Staying resolute to our principles

When Charlie Chaplin's 1947 film Monsieur Verdoux premiered in the United States, it was poorly received. Religious organizations and the American Legion blasted it and applied pressure on movie theaters, saying it ran "counter to ethics". The United States, where McCarthyism was about to take hold, "banished" Chaplin.

Twenty years later, Chaplin returned to the US to attend an Oscar ceremony to accept an honorary award. The gesture was a kind of apology by Hollywood for failing to honor this outstanding movie figure and to protect freedom of expression.

Over the past several weeks, five movie theaters in Tokyo and Osaka decided to cancel the screening of the documentary Yasukuni by Chinese director Li Ying. They say the decision was made out of concern about potential harassment and problems for audiences.