Chinanews Client Beijing, August 27th (Reporter Ren Siyu) Recently, the movie "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" was announced to be screened. Director Zheng Xiaolong will re-direct the film after 20 years. Jiang Wen, who has not appeared on the big screen for a long time, will be in the film. He starred in "profuse sweat", his "double ponytail" shape once attracted the attention of many netizens.

　　It is reported that the creation of the film was inspired by the opera Turandot, one of the most influential works of the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. This opera has been adapted into multiple versions by Chinese and foreign directors. What is it like? charm?

Source: Screenshot of the trailer for Turandot: The Origin of the Curse.

What does Turandot talk about?

　　Have you heard "Nobody Sleeping Tonight"?

This famous tenor aria is from Turandot.

　　"Turandot" is a classic opera composed by the famous Italian composer Puccini. It tells an Eastern legend imagined by Westerners:

　　In the city of Beijing in the Yuan Dynasty, there was a beautiful but cold princess Turandot. In order to avenge the tragic death of her ancestors abducted by foreigners, she required that every foreign prince who came to propose must answer three puzzles. Put to death.

　　At this time, the Tatar prince Karaf, who had been in exile, reunited with his father Timur and his maid Liuer in the capital. He was deeply attracted by Turandot's beauty, and he came to marry regardless of everyone's opposition and answered all questions correctly.

　　The proud Turandot refused to surrender. She cheated on her father and refused to marry. At this time, Calaf said that as long as he knew his name before dawn, he would not only not marry the princess, but would also be put to death.

Data map: On the evening of October 6, 2009, Zhang Yimou's "Bird's Nest" version of "Turandot" premiered.

Photo by Du Yang issued by China News Agency

　　Therefore, Turandot ordered the whole city not to sleep, and the prince’s name was traced. The prince’s father and maid were arrested for severe interrogation, and Liu'er, the maid who admired the prince, drew a sword to protect the secret.

　　At dawn, the princess still did not know the prince’s name. In the end, Prince Calaf melted her cold heart with a strong kiss and told her identity and real name. Turandot announced to the whole city that she would marry him and announced His name is "Love" (Amora).

　　The story of "Turandot" was first seen in Persian folk tales, and was later included in the story collection "One Thousand and One Days". It was written by Italian playwright Carlo Gozi and the German poet Schiller translated it on Gozi's script. It was adapted, and in 1921, the Italian composer Puccini wrote the opera of the same name.

　　But in 1924, Puccini died of illness, his creation stayed in the second scene of the third act of Liu'er's death, after which Franco Alfano continued to write the whole play.

In 1926, "Turandot" premiered in Milan's La Scala opera house, and received great response.

　　It is worth mentioning that in addition to "Nobody Sleeps Tonight", Puccini also deliberately selected the melody of the Jiangsu folk song "Jasmine" as one of the important musical themes of "Turandot". With the spread of the opera, " "Jasmine Flower" also went to the world and became a well-known representative of Chinese music.

"Turandot" "Back to Mother's Home"

　　In the past 100 years, "Turandot" has been adapted into operas and TV dramas by many Chinese and foreign directors. The story of this princess has also experienced a "new life" in China.

　　In 1997, director Zhang Yimou was invited by the Florence Opera House to direct "Turandot". He incorporated Peking opera into this western opera, redefining the image of the jester in the play with the appearance of a harlequin of "wine, color, and wealth".

　　A year later, "Turandot" directed by Zhang Yimou was staged in front of the Taimiao Temple in Beijing. This edition brought together the world's top conductors, singers, and stage artists. Unlike the original version of the weird and gloomy tones, Zhang Yimou used gorgeous colors and grand scenes for The audience provided another perspective of interpretation and injected a new theme into the opera: love can overcome all opposition, even hatred.

　　In 2009, Zhang Yimou launched the Bird’s Nest version "Turandot" again. He added multimedia images and other presentation methods in the adaptation. In particular, I want to create a visual stimulation for young audiences." Zhang Yimou once said.

Data map: On the evening of October 6, 2009, Zhang Yimou's "Bird's Nest" version of "Turandot" premiered.

Photo by Du Yang issued by China News Agency

　　In addition, "Turandot" is also the first Western classic opera independently produced by the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The special feature of this version is the finale written by the Chinese composer Hao Weiya for Puccini-"The Last 18 Minutes".

　　At the end of the continuation, Hao Weiya wrote the aria "First Tears" for the heroine Turandot, which more delicately highlights the humane and soft inner world of this Chinese princess.

What will happen to the screen?

　　Twenty years ago, director Zheng Xiaolong also decided to make a movie of the same name in Turandot.

At that time, he said that the movie club and the opera "Turandot" are very different in content and form.

　　However, Zheng Xiaolong and screenwriter Wang Xiaoping discussed the adaptation of the plot for many years. Until one day, Wang Xiaoping suddenly thought of the key props of the "three-color bracelet". She decided to use the "three-color bracelet mystery" to deconstruct the classics and reconstruct the oriental princess Turandot. s story.

　　From the perspective of the plot, this will be a completely different version of Turandot: the Great Khanate sent troops out and accidentally brought back a tri-color bracelet. In order to save the curse-possessed daughter Turandot, Khan, Looking around for a way to break the game; Calaf, who admired each other with Princess Turandot, volunteered, but did not know that the curse was closely related to his mysterious life experience; At the same time, the bloodthirsty general wanted to seek power with the power of the tricolor bracelet...

"Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" character poster.

　　In Wang Xiaoping's view, "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" is actually a realistic movie packed in a magical skin. "We are metaphors of life through magical means."

　　However, when the trailer was released, the configuration of "Stars Gathering + Combination of Chinese and Western + Fantasy Film" still made some netizens sweat.

Can this version of "Turandot" break the "curse" of the domestically produced magical blockbuster?

It will not be announced until it is released.

(over)