Tang Wei: Back Fom Ban

Tang Wei (湯唯) is a Chinese actress who made her controversial debut in Lust, Caution, a Chinese film directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain). The espionage thriller takes place in Shanghai during the WWII period Japanese invasion of China. Tang played the role of Wong Chia Chi, an acting student who takes on a real-life role to seduce and set up for assassination a collaborator with the Japanese. For her debut role, Tang We won a Golden Horse award for Best New Performer.

Lust Caution features some pretty explicit sex scenes between Tang and her male co-star played by veteran actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai.

The Chinese government censorship authorities apparently thought the sex scenes were too explicit (or maybe they were concerned with some of the political content of the film). To be allowed to have the film shown in Chinese theaters, director Ang Lee edited the film although the unedited version is available outside mainland China (I imagine its also available in pirated DVDs in China). After the film was released, China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television banned media outlets in China from showing anything featuring Tang Wei.  According to the Hollywood Reporter, the ban said that "All television programs, including news, features, entertainment, advertising and live broadcasts, must not cover Tang Wei or stir up issues related to her from now on."

Here's a trailer video for Lust Caution:

Since Lust Caution was released in 2007, prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it seems to me that the Chinese government may have been trying to crack down on anything controversial that could possibly tarnish the clean Olympic image China wished to convey. Tang Wei was an unfortunate scapegoat, with her Pond's skincare commercial promptly taken off the air and her role in a big-budget historical film, The Warrior and the Wolf, lost (and filled by actress Maggie Q).

The ban certainly stalled Tang Wei's promising career, but hopefully has not ended it. Tang seems to have made the best of the situation by taking acting and English language classes in London. In late 2008, she applied for a Hong Kong passport. Although Hong Kong is part of China, it is largely self-governing and is also an Asian film industry center. Tang Wei recently appeared in Beijing for the first time since her ban at a fashion show (other Chinese actreeses included the gorgeous Shu Qi and Maggie Cheung). She is also supposed to be starring in a new film, Crossing Hennessy.