'Madam Butterfly' goes 3D

By Chen Boyuan: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, April 28, 2012

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"Madam Butterfly 3D" director Julian Napier meets the press explaining his ideas in presenting this film. [Chen Boyuan / China.org.cn]

Also for faithfulness, the entire soundtrack, the key of opera, was recorded by Royal Opera House's professionals who wouldn't allow any digital interference, such as changing the pitch, to the audio data. Napier noted that during the post-production process, he sometimes had to cut the pictures to fit the music and that he dumped a fairly large amount of video data for the same sake.

"Madam Butterfly" in 3D was the first of its kind to come to China, and only the second one that has ever been rendered into such a novel genre, after "Carmen" in 3D came to audiences in March last year.

Opera is traditionally regarded as a pastime for the elite only, and the general public would consider it being too intellectual and thus not for them.

In China, the situation seems no better. European operas have never been a popular form of art; its high ticket prices and unavailability in smaller cities further reduced opera's recognition among ordinary people.

Napier, whilst admitting these facts, however, believes the public would love classic opera when they can create a feeling towards it by being more in touch with it. He noted Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet" was such a phenomenal success in 1996, because "people love operas."

"Shakespeare's stories are universal. They are all about passion, love, hatred, betrayal and revenge. Those are just the daily topics of TV dramas and films that we watch today," said Napier.