China's Ministry of Culture (MOC) and the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (SARFT) have banned the Hong Kong film Brother within Chinese mainland for its bloody and negative plots.

All the audio and video products or copies of the film are illegal on the mainland, the two government departments said.

The Hong Kong produced film Brother is about the fights, thrillers and brotherhood interweaved among gangsters. It was banned by MOC and SARFT after examination for its injustice theme and too much deviation from the original play, though the filmmaker tried several times to dent the negative parts for mainland government's approval.

Some illegal VCD and DVD products of the film have been found recently in south China's Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. MOC and SARFT ask the two provinces to take firm actions to fight against the smuggling of the products.
 
(China Daily May 13, 2004)