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| Cover of a Painted Skin illustrated booklet based on PU Songling's story, photo credit: www.mtime.com |
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| A film still from Painted Skin II (2012), photo credit: www.mtime.com |
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Painted Skin response
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ReplyDeleteThe most interesting change in the later adaptions to me would be the humanization of the painted demon. In the 1993 adaptation, the demon was a female ghost who had been prevented from ascending to hell by the king of yin and yang. This back-story evoked sympathy from audiences instead of disgust and fear like in the original tale. The demon in this version also didn’t want to eat any human hearts and did not kill the husband. This humanization was also present to an extent in the 2008 version. Even though the demon in this version wanted to eat human hearts, she fell in love with Wang and wouldn’t eat his heart. This act of love made her human in a sense and created some sympathy for her. Up until the Daoist priest giving Wang the whisk to ward off the demon, the 1993 adaptation was pretty true to the original story. The battle with the Daoist priests and the king of yin and yang for the last hour of the movie really took me by surprise. It seemed like the movie was more about the kung fu battles than the portrayal of the painted lady tale. The 2008 adaptation was more about the multiple love triangles between the characters. I thought it was interesting how they adapted a scary story about a demon into a story about unrequited love between almost all the characters.
ReplyDeleteThe elements in the original story that I find the most capable of making the original tale popular in modern times are the sex appeal, horror, and mysticism. The story begins with a young scholar finding “a girl of about sixteen, [who was] very beautiful” and taking her home to be his concubine. Finding a mysterious and beautiful young damsel in distress has a lot of sex appeal. This young girl turns into “a green-faced monster, a ghoul with great jagged teeth like a saw.” This element of surprise and horror has a lot of appeal to audiences. People are intrigued by mystery and enjoy being scared. Another element would be the Daoist mysticism and magic. The dirty priest was able to bring Wang back to life using his phlegm. People are always interested in the supernatural.
I agree that the mysterious and supernatural gather a lot of interest from viewers and readers. Even the original story contains these elements through the Taoist priest character and the presence of a demon among humans.
DeleteI agree with you on the later adaptions of making the demon more human. The movies made it seem like the demon was a person and not what they portrayed it as in the story.
DeleteI agree with your idea. Humanization of the demon is really the most ingenious change of the movie versions. As a Chinese, it is interesting for me to know that Daoist is regarded as mysterious and appealing which is considered more as superstitious for me :)
DeleteIn the original story, it is a horrific story, an impassive evil with green-faced and great jagged teeth like a saw, leaning over a human pelt. I agree with you that the most ingenious change is the demon’s emotional changes and it makes people to create some sympathy for her.
DeleteI also agree that the most interesting change occurs with the demon characterization. The newer movies seem to completely strip the plot of the horror devices. The 2008 movie has the demon fall in love with the husband. Audiences instead might feel sympathy for the cursed demon.
DeleteI think its really hard to say what makes this story so popular in contemporary times, but there is definitely some kind of mystic appeal to this story. All of the elements of the story somehow come together just right to produce a sexy, yet chilling, yet ultimately motivational story. I think the main mover of the story though is the implied emphasis on lust, sex and also in a sense, sexual predation. This is evident in the first paragraph on pg.126 where Wang meets the girl for the first time and implores her to stay at his house; to the reader it is obvious what Wang has in mind, which is subsequently confirmed on pg. 127 where they end up sleeping together. (presumably his wife was ok with this?) The ironic thing though is that later on, the "predator" (wang) becomes the "prey".
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the china beat review it does make me wonder if the direction that the 2008 movie took was the most correct expression of the original story. At the same time, I believe that when you take an ancient story like this and change it into a movie, some things are lost, and some things are gained. Above all, I feel that the story of the painted skin as it is, has tremendous potential as a horror film. That being said, I rather enjoyed the 2008 execution of the painted skin story as well. From reading the review my expections were low, but after having actually seen the movie I was quite pleased with it, even though its not a conventional horror film, it really doesn't need to be, it achieves proficiency entirely independent of what we think of as a conventional horror film. I felt that the 2008 version (as well as 2012 version) was able to masterfully combine action and romantic themes with a thin veneer of horror that ended up being extremely entertaining.
One thing I really like about this story is how it capitalizes on the theme of moral ambiguity and its potential for good. The overall impression I get from this story and its subsequent retellings is that in order to conquer evil, one must possess some evil/be familiar with evil itself. This is seen with how the monks must be familiar with the underworld in order to combat demons. This is in my opinion a very fascinating archetypal concept.
I found your point about the need to be familiar with evil in order to successfully conquer it to be very interesting. You brought to my attention a perspective of the story that I hadn't considered before. In retrospect I see that this is an important concept that is integral to the story--and to think I completely overlooked it.
DeleteI deleted my response and add something to it because you mention its hard to tell what makes it popular, I think there are two reason, 1, the actor, they are all famous in China. 2, the story is famous, even the director has re-orgnized it.
DeleteI too believe that this story has potential to be a horror movie as well. I also believe that this story could go out to be a love story as well between the wife and husband and the sacrifice she made to get her husband back alive.
DeleteI agree with you and Curtiss that this film has the ability to be a great horror story like the original story but I actually like it better the way they did it because I would rather see a tortured character demon that I can relate to a bit rather than just a heart stealing demon that is evil for the sake of being evil. Those types of movies are a dime a dozen but I like the idea of a demon who just wants to be loved and seeks out that love but in order to live has to kill. Both are interesting adaptions but I did enjoy the 2012 version better.
DeleteI like how you pointed out that to conquer evil, one must be familiar with it. It leads me to think about the characters' backgrounds more than I would have otherwise.
DeleteThe element in the original story that I find most capable of “making it popular” in contemporary times is some people blind themselves to the truth but only see the outward appearance. “But he could not bring himself to believe that such a pretty young thing could have cast an evil spell on him.” (P. 127, Pu) Wang Sheng regarded the evil as a pretty woman and was blinded by the evil’s beautiful appearance. When the Taoist told Wang Sheng the pretty is an evil, he didn’t believe that. Finally, “She tore open Wang’s chest, plucked out his heart and made off with it into the night” (129, Pu) Wang Sheng focused on the “young woman’s” pretty appearance and ignored his wife Chen Shi, but finally the “young woman” killed him and his wife endured humiliation to save him. I think it is another important point for the contemporary times, the “young woman” can be viewed as the “third woman” in today’s society in China. In China, people always think the “third woman” is bad for the family and ambitious for money or other benefits while the wife is loyalty.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the most ingenious change from the original story to the later adaptations is the evil’s emotional changes. In Pu Songling’s original story, the “young woman” is just an impersonal evil, but for the later adaptations, the evil has kind soul and emotional. Those adaptations are more like a complicate love triangle. For example, in the 2008 adaptation, the evil Xiao Wei fell in love with Wang Sheng and finally she sacrificed herself to save Wang Sheng and his wife. Even those adaptations “lost” the spiritual core of the original story which focus on the truth under the appearance, I think those adaptations are good and successful. Another interesting thing for me is the Painted Skin has many similar points to the White Snake Woman. Both of them have a banshee companied with another evil, a role that has responsibility to eliminate the evils, an ordinary person and affective factors between the evil spirit and ordinary person.
I also thought the similarities between the White Snake and the demon of the Painted Skin were interesting. I think the similarities between the two are what make them both popular today.
DeleteI liked your point of being blinded by beauty and I agree that would make this story popular. I also thought the emotional changes of the demon were the most ingenious change. It's interesting how the later adaptations try to evoke sympathy for the demon instead of the original fear and disgust.
DeleteI liked your portrayal of how "some people blind themselves to the truth but only see the outward appearance." This makes me think of the story about Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and how she cross-dressed to portray something that she was not.
DeleteI like your idea that the taste of the story changed from moral teaching that a man should be loyal to his wife and be cautious of the seduction of pretty women into a combination of love, humanity and mysticism.
DeleteI agree with what you are saying about people only looking skin deep and not taking into account what could be lying underneath. I feel like that's the main theme of the Painted Skin.
DeleteI think the most interesting change that the Painted Skin movies adapted was the act of blurring the lines between good and evil—good is evil, evil becomes good (Illuminated Lantern). In Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio the demon is clearly evil while the priest is clearly good. In contrast, the three movies chose to humanize the demon while also portraying her in a less villainous light. The demon’s sole intent isn’t to munch on hearts and kill humans; rather she wants to experience what it feels like to be human. The movies create a demon that, instead of being an object of hate and terror, becomes someone to pity and feel compassion for. I really like the 2012 adaption’s portrayal of the relationship between the demon and the princess. This version twisted the roles of good and evil in an interesting fashion. I felt like relationship removed the fox demon from the category of villain by emphasizing the demon’s human qualities while also showing her to be more of a victim.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest reason this tale is so popular in contemporary times is simple—sex is in style. The reason the 2012 version blew the 2008 version out of the water was (in part) because of the massive amounts on homoeroticism portrayed in the newer version. The original story itself is already set up for contemporary popularity simply because it revolves around a demon seductress. While I think the sex appeal is the biggest factor in the Painted Skin’s popularity, there are two more elements that I feel contribute to the creation of its popularity. The article by Haiyan Lee touches on these elements albeit as a criticism—a sodden romance spruced up with some martial arts fight scenes. Like sex, romance and action are extremely popular in modern society. The great thing about the Painted Skin, just like the story of the Butterfly Lovers and White Snake, is that the story can be reinterpreted, molded, and transformed with society. Elements that are held important in contemporary times are reflected in the story. To me, this phenomenon does not diminish the story in the least; rather it enriches it and acts as a mirror to reflect the society that reinterprets it.
I also thought it was interesting that the later versions victimized the demon and blurred the lines between good and evil. The sex appeal definitely played a pivotal role in making this tale popular.
Deleteyea and Lee recognized the those blurred lines of good and evil in his review of the 2008 version as well. "The demon is not a figure of existential enigma or radical evil… it does not radically call into question our humanity or fundamental cosmic justice."
DeleteI think your opinion about the switch of the good and devil is really interesting.
DeleteThe popularity of Painted Skin may be due to possessing several interesting literary and theatrical elements, as well as many strategic "selling points" in cinematic versions. First, the story is interesting because it hails ancient, mythical China through Taoist and demonic (otherworldly) imagery. Lee references this in the blog saying "the Party-State and modernizing elites who thought they could turn qigong into a “Chinese science” by disembedding it from the web of folk religious beliefs and practices." The blogger goes on to state the significance of Painted skin being in its ability to "smuggle into our world alternative values and visions of the world."
ReplyDeleteTo amplify and support Lee's thoughts, a major difference in Pu Songling's written story and all of the cinematic renditions is depth and back-story for the demon herself. This gives the supposed villain and avenue of empathy from the audience. Lee says "the demon is not a figure of existential enigma or radical evil… it does not radically call into question our humanity or fundamental cosmic justice." And this becomes less abated with Painted Skin 2 where the woman-general empathizes enough with the demon to willfully switch skins.
What has remained the same since Pu's story is the demon's seduction, although this has been increasingly capitalized on, with loud overtones of sexuality and sexual content shown in the 2012 version.
I really agree that you mentioned “the story is interesting because it hails ancient, mythical China through Taoist and demonic (otherworldly) imagery.” Because now, many people in China still believe in Taoism and the existence of supernatural beings like all sorts of evil-doers and immoratals.
DeleteI believe the popularity of the Painted Skin is due to the fluid and invigorating cinematic executions that captures the audience. I feel it is important to recognize how important the musical composition theme that is solely for the fox demon spirit has a physical effect on the audience. When the music plays your heart beat becomes in sync with the cinema. It is stated that the demon fox'c character "is not a figure of existential enigma or radical evil...it does not radically call into question our humanity or fundamental cosmic justice." This change from the written version of the demon fox creates a world of mysticism and optimism. We as the viewers are not compelled to choose whether we side with the character of the demon fox or not because we "understand" the feeling of wanting to be in someone else's shoes. The compelling change of the fox demon creates the non-traditional good versus evil where the intentions are almost predictable.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely draws into question how divided are we as an audience to view this from an educational standpoint to appreciate the cultural importance or for entertainment purposes where we as consumers "get our money's worth." I find it is a little bit of both because I watched the 2012 version before even considering the cultural value of modern China. The cinematic enhancements of this version is what made me enthralled with the story line. The clip we viewed in class made me feel the same fast pace heartbeat even though I had seen it before. To me, the cinematic elements added great value that left an emotional impact on how viewers will respond to the fluidity of the film.
I agree with your view on how music influences your opinion of the film. It influences how your body reacts to what you are watching, and sometimes it makes you feel more compassionate towards one character in regards to the other.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I would like to talk about the story itself. It is from Pu Songling's novel(it is the fiction novel during that time period). It is a story that talks about a fox demon turnning into human body, which is a young beautiful girl, and she goes around and eat men`s hearts, and finally the demon got caught by a taoist. I found the story similar to the story of White Snake. However, Painted Skin is not a romantic story, it is scary.
ReplyDeleteI have also watched the movie Painted Skin, it uses the same name, however, the story is totally different, some older people in China think the movie is all nonsence,but in my opinion, it is a great re-orgization, it adapts the main line of the story which is the demon goes around and eat men's heart, but in the movie, the demon falls in love with the guy who saved her from the bad guys, it is a movie, I think the director did a great job on shooting something new and interesting, I was impressed by the movie. The beautiful pictures that the director uses in the movie attracts me first, seas, mountains, fighting scenes, and also the sound, for example, in the clip that was shown in class, when the general saving the girl(demon) and put her on the horse, we can hear the heartbeats, because, we all know what the demon is going to do next after watching the previous scene, she is going to eat his heart, I think it is a great lead-in.
And the reason why the movie is so popular in China, I think is because the actors and the actresses in the movie, they were all famous Chinese actors, and also the movie is based on an old CHinese story.
I also like the movie picture, the picture is grand and beautiful, let a person be personally on the scene.
DeleteThe opinion of good versus evil plays a big part in this story, such as the young girl who appeared to be beautiful on the outside, and a dark specimen on the inside. The short story, “Painted Skin” was very creepy and it focused more on the horrific nature of the demon-like figure, instead of the beautiful woman. While more recent adaptions of this story focus more on the female seductress, and her sexuality, which is a prominent topic in today’s culture. The original “Painted Skin” version from 1965 was “banned after rumors began to circulate about its lethal impact on the faint-hearted” (China Beat Review). This sentence shows that the older versions of this story seemed to focus more on the creepy, horrifying aspects. Meanwhile, the 2008 and 2012 adaptions focused more on the sexuality of the woman, and her seduction. The elements that make the newer adaptions so accepting and prominent are that they focus on the female. Showcasing that a beautiful woman is also a dark creature is intriguing. Women are always portrayed as a sexual being in modern culture, so a horror film that can display that aspect makes it more popular.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessments, the 2008 and 2012 version were definitely a more sexual reinterpretation of the original story. As for the 1993 version, I'm not even quite sure where to place it. I felt like out of all three versions though, the 2008 version did the most justice to the original stories, I felt like the 1993 and 2012 versions lost the essence of the original story of the painted skin.
DeleteThe reason I think that “The Painted Skin” story is so popular in contemporary times is because of the genre of the story. After reading the story, to me this story appears to be kind of a horror story. It is not the scariest story I have read, but it has the demonic figure in the story. The story describes the monster as “a green-faced monster, a ghoul with great jagged teeth like a saw, leaning over a human pelt, the skin of an entire human body, spread on the bed” (pg.127). It also has some scary moments like when Wang heard something outside but was too scared to look for himself so he had his wife do it. As described in the story, it was a girl that was grinding her teeth and later left but came back later in the night. “She tore down the fly-whisk and ripped it to pieces, then broke down the door and burst into the bedroom. Climbing straight up on the bed, she tore open Wang’s chest, plucked out his heart” (pg. 129). This resembles the horror part of the story. This story also uses the demonic demon versus the priest. As it says “The priest thought to scare me! I’ll never give up!” (pg.129). Most horror stories these days have to deal with demons and priests trying to kill of the demons. Another reason this story could be so popular are the sexual parts. In the beginning Wang takes the fugitive in and sleeps with her.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the 2012 version of the “The Painted Skin”, I thought of it differently than I did when I read the story. When I read the story, I expected more of a horror story than a love, romantic story. The way the story portrayed itself made it seem that it would be a horror story. To me, whenever you put a demonic figure and priest in a story, it most likely is a horror story. The 2012 version to me seemed to focus more on the sexuality aspect of the story. Even though it was not what I was expecting, I still thought that the movie was excellent. There was a lot of action that went on during the movie, which I also another reason why I believe that the movie is very popular.
I really enjoyed the second film actually more than the original story or the first movie. I guess I am just a sucker for love triangle's or tragic love stories. I liked that the two females felt so strongly about the other's lives that they wanted to switch. Because after all, don't we all want to be someone else at some point. To experience their love or pain? I really enjoyed that aspect of the movie rather than the horror part which to me was extremely tame.
DeleteI was also fascinated with the approach of how the 2012 version of the film portrayed the demon fox. It really focused on the sexuality and more human elements of the demon. I wonder if the audience would think of it being cliche if the movie portrayed the typical good vs evil instead of this new approach?
DeleteI think the 2012 version of the movie was interesting to say the least, although to nitpick a little bit, I did think it stole too much thematically speaking from the movie 300. This made it hard for me to enjoy it as much as I would have otherwise.
DeleteI also found it odd that the horror element was only one scene in the first movie and relatively absent in the second. It seems as if the writers just borrowed the plot of the white snake with different characters.
DeleteYou mentioned the action which I think is important in modern adaptations because it is something that draws modern audiences.
DeleteI also expected the films to be a little more closely resembling the written version, and was surprised to see that the movies were not as scary as the reading had me anticipating, but was rather more focused on the themes of love and sexuality.
DeleteI really enjoyed this story and the movies and thought that it really is a great story of wanting something you can't have and loving someone who is not capable or able to love you back. It really is another tale as old as time. The pain of loving someone and not being loved in return or the grass is always greener on the other side type of story. The original story really had me not liking the demon at all and instead feeling very sorry for the man and wife who took her in. The later adaptations gave a little bit more to the fox demon and made you feel sorry for her and relate to her more. I like that they changed the story to that of tragic love triangle rather than just heart stealing demon in the original story.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the second film, Resurrection, because of the two female characters desire for a different life. There have been many times in every person's life where they wish they could actually walk around in some one else's skin to see what their life is like. This really hit home with me because we always tend to look at the grass as being greener on the other side and don't realize that each person has their own demons and changing into them won't make our own problems go away. So to me this was an interesting change on the story. Rather than being just an evil demon, the demon wants to be a woman and to be loved for once. In the review the author touches on this a little when stating that there are really no heroes in the story, just characters. I actually rather enjoyed that concept more than having one hero but really only having real characters with relateable issues. I really enjoyed both of these films and the original story.
I agree with you that the change on the personality of the demon is one of the most great of the later adaptations. It is more appealing to the audience that the demon seeks for true love rather than being evil killing people.
DeleteThe two desires of the female characters is what was most compelling about the stories. We see a fox demon that could be described as a monster who wants the simplest human characteristics such as the ability to smell. The princess who has a kingdom is compelled to throw her own body away for the un-devoted affection of a man really shows a reflection of how we perceive ourselves and modern popular culture.
DeleteI agree with what the previous people have commented. Making the fox spirit have more of a personality and a story changed the story and make it a lot more appealing to the audience and to me, made the story a lot more interesting.
DeleteThe most ingenious change that I got from later adaptations of 1993, 2008, and then 2012 is the increase of detail, personality that was given to all the characters and the way it is modernized each time. Reading the short story of “Painted Skin” and having watched the clips and read the later stories it has really evolved to be able to stay modern. Each time the story is given more life and entertainment than the original and what is so fascinating is that the underlying story is still present in all of them, only exaggerated. We discusses in previous weeks to meaning of culture and the development and change of the “White Snack” tale as generations pass and I think the same can apply here. A simple story can be elaborated and given personalities that fit and entertain the intended audience at the time. For instance on pg.127 Wang confided in his wife of the woman that he was hiding in his office and when his wife had concerns and asked him to get rid of her, he ignored her. Where as in the 2008 version, in the article “Painted Skin: To Scare of Not to Scare?” in the tenth paragraph describes how devoted the hero was ‘fiercely loyal’ to his wife even if he was bewitched by the fox spirit shows the change in what was acceptable during those times. In the short story the ghoul was just perceived to be this hideous and awful creature that murdered a man by stealing his heart whereas in the 2012 version the fox spirit was humanized and even though she ate the hearts of men but her desire for love through the story makes the viewers “almost willing to forgive her ghastly alimentary habit.”
ReplyDeleteThe elements that make this story so adaptable to any generation is that the plot of the story is able to entertain viewers of all ages but also leaves room for it expand and grow. The original story gives the characters enough characteristics where anyone can really relate and understand them but also where each director can add their own twist to it. The fictional and magic qualities of the story will always make it luring to viewers but it’s the different meanings that make it a classic and able to be remade time after time. The scene of the fox spirit skinning the woman warrior and how she “will be the most beautiful woman and men will do anything and say anything to be with her,” gives rise to the question, beauty at what cost?
Totally agree with why you think it is adaptable to audiences past and present.
DeleteThe original painted skin still holds value in modern Chinese culture because of the femme fatale and love story themes. While he later editions are not focused on horror, I find the later edition movies to better the story in that they add the dynamic the wife knowing the demon and the two being in conflict (Film 2008) and or working together (Film 2012). I find the films to be enjoyable for the main themes of exploring the boundaries between life and death, the nature of identity, and the trustworthiness of the senses (illuminated lantern). But I would say that the huge popular of the two most recent films stem from the star studded cast, the flashy 3D special effects and the mix of martial arts rather than the plot of the story or the thematic elements.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason this story is so popular is because of its use of themes that people find interesting such as being “scary” or because of its sex appeal. The sex appeal is something that can be adapted to make a popular story in modern times. On the scary movie aspect, it uses vivid imagery to make it attractive to viewers/readers. It also uses the mystical aspect to create vivid imagery that has remained appealing throughout the years. “She felt the lump of phlegm rising in her gullet and brought it up, so suddenly that she had no time to turn away, but spat it directly into the gaping wound in her husband’s chest. She stared aghast: the phlegm had become a human heart and lay there throbbing, hot and steaming.” The movies did a great job taking these elements and using them to their advantage by making them sexually appealing. They also made adaptations to make them more appealing by the use of cinematography to make fight scenes appealing for modern viewers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your view on the seduction playing a big part for the role of the fox spirit and how it appeals more to the viewers and the current generation.
DeleteI agree with what you're saying about the story being popular with people because of the "scary" or "sexual" themes. It's quite disgusting that they used that certain aspect of the story to portray "sex appeal", but i agree with you nonetheless.
DeleteThis story was a very interesting read. I think the reason that this story is so famous in contemporary times is because of the out of ordinary plot. The Painted Skin had a very unique story. I was intrigued by the ending of the story. In a weird sort of way this story could be looked at as twisted love story. The reason I say this is because of the wife's determination to bring her husband back to life. Even though she had to do awful and repulsive things in order to resurrect him she managed it all and in the end that was made her husband come back to life.
ReplyDeleteThe "Don't judge a book by their cover" saying came to my mind while reading this story. The lady introduced at the beginning of the story was the reason i thought this. She was looked at as a very innocent figure at the start, but then you learn that there is more than meets the eye. The fact that she was actually a monster was quite terrifying because of the fact that she looked like a normal and kind woman. Overall the story was a very interesting one and I enjoyed reading the Painted Skin.
Both the 2008 and the 2012 films of the Painted Skin appeared to be set in older times, yet the technology and special effects used throughout them, such as the freezing in the opening scenes of the 2012 film, out of body/spirit-like effects in the exchanging of skin scene and the sound effects in both films provided an appealing contrast to this, somehow making the characters seem a little less distant. In the earlier version of the story though, much more is left to the reader's own imagination, which may actually appeal more to certain audiences rather than having it all laid out for them. I think that the popularity of the story is in part due to its similarities to the White Snake tale, the fact that the characters are played by well known actors and actresses and the overall feeling of suspense felt throughout all the versions of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of a demon in disguise (usually as a beautiful seductress), matched with somebody trying to get rid of this evil spirit (usually portrayed as a monk or a priest) and a third person who falls in love with the seductress (demon in disguise), is as common in modern Chinese stories as vampires and superheroes are in Western stories. I also find it interesting that the directors of the Painted Skin films were able to get away with producing the films without censorship just by turning them into a love story with a good ending. What would have been banned from screening in China because it would have "crossed over into the forbidden terrain of 'cults' and 'superstitions'", according to the blog post by Haiyan Lee, had been saved by adding a romantic factor.
The most ingenious change in the later adaptation in my opinion is on the personality of the demon. In the old story, the demon is a cruel green-faced monster (p.127) mercilessly tore Wang’s chest and plucked his heart (p.129). But in the 1993 adaptation, it turned to be a helpless ghost persecuted by the king of Yin-Yang seeking for a way to go to the Yin kingdom. Moreover, in the 2008 adaptation, the demon perused true love being a third part of a triangle love and refused to eat her love’s heart. It is more appealing to the audience that the protagonist, although a demon, is potentially kind. Although she has to eat human heart for keeping her skin fresh, the demon still easily obtains the audience’s sympathy.
ReplyDeleteThe key elements of the old story which make it popular are sexual appealing, horror, mysticism and loyalty between husband and wife which in my opinion is the theme of the story. In the beginning of the story, Wang bumped into a girl who is about sixteen and very beautiful (p.126), which arouses the interest of readers. The pretty actresses Wang Zuxian in the 1993 version and Zhou Xun in the 2008 version acting as an attractive demon is also a reason for the audience to step into the movie theater. In the 2008 version, the demon changed into a fox which makes Chinese audience automatically connect it with a charming young girl. Horror is another key element for the story being popular and made into movies. The demon taking off its skin and painting it (p.127) is an important scene in both of the advertising videos of the 2008 and 2012 versions. Eating human heart (p.129) is developed into a necessity of keeping the skin fresh in the 2008 version. The magic power of the demon and Daoist is an everlasting element of Chinese historical movies. It is also appealing to western audience as the Eastern Fantasy. The loyalty between husband and wife is not shown in the 1993 version, but it is magnified in the 2008 version.
I also think that the role of Xun Zhou, not only to bring the audience a terrorist, more let a person feel sympathy for this role.
DeleteIn fact, I think that Pu Songling's story is a terrorist. In his story, he describes a woman, with her beauty to seduce others, and then she will get someone's heart. I think this is a very scary story, in China, Pu Songling's story was identified as the horror fiction, and not everyone can dare to watch the story.
ReplyDeleteI have watched the second works of Painted Skin; in fact, I cannot distinguish in the story who is good or who is bad. I think of each of the roles in the story has its own different purposes, so it promoted the development of the story. In the second part of the painted, Wei hopes to get the heart of the princess, because she did not want to be frozen. The princess wanted Wei’s looks, because she wanted to be together with master. After watching this movie, I think they are not wrong, they have different goals, and they can achieve their wishes. I think this film, not only to convey the terrorist elements to the audience, the movie also convey a desire. Everyone does everything for a purpose, so we can't judge what is good and what bad purpose is.