By most accounts, Minamata is a pretty good movie. Its a dramatization of the story of real-life photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, who in 1971 was dispatched to the Japanese fishing village of Minamata to chronicle the impact of mercury poisoning by the Chisso Chemical Company.
What resulted was a shocking series of photographs that exposed the crime to the world, despite the company trying to block Smith at every turn. Ordinarily, this would be classic Oscar bait: a sober prestige picture about corporate greed with a heavyweight actor at the helm.
But, unfortunately for Minamata, that heavyweight actor is Johnny Depp. Depps reputation has crumbled over the last few years, particularly after the UK High Court ruled that it wasnt libelous to call him a wife-beater, promptly followed by him losing his appeal against the decision.
Minamatawas soon removed from festival schedules and director Andrew Levitas says MGM went out of their way to bury the movie in the US. Heres his letter to the studio:
In re-exposing their pain in the sharing of their story, this long marginalised community hoped for only one thing to lift history from the shadows so that other innocents would never be afflicted as they have and it seemed in that moment, with MGMs partnership, a decades-long wish was finally coming true. Now, imagine the devastation when they learned this past week, that despite an already successful global roll out, MGM had decided to bury the film (acquisitions head Mr. Sam Wollmans words) because MGM was concerned about the possibility that the personal issues of an actor in the film could reflect negatively upon them and that from MGMs perspective the victims and their families were secondary to this.
Australian photojournalist Stephen Dupont feels its particularly insulting that this story wont get the audience it deserves, saying that he enjoyed the movie, that the pain of the real-life victims of the poisoning has been ignored, and that MGM is engaged in censorship:
MGM is not just punishing Depp but everyone else, the other actors, the director, the cinematographer, writers, all those involved. Even if the allegations were true, I wouldnt change my opinion. With Depp what were talking about is a marriage breakdown, something that lots of people go through all around the world, the only difference is that theyre not celebrities. Its a sad state of censorship in a far too critical world where, god forbid, if you say or do anything the wrong way, or make a mistake, and youre crucified every which way. Lets get these things into perspective.
Its a fair point, though in my eyes theres a difference between saying something the wrong way and beating the crap out of your wife.
Anyway, theres a chance Minamata might one day get its moment in the spotlight. Depp is pinning his hopes on a titanic clash with ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022. Depp is suing Heard for $50M over a Washington Post op-ed she wrote about her experience as a victim of domestic violence. Shes filed a $100 million counterclaim, also alleging defamation and that Johnny was responsible for a social media effort to tarnish her career by getting her booted offAquaman 2.
Perhaps if Depp is vindicated in a domestic court he can begin rebuilding his reputation and Minamata will be reappraised by audiences. Though, honestly, I wouldnt get your hopes up too much.
See the rest here:
MGM Accused Of Censorship After Burying Johnny Depp's Latest Movie - We Got This Covered
- Germany thinks Facebook isnt doing enough to censor hate speech and plans to intervene - Reclaim The Net [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Why on-screen mobsters, from The Godfather to The Sopranos, are so obviously Catholic - ABC News [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- [OPINION] Pinoy BL, censorship, and problematic LGBTQ+ representation - Rappler [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Trump, Twitter, Facebook, and the Future of Online Speech - The New Yorker [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Facebook suspends disinformation network tied to staff of Brazil's Bolsonaro - Reuters [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- The Harper's 'letter' proves we need to have a serious talk about free speech - Business Insider - Business Insider [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Venezuelans defy censorship to broadcast their own news bulletins - from their balconies - FRANCE 24 [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- The Facebook boycott is illiberal. Who has the courage to oppose it? - Thehour.com [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- US Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing highlights need to review on China's censorship - Tibet Post International [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Hongkongers face a Kafkaesque reality as censors outlaw the words of protest - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- UK universities accused of censorship by complying with China - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Social Media Bans 'Highlight the Profound Censorship on Web 2.0' - CoinDesk - CoinDesk [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- How Tiktok Uses Censorship on Its "For You" Page - The Bull and Bear [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Laura Loomer and Freedom Watch request full court review of their Big Tech censorship lawsuit - Reclaim The Net [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Wendell Berry joins lawsuit to stop University of Kentucky from removing controversial mural - Courier Journal [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Gone With the Wind and the Difference Between Censorship and Context - Film School Rejects [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2020]
- Art Exhibit Hits Back at Censorship, Abductions of Dissidents - Khaosod English [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- Postal censorship - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- What Is Censorship? | American Civil Liberties Union [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- Censorship - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- Censorship is the real aim of internet Senate bill (Editorial) - masslive.com [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2020]
- Democrat Councilwoman Who Said Toms River Too White, Claims She Received Threats, Calls for Facebook Censorship - Shore News Magazine [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- The Threat to Civil Liberties Goes Way Beyond Cancel Culture - Jacobin magazine [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Self-censorship on the rise in HK - [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Bari Weiss Resigns From The New York Times, Alleging That 'Self-Censorship Has Become the Norm' - Reason [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Spare us the Twitter zealots and their pious left censorship - Sydney Morning Herald [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Why George Orwell's Quote on 'Self-Censorship' Is More Relevant Than Ever | Brad Polumbo - Foundation for Economic Education [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Idris Elba Doesn't Think Racist TV Shows, Films Should be Censored or Pulled, Should Come With Warning Instead - The Root [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Glenn Greenwald was cancelled from the Harper's Letter warning about "cancel culture" - Boing Boing [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Freedom of speech is under threat like never before and we must fight back, LEO McKINSTRY - Express [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Censorship standoff sparks concerns of Netflixs withdrawal from Turkey - Ahval [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Netflix and Turkish govt talks break down over local series with gay theme - report - Ahval [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is officially delayed on Disney+ - Winter is Coming [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Cancel culture, George Orwell and reasoned debate - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Chinese TV Regulators Appear to Increase Story Supervision - Variety [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2020]
- Love scenes that were too controversial for TV - Nicki Swift [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- It's the powerless who suffer when free speech is threatened - The Guardian [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- Progressive intellectuals Try to Stop Censorship Monster They Created - PanAm Post [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- TunnelBear Kicks Off Anti-Censorship Initiative With Free Accounts for Activists - Business Wire [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- [Webinar] #FreeSpeech: Perspectives from the UK and the US on Social Media Liability for Fake News, Damaging Content and Censorship - July 29th, 9:00... [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- Censorship in a time of coronavirus - Ynetnews [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- Artist holds his tongue in protest of pandemic censorship in China - New York Post [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2020]
- Is Metacritics New Review Decision Leaning Towards Censorship? - Fortress of Solitude [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Explained: The controversy around the Pakistani film Zindagi Tamasha - The Indian Express [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Turkey is Using Pandemic to Tighten Chokehold on Free Expression - Balkan Insight [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Netflix Cancels Production of Turkish Original If Only Over Censorship of Gay Character - Variety [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Letter to the Editor: Waltham resident calls for end to censorship - Wicked Local Waltham [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Netflix Scraps Turkish Original 'If Only' Over Censorship of Gay Character - TheWrap [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Chrissy Teigen Filmed John Legend Taking A Shower With Just Her Hand As A Censor, And Her Fans Are Living For It - Comic Sands [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- COVID-19 chaos - The Highland County Press [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- News - The Freedom to Speak and Criticize - The Heartland Institute [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Facebook and Instagram to study racial bias against African Americans, Hispanics on their platforms - Detroit Free Press [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- Chinese Artist and Activist Brother Nut Is Taking a Vow of Silence to Protest Government Censorship of Coronavirus Data - artnet News [Last Updated On: July 21st, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 21st, 2020]
- If censorship were to return, could todays writers learn from their Victorian counterparts? - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- The Daily Standard World News - The Daily Standard [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- New Poll: 62% Say the Political Climate Prevents Them from Sharing Political Views - Cato Institute [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Interview: Rep. Jody Hice on Defund the Police and Big Tech Censorship - Merion West [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Poll: 62% of Americans Say They Have Political Views They're Afraid to Share - Cato Institute [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Who The Democratic And Republican Party Censors Are, For The 'News' You See & Hear - Scoop.co.nz [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- Ellen Pao calls for more Facebook censorship, says its the right thing to do - Reclaim The Net [Last Updated On: July 22nd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 22nd, 2020]
- How a New Wave of Podcasts Is Shaking Up Chinese-Language Media - POLITICO [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Why Reforms to Section 230 Could Radically Change How You Use the Internet - NBC4 Washington [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- TikTok tries to distance itself from Beijing, but will it be enough to avoid the global blacklist? - The Conversation AU [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- Will Trump ban TikTok in the USA? - Vox.com [Last Updated On: July 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 23rd, 2020]
- We need to take back control of the internet - Spiked [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Paper Mario: The Origami King Censors The Words Human Rights And Freedom... - Happy Gamer [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Zombies, censorship, & killer giraffes: Heavy Metal reflects on making it to issue #300 - SYFY WIRE [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Call of Duty Pro Announces Break From the Game - Essentially Sports [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- What alternative social media sites are there? - Fox Business [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Why Reforms to Section 230 Could Radically Change How You Use the Internet - NBC Southern California [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Hong Kong protesters get creative with signs and slogans to skirt new security law - Euronews [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- DOJ Takes a Stance on Section 230 Reform that Could Place Additional Burdens on Online Platforms - JD Supra [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- Is Giving to Biden or Trump Grounds for Getting Fired? New Poll Finds a Disturbing Number of People Who Think It Should Be - Reason [Last Updated On: July 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 24th, 2020]
- A Nollywood film about two women in love faces an uphill battle in a country where homophobia is rampant - The Philadelphia Tribune [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- I will continue until I have no other choice: The art of bookselling under Hong Kongs national security law - Hong Kong Free Press [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- The Old Guy: On America, and celebrating, in 2020 - SILive.com [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- Yes, TikTok Really Is Spying On You For ChinaNew Report - Forbes [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- Conservative alternative to Twitter based in Henderson - Las Vegas Review-Journal [Last Updated On: July 25th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 25th, 2020]
- Dont Ban TikTok. Make an Example of It. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]
- WATCH: Jesse Watters Interviews Eric Trump About Twitter Censorship, Praises QAnon: They Uncovered A Lot of Great Stuff - Mediaite [Last Updated On: July 26th, 2020] [Originally Added On: July 26th, 2020]