Tom Cruise's performance in the sequel to “Top Gun: Maverick” is a provocation that will certainly hurt Chinese sensibilities. While challenging what appear to be Russian-made fighters, the actor wears a bomber jacket with the Taiwanese flag on his back, considered a symbol of independence by the Beijing authorities, who instead deem the island as part of their territory.
During a preview screening in Taiwan, the audience cheered as the flag appeared on Cruise's jacket clapping multiple times throughout the film . In a 2019 trailer, the flag wasn't there or didn't look well and someone wondered if it had been cut so as not to upset the Chinese censors. But when the full movie recently hit theaters, keen observers noticed that the flag was back in vogue.
The film is not currently scheduled for release in China.
Hollywood actually has a long tradition of giving in to pressure from Chinese censors , removing images and dialogue from scenes that might be considered offensive in President Xi Jinping's society, but the decision to keep the flag image on the back of Tom's jacket. Cruise, Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, suggests that someone in the movie mecca is moving on .
"Hollywood is reacting," said Chris Fenton, a former film executive, "in the market it is simply not worth it to please Chinese censors anymore."
Meanwhile, Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings Ltd pulled out of Paramount Pictures' $ 170 million production because it feared the company's affiliation to a film celebrating the US military might irritate Beijing.
(Unioneonline / vl)
