FILM / Rushes

Madonna fans less than thrilled by the prospect of the forthcoming A League of Their Own will be glad to hear that their heroine is back on more familiar territory with her next celluloid offering. The 'erotic thriller' Body of Evidence, which opens in the USA in January, has not yet been shown to the critics. It has, however, been seen by the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America, who recoiled in horror at a scene in which the star literally loves her partner to death, giving the film an adults- only 'NC-17' rating, the cinematic kiss of death.

Though an adults-only rating may not sound so scandalous to British ears - '18' certificates are commonplace over here - the commercial reality is that many American newspapers refuse to carry advertising for NC-17 films and many cinemas refuse to show them. In fact, no film featuring a major star has been released in the States with an NC-17 rating (unless you bend the term 'major' to include Fred Ward and Uma Thurman in Henry & June) since the category was introduced two years ago. Even the supposedly risque Basic Instinct was promptly pruned when threatened with an NC-17 rating.

Instead of reaching for the scissors, the film-makers say they will stand their ground. The executive producer Steven Deutsch declared that he and the director Uli Edel are 'not anxious' to make any changes, arguing that no previous NC-17 rated film has featured 'the most famous woman in the world as its star'. Whether he will still be saying that as the release date approaches is anyone's guess. Meanwhile, Body of Evidence looks to be shaping up as a dangerous marketing experiment.

China showed signs of lightening up this week, as laudatory reviews appeared in official newspapers of Qiu Ju Goes to Court, the latest film from Zhang Yimou, whose work was for many years banned in his home country. 'Artistic and enjoyable', said the Beijing Daily. 'Faultless', cried Shanghai's Wen Hui Bao. The same newspapers had until recently failed to register the international success of Yimou's Ju Dou (China's first Oscar-nominated film) and Raise the Red Lantern.