Rejuvenate after a century. Shanghai International Film Festival focuses on traditional Chinese opera films.
Original title: Fans’ Gala, Fans’ New Meal | Rejuvenating over a Hundred Years Shanghai International Film Festival focuses on traditional Chinese opera movies.
Traditional Chinese opera is a national art treasure that our people are proud of. In the film history of China, drama and film are thicker than water. In 1948, China’s first color film, Life and Death Hate, was a Peking Opera stage film. In 1954, butterfly lovers, the first color film produced by New China, was also opera film.
Traditional Chinese opera is an important source of China’s film themes in his early years, and it is also a model for artistic creation style. The film has given the opportunity to graft the traditional opera content with the brand-new media. Through video recording, the stage performance has been preserved, and the famous singers and local operas have crossed the gap of region, time and culture, entered the people and even influenced overseas.
Stills of Jingyang Bell
In 1962, the Yue Opera film Dream of Red Mansions was a masterpiece. It was a problem in itself to shoot a masterpiece in more than three hours. Fortunately, Xu Jin, the screenwriter of the drama, had profound skills, closely followed the love thread of Baodai, and her lyrics were elegant and fresh, which was quite vivid. The director connected the true and false scenes almost seamlessly and grasped the rhythm well. The performance is even better. Lin Daiyu of Wang Wenjuan, known as "Living Daiyu", is unsurpassed until today.
It has been more than a hundred years since the first China opera film was born. Today’s opera film works have better blended the artistic forms of the two. The use of 3D shooting techniques has made the performance of the opera more tense, and the classic opera has a brand-new vitality in the film, which is full of brilliance and elegance on the big screen.
Stills of The West Chamber
The 21st Shanghai International Film Festival will also focus on the future development of China’s traditional opera films. During the Jin Jue Forum, a traditional opera film forum will be held, and many experts and scholars from all over the country will gather together to discuss the development and transformation of traditional opera films. There are also many excellent opera films in the exhibition list for the audience, including the above-mentioned 1962 Yue Opera film A Dream of Red Mansions, as well as the 3D Kunqu Opera film Jingyang Bell and the 3D Yue Opera film The West Chamber, which won the Golden Maple Leaf Film Festival in Canada in 2017. These opera films in the new era, while inheriting the classics, have no lack of innovative power, and have given the old operas with modern improved aesthetics and technology.
A Dream of Red Mansions (1962)
Dream of the Red Chamber
Director: Cen Fan
Screenwriter: Xu Jin
Starring: Xu Yulan/Wang Wenjuan/Lv Ruiying/Jin Caifeng/Zhou Bao
Introduction to the film
Lin Daiyu, who lost her loving mother early, went to live in her grandmother’s Jia family and became friends with her cousin Baoyu. In the second year, Xue Baochai, who was born in a famous family and had a "great demeanor", came to Jia’s house again. Because Baoyu has a piece of Baoyu brought from the womb and Baochai has a gold lock, people say behind their backs that they are destined for each other. Baoyu and a group of sisters get along well day and night, but they are soul mates with Daiyu alone.
Jia Zheng wanted his son to become a dragon, forcing Baoyu to read eight-part essay. Baoyu and Daiyu, who despised fame and fortune, peeked at The West Chamber, which was forbidden to read, and understood each other’s thoughts. Baochai also hopes that Baoyu can concentrate on his official career and always preach to him, which makes Baoyu very disgusted. Daiyu is sensitive by nature and has many misunderstandings with Baoyu. Nevertheless, their feelings are getting deeper and deeper. However, Lady Jia and Baoyu’s mother, Mrs. Wang, don’t think much of Baodai’s feelings. In their view, Daiyu is eccentric and not as docile and sensible as Baochai, so she set up a "switch plan" to trick Baoyu into marrying Baochai …
Romance of the West Chamber 3D(2016)
The Love Story In The Western Chamber
Director: Xia Weiliang
Screenwriter: Sun Hongjiang
Starring: Fang Yafen/Qian Huili/Zhang Yongmei/Wu Qun
Introduction to the film
During the first year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty, Zhang Xun, a scholar, passed by Pujiu Temple and met Cui Yingying, the daughter of Xiangguo. When she saw her love, she borrowed the West Chamber. Just as Zhang Xun and Yingying were soul mates, Sun Feihu surrounded Pujiu Temple and forced Suo Yingying to be his wife. Cui Furen made it clear in public: Who can get rid of thieves and soldiers, is willing to match his daughter. Zhang Xun stepped forward, only to find that his wife broke the contract again.
Yingying cheated matchmaker and sent her to hand over the poem to Zhang Xun. When they met in the garden, Yingying improvised the design, reprimanded her and left. Zhang Xun became ill because of this. Yingying couldn’t bear it after all, and decided to enter the west wing at night. Soon, Cui Furen was aware of it, and the matchmaker said it truthfully, and accused the lady of breaking her promise and being ungrateful. Madam had no choice but to betroth Yingying to Zhang Xun. However, Zhang Xun was forced to go to Beijing to take the exam, and he was married in the middle and rear.
Jingyangzhong 3D(2016)
The Bell Tolls For A Dynasty
Director: Xia Weiliang
Screenwriter: Zhou Changfu
Starring: Lian/Wu Shuang
Introduction to the film
At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Jiashen, Li Zicheng soldiers were trapped in Shanxi, which matched Yanjing, the capital of Ming Dynasty. The bell rang in Jingyang, and Emperor Chongzhen summoned the ministers to discuss the matter, ordered General Li Guozhen to supervise the enemy and sent eunuch Du Xun to supervise the army. Due to the lack of soldiers and horses and Du Xun’s elbow, the army was defeated and Li Guozhen died. When Chongzhen heard the news, he wanted to order Zhou Kui, the ruler of the country, to protect the prince from fleeing, but Zhou Kui turned his back on him. Li Zicheng surrounded the capital, and Chongzhen ordered the bell of Jingyang to ring the officials, but few people responded.
Chongzhen was filled with sorrow and hate, and he made a letter to himself. At the same time, he led his family to cry and sacrifice to the ancestral temple. When the capital city was breached, Chongzhen knew that the tide was gone, and ordered the queen and princess to commit suicide and go to Jingshan alone. Looking back on the past, he felt deeply ashamed of his ancestors under the spring, and he was even more indignant: he made great efforts to govern, but Daming Jiangshan was lost in his own hands! He left a suicide note written in blood, but he hoped that Li Zicheng would not hurt the people and his body would be broken; I hope future generations can learn from Daming. Jingyang bell rings again …
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