorium to wait for updates. *Censorship, at last!* He had finally reached this hurdle. Whenever a film touched upon sensitive subjects, the relevant government departments had to review it. For instance, content touching on women’s rights had to be reviewed by the Women’s Federation; issues involving people with disabilities were vetted by the Disabled Persons’ Federation; medical matters went to the health authorities; and anything regarding the police had to pass through public security… It was no different in the United States. In Windtalkers, for example, there was a scene where an American soldier used pliers to yank gold teeth from an enemy's corpse, and the military demanded its removal—even though it was a documented historical fact, just as American troops had historically kept the skulls of Japanese soldiers to fiddle with like pocket trinkets. With rumors claiming that Romance on Mount Lu promoted the Four Links, it was only natural that the authorities would conduct a review; there was nothing inherently wrong with that. The real danger lay in the possibility that even without any policy violations, a film might still be strangled purely by an individual official’s personal whim or prejudice.