Violence in The Departed not 'suitable for Chinese viewers'

A week ago, we told you about The Departed's bad odds for finding its way into Chinese theaters — censors, reportedly, didn't like a plotline that had Chinese government officials (or people working for government officials) trying to purchase advanced military computer hardware. Well, now we learn that "[d]istributors for Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated crime thriller The Departed are negotiating with Chinese censors to edit out some of the politically sensitive scenes." But wait, SARFT is saying its primary problem with the movie is violence:

"Our censors decided not to approve the film's distribution mainly because the content would not be suitable for Chinese viewers. It's very bloody and violent. It'd be difficult to edit all those violent scenes out," said a spokesman at the film bureau under the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, the industry authority, "We don't have a rating system to protect young people from viewing the film."

The spokesman added that, "There are also other concerns. This military procurement plot involving the government, of course, is not appropriate for the domestic market."

In other news, Casino Royale — the movie that features a new James Bond that some reviewers say is "brutal, violent, gritty, a cold-blooded killer" — opens in Chinese theaters on Jan. 28.