Film classic 'Fight Club' has (after much criticism) original ending back in China

Scene from the movie Fight Club, starring actor Brad Pitt

Also in China is the ‘normal’ version of the film classic Fight Club can be seen now. The original ending of the film starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt was adapted in January on the Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video. This was widely criticized in China.

The ending of the film has now been adapted to the original closing scene, but there is still a nude scene missing from the 1999 film.

In the original closing scene of Fight Club Edward Norton’s character kills his imaginary alter ego Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt. This happens on an abandoned floor of a skyscraper, while other tall buildings explode and collapse in the background. The explosions represent an anarchist plan to overthrow the capitalist system.

However, the film version shown in China did not show the blasts. Instead, a black screen was displayed stating that the police quickly figured out “the whole plan” and had arrested all the criminals. That was the last image.

It is unclear why the final scene has now been adjusted.

Not the first time this has happened

It is unclear whether the final scene was adapted at the request of the Chinese government, but it is clear that parts of films are being adapted more often in China, both in the cinema and on streaming platforms such as Tencent Video and IQIYI.

“Popular culture in China has to meet many requirements,” sinologist Manya Koetse said earlier. “Things are quickly sensitive, for example in the field of politics, culture or sexuality. Then the authorities find it vulgar, for example.” A recent example is Bohemian Rhapsody, the film about the British band Queen in which the homosexual orientation of singer Freddy Mercury also plays a role. “In China, one or two minutes have been taken from that film,” says Koetse. “Those were scenes with drug use and men kissing.”

In China, several authorities monitor the content of films and series that come on the market. They often fall under the publicity department of the Communist Party. Scenes with homosexuality, pornography or criticism of Chinese leaders, among other things, are banned.

There are more examples of film scenes that did not (or hardly) pass the Chinese balloting committee, says Koetse. In Mission Impossible III Tom Cruise walks past a hotel in Shanghai with laundry hanging outside – “that would paint a bad picture of China”. In the Bond movie skyfall a Chinese agent is killed – “scratched, they didn’t like that”.