Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, Skyfall, the third film starring Daniel Craig in the role of the British super agent, was released. Probably also in order to score points on the increasingly important Chinese market, parts of the plot are set in the Chinese metropolises Shanghai and Macao. And that's exactly what was the movie's downfall: While the predecessor A Quantum of Solace and the successor Spectre passed the censorship process without any problems or alterations, Skyfall was only released with editing requirements. In the western media, the outcry was huge. There was talk of a "heavily edited" film and an outraged audience about a "heavily censored James Bond". In fact, only half a minute is missing in the Chinese version. Censorship remains censorship, and there's nothing good about it. Nevertheless, the question may be asked why these comparatively minor interventions triggered such a media echo.

Compared was the cut Chinese DVD (without age limit) with the uncut German DVD (FSK 12 / PG-13).

4 cuts = 33.8 sec

Note:
One scene that is often mentioned is the one in which Bond discovers a tattoo on Severine's wrist. In the Chinese version, lines of dialogue in which forced prostitution in Macao is referred to have been distorted. These allegations could not be substantiated on the Chinese DVD. In the English version, the dialogues are identical to the original, both on the soundtrack and in the subtitles. The Mandarin audio and Chinese subtitles also faithfully reproduce the content of the dialogues. The only difference is that the English version refers to the "Macau sex trade", while the Chinese translation makes it "Macau Mafia". Nevertheless, the spirit of the dialogue remains intact.


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0:43:52
The assassin approaches the entrance while Bond is watching him. Meanwhile, Bond begins to take off his gloves
9.1 sec

0:44:00
The assassin shoots the security guard. He then disposes of the body. Bond continues watching. After the assassin disappears from Bond's view, he gets out of his car.
[FETTS] 17 sec

0:44:21
The end of a shot was cut away, in which the camera moves down again and you see the dead security guard.
3.9 sec

1:25:15
M is briefing Bond on Silva's past. When reference is made to the peaceful return of Hong Kong to China, threatened by Silva's hacking activities, this is missing. When M mentions the peaceful takeover again in the following sentence, it is not cut.
3.8 sec

Chinese DVD	German DVD