Retrospective - Chinese Opera Masterpieces on Screen
The Marriage of the Fairy Princess
天仙配 Marriage of the Fairy Princess (Tian Xian Pei) de SHI Hui
(aka The Fairy Princess, The Heavenly Match)
China / 1955 / 100' / 35 mm / B&W
Screenwriter: SANG Hu
Director of Photography: LUO Congzhou
aRT dIRECTOR: HU Zhuoyun
Composer: SHI Bailin
Starring:YAN Fengying, WANG Shaofang, ZHANG Yunfeng, DING Zichen, WANG Shaomei
Huangmei Opera
Background
Huangmei Opera style is inspired by a lot of folk songs and dances originates from the provinces of Hubei and Anhui in the center of China. The first mentions of this opera can be found in 1921 in the History of Susong Region (Su Song Xian Zhi). Huangmei opera usually tells love stories. It was accompanied by gaohu, a Chinese high pitched violin. The Marriage of the Fairy Princess is inspired by the popular tale, Dong Yong Meets the Fairy found in the classic In Search for Spirits (Sou Shen Ji), a book written in the IVth century by GAN Bao, a historian of the court of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (South of China), who died around 336 AD.
The Film
The Marriage of the Fairy Princess is a milestone work in the development of Huangmei opera. It broke the box office drawing almost a hundred million viewers to the movie theaters, which made this opera style popular throughout China. The work of actors YAN Fengying and WANG Shaofang in the Marriage of the Fairy Princess is regarded as one of the "greatest acting achievements of their generation". They established the style of singing and acting of Huangmei Opera that we still see today.
Synopsis
In the Emperor Yuhuang's Paradise Palace, the youngest of the Emperor's daughters, the Seventh Fairy, by accident sees human life. She envies human freedom. She meets DONG Yong, a young man who decides to sell himself into slavery in order to pay for his father's funeral. The Seventh Fairy sees his loyalty and secretly from her father descends to Earth to marry DONG Yong. She weaves beautiful silks and sells them to liberate him. Unfortunately, the Emperor Yuhuang does not like this disobedience. He orders his daughter to return to the Paradise Palace and threatens to kill DONG Yong if she fails to follow his order. The Fairy decides to leave her husband to save him, and reveals her true identity. The Seventh Fairy returns to the Paradise Palace, and the lovers will never see each other again.
SHI Hui 石挥 (1915 -1957)
SHI Hui was born in Tianjin in 1915. He is a famous director and a great actor. In the era of the Emperor's Theater he was praised for the quality of his acting. From the beginning of the 1940s, he worked in Shanghai and acted in films like Long Live the Wife! (Tai Ti Wan Sui, 1947), Fake Phoenix (Jia Feng Xu Huang, 1947), Stand up Sisters (Jie jie mei mei zhan qi lai, 1951)... After 1945, he directs This Life of Mine (Wo zhe yi bei zi, 1950), The Letter a Feather (Ji mao xin, 1954) and The Marriage of The Fairy Princess.
Filmography
- Shi Hui 石挥(1915 -1957)
Director:
- Marriage of the Fairy Princess 天仙配 (Tian xian pei) (1955)
- The Letter With Feathers 鸡毛信 (Ji mao xin) (1954)
- A Glimpse of America 美国之窗 (Mei guo zhi chuang (1951)
- Captain Guan关连长 (Guan lian zhang) (1951)
- This Life of Mine 我这一辈子 (Wo zhe yi bei zi) (1950)
- Mother 母亲(Mu qin) (1949)
Screenwriter:
- Mother 母亲(Mu qin) (1949)
Actor:
- Loyal Partners 情长谊深 (Qing shen yi chang) (1957)
- Song Jing Shi 宋景诗 (1955)
- Captain Guan 关连长 (Guan lian zhang) (1951)
- A Glimpse of America 美国之窗 (Mei guo zhi chuang) (1951)
- Splendor 光辉灿烂 (Guang hui can lan) (1951)
- Stand up, Sisters 姐姐妹妹站起来 (Jie jie mei mei zhan qi lai) (1951)
- This Life of Mine 我这一辈子 (Wo zhe yi bei zi) (1950)
- Corrosion 腐蚀 (Fu shi) (1950)
- Spring of Peace 太平春 (Tai Ping Chun) (1950)
- Happiness and Sadness of Middle Age 哀乐中年 (Ai le zhong nian) (1949)
- Bright Day 艳阳天 (Yan yang tian) (1948)
- The inn at night 夜店 (Ye dian) (1948)
- Les Enfants du monde / Children of the World 世界儿女 (Shi jie er nu) (1941)
- Heroes in the Turbulent Days 乱世风光 (Luan shi feng guang) (1941)
- Long Live the Wife 太太万岁(Tai tai wan sui) (1947)
- Fake Phoenix 假凤虚凰 (Jia feng xu huang) (1947)
- Yan Fengying 严凤英(1930-1968)
Role: The Seventh Fairy
- Cowherd And Girl-Weaver 牛郎织女 (Niu lang zhi nu) (1963)
- Nu Fu Ma 女驸马 (1959)
- Marriage of the Fairy Princess 天仙配 (Tian xian pei) (1955)
- Wang Shaofang 王少舫 (1920-1986)
Role: Dong Yong
- Rosy Clouds 红霞万朵 (Hong xia wan duo) (1976)
- Cowherd And Girl-Weaver 牛郎织女 (Niu lang zhi nu) (1963)
- Marriage of the Fairy Princess 天仙配 (Tian xian pei) (1955)