The Turandot Project
The first documentary in ever that I have seen. Since this film is relevant to my interests (China, Zhang Yimou and perhaps my favorite opera) and I secretly always have wanted to see this opera in China, I console myself with seeing this documentary.
It’s a lot like I expected it, and I think I am rather forgiving that this movie just oozes of propaganda, perhaps because I expected it. But really, are they sure they want to show so much shameful footage, like the soldier who’s all like “our army is cultured” or Zhang Yimou’s “It doesn’t matter how they move, they just have to sing”? On top of that, the singers are rather bad, and the misunderstandings and bad translations are rather embarrassing, especially from the Chinese side. Uff.
Apart from that, as controversial as the production looks like to me, I actually like the looks of the production. I am a child of bombastic Chinese performances, and I think that colorful, megalomaniac beauty like from some fairytale is exactly what this opera needs. However, I am not entirely convinced that “Turandot” should be authentically Chinese looking, au contraire. “Turandot” is a Chinese princess, sure, but it clearly is no Chinese name. In fact, it’s more Persian/Middle Eastern and since names don’t matter all that much: Maybe my biggest irk with “Turandot” is that it is not a very typical Chinese story, but really does feel like a “1001 Nights” story. Also, many of its elements are allegoric and purely symbolic, as it is clearly a fictional story, a parable even. There is something disgusting about people talking about truth and authenticity, when the authenticity they talk about is the so-called Chineseness. “Turandot” is as Chinese as falafel is Israeli, and I can’t believe they get some ignorant or shady Chinese people talking about how “Turandot is originally Chinese, and now it’s performed at its original place”, ewwww. Also, there was not a single world about the real reason why “Turandot” was never performed in China before. (For those who are interested, it’s the same reason as to why “Paths of Glory” was never shown in France until 1975: “Turandot” supposedly shed a bad image on China like “Paths of Glory” did on the French army.)
In the end, I am still looking for my own perfect “Turandot”.
PS. Heavy metal is opera.