Chinanews client, Beijing, October 25th (Reporter Yuan Xiuyue) Looking at home and abroad, there are not a few famous directors who are "unacceptable". Recently, it is Zheng Xiaolong's turn.
The director who has directed "Desire", "Beijing People in New York", "The Golden Wedding", "Zhen Huan" and other popular domestic dramas, his new work "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" has caused controversy.
Jiang Wen, Guan Xiaotong, and Hu Jun starred, and Sophie Marceau played a special role, but the current box office is only over 18 million yuan, and the Douban score is 3.4 points.
Douban screenshot
Some netizens compared it with "Asura" and "Shanghai Fortress".
Some netizens joked with "Zhen Huan's body": "Zheng Xiaolong, the apricot blossom light rain that year, all the good things that "Zhen Huan Biography" brought to me, I have now paid off, and since then, you and I have nothing to do with each other."
Why has "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" become a bad movie among netizens?
Douban screenshot
The picture is not aesthetic?
Let's take a look at the look first, with the sweat of double ponytails and small broom bangs (Jiang Wen).
Video screenshot
Turandot (Guan Xiaotong), Princess of Yuan Dynasty wearing a white gauze skirt and blue eye shadow.
"Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" stills
Queen Marvia (Sophie Marceau) wearing a crown and a sweet smile.
Video screenshot
General Bo Yan (Hu Jun) wearing armor and a serious face.
"Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" stills
Just looking at the modeling, a sense of fragmentation arises, and it seems that the performance of a few people is not a film.
There are palace films, martial arts films, and power-conspiracy films. The collision of Chinese and Western cultures, first of all, does not seem to have reached an agreement visually.
Those who are familiar with the story of "Turandot" should know that it is known to the Chinese people, mainly due to the opera of the same name created by the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.
The opera tells the story of the princess Turandot in the Yuan Dynasty. In order to avenge the crimes committed by foreign men against his ancestors, he gave three riddles to all the different kings who came to propose. Only if the answer is correct can she marry her, otherwise she will be put to death.
The Tatar prince Karaf, who was in exile in China, was attracted by Turandot's beauty and tried to guess riddles despite opposition.
Karaf guessed the answer correctly, but Turandot regretted it.
At this time, Karaf said that if the princess guessed his name before dawn, he would rather be tortured.
Turandot seizes and tortures his father and maid Liuer, who committed suicide to protect the prince.
Liu'er's death shocked Turandot.
At dawn, Turandot did not yet know the name of Calaf. Calaf melted Turandot's indifferent heart with a kiss and told the princess his real name.
Turandot was conquered by Karaf. Not only did he not say his name, but he was also willing to marry him and called him "love".
It is such a story, which can be regarded as a typical "export to domestic sales", and it is also known as the Eastern legend in the imagination of Westerners.
"Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" poster
Magical sadomasochism + exotic legend + court plot?
But how can such an ancient story be adapted into a movie?
According to media reports, Zheng Xiaolong decided to make the "Turandot" movie 20 years ago, and has discussed the adaptation of the plot with the screenwriter Wang Xiaoping for many years.
As a result, "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" adds a magical color to the opera, and the whole film revolves around the strongest external "three-color bracelet".
Turandot did not set up the puzzle because of revenge, but was cursed by the "three-color bracelet."
Video screenshot
Turandot and the prince fall in love, but there is a genocidal feud between the two.
She didn't love him in the early stage, and he didn't love him in the later stage, and finally reached a settlement suddenly.
Because they have a common enemy, a rebellious general, he is the biggest boss in the film.
Video screenshot
The magical sadomasochism + exotic legend + court tactics, the elements are very complete, but the whole is crying for help.
The whole film is more like a cliché and illogical fairy tale. The hero and the heroine fall in love inexplicably. The audience knows that they are in love, but they cannot feel that they are in love.
The lines are also slightly bad.
The heroine asked, what color is blue?
The actor said that there is a small flower in the world that is also blue, called forget-me-not.
Video screenshot
The general somehow became the King Kong indestructible body, and somehow he rebelled. The method of rebellion was to move a bunch of explosives to the palace, but he was stolen and replaced with fireworks.
The general seemed to be stunned. He knew that only the blood of the princess could kill him, and he chased the princess all the way to fight. It was hard not to fail.
As for Jiang Wen's profuse sweat, it seems to be out of the plot, just acting as a mindless darling demon.
Video screenshot
The main creator also greedily added a bridge of fireworks to the film.
In the end, the actor traveled the world with the formula of fireworks. Many countries have learned how to make fireworks.
Some netizens commented that the whole film fell here, which was unexpected. People who didn't know thought it was a firework science promotion film.
Video screenshot
Domestic fantasy blockbuster = bad movie?
It can be seen that the main creator has given "Turandot: The Origin of the Curse" the hard work, but the effect is generally true.
In addition to the logical loopholes in the story, the aesthetic backwardness, and the rough production, in fact, what should be reflected on is what kind of "magic giant system" the audience wants to see.
Are you only pursuing technology?
Are you just watching big celebrities and actors?
Is it necessary to have realistic special effects?
Is it okay to have a grand scene?
From "Asura" starring Liang Jiahui, Carina Lau, and Wu Lei, to "The Great Wall" starring Zhang Yimou, Matt Damon, Andy Lau and other stars, as well as "Legend of the Gods" and "Journey to the West: The Great Harassment in Heaven" "Wait, domestic magical blockbusters seem to have become synonymous with "bad movies".
Why?
Not to mention the film industry system and technical issues, it is difficult to make local audiences empathize with the core of the story alone.
Instead of thinking about how to make a movie like a "blockbuster", creators should think about how to tell a good story in the magic.
(over)