It looks like even though Axl Rose's Chinese Democracy was finally released, the Communist Party is still totally in charge in China. By their government's decision to end the distribution of the 2d version of Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time will only be shown in a third of the 2,500 theaters it was initially released in. Granted, Cameron's 3d eye candy has already been in Chinese theaters ten days longer than the average foreign film, there still remains a market for the film as it has been become a cultural phenomena. The wildly popular epic, which has shattered Chinese box office records, even inspired a city to rename the Southern Sky Column in Zhangjiajie after the Hallelujah Mountains featured in the film.
So why would the Chinese government require cinemas to stop showing such a successful movie? They feared the American film would hinder the sales of the state-backed production Confucius, which was hoped to have the largest grossing release in the nation's history. However, the consumers responded with mediocre reviews and underwhelming box office numbers.
Whether this was an act of protest by the people or simply a testament to a sub par film, the Chinese film industry, even if they want to protect their domestic films, should have taken some notes in their Economics classes and possibly even take a look at the success of the film industry of capitalist nations. Quite simply, your 800 theaters with 3d capacity won't support your population of one billion, and when a movie is in high demand, you're only hurting the smaller theaters owners by forcing them to show your average government financed film. By ignoring the market's preference, a lot of money was lost for the hard working theater owners that drive your film industry. Maybe even more important to consider, is how this decision affects the morale of your citizens.
Sparked by globalization and the spread of ideas through the Internet (despite China's efforts to censor the web), it seems like just a matter of time before the one billion man revolution begins as the Chinese people get a taste for democracy and decide to over through their government in favor on one a state by the people for the people that echoes the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
For more information on Avatar's success, check out projections.
Well this is both stunning and predictable at the same time. Since when has China really followed a set of rules when it comes to freedom of press and freedom of speech? With the popularity of the movie, I'm sure they will be forced to stop this nonsense. I also think that this sort of story generates little sympathy for China in light of the government denying a role in the Gmail hacking attempts. Motives aside, I'm glad Google is sending a message to the country. However, it will be a very long time before the people are motivated enough to act.
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