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MOVIE ADAPTATION of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
just finished watching the movie! and i'd have to say there are things that i didn't expect before. the story is basically similar with the book - but much much more simplified and feels fast forwarded; it's understandable considering the deep and emotional story in the book will be longer than a 2-hour movie. the unexpected thing was, there are additional characters in the movie which are not included in the book. the movie started with two bestfriends: Nina and Sophia. it was told in the movie that Sophia was the great-great-great-grand-daughter of Snow Flower, the main character in the book. it was also told how Nina and Sophia have lost contact for quite a while. until Sophia got into an accident and Nina got the see her long-lost bestfriend, who has even become her sworn sisters. along the movie, the story shifted between Nina and Sophia to Lily and Snow Flower. for me, i think the movie wanted to deliver the message of comparison between the two pairs; especially how the cast for Nina and Sophia is identical with Lily and Snow Flower. the story of Lily and Snow Flower is basically same with the book, beginning with how they became laotong and continued to grow up becoming a lady, then got married.
there are some parts in the book that are not shown in the movie. i think they skipped so many scenes in the book, because i think the focus is more towards Nina and Sophia. the movie didn't really show how women were treated back then in China. for me personally, the movie is too focused with the sworn sister relationship, and didn't get deep into the Chinese cultures and traditions. the one thing that amazed me the most from the movie, is how the main character who played Nina and Lily could be very different yet still the same person. while being Lily, her act is very feminine and lady-like; and as Nina, she's this kind of modern-successful-woman type with fluent English. same thing with the cast for Sophia/Snow Flower. and they're both really pretty too :))
i also think the movie plot is quite flat. actually the book is kind of the same, because the whole thing is like story-telling. but in the book, there are many descriptions about the feelings and emotions; while the movie didn't have those. considering i have read the book and know the details of the real story, i understood the movie well and know the emotions involved. but i'm trying to think from the point of view of people who haven't read the book and saw this movie. i think they wouldn't really grasp the idea of how important and deep the relationship of laotong is, and what they have gone through during those times. but i know it's a very difficult thing to fully transform a book into a movie, and i really appreciate the actresses beautiful effort. below is the pair comparison that i really want to show :) same people, different era; that's what this movie is about. i kind of got the idea that Nina and Sophia are the descendants of the Lily and Snow Flower pair to amend their old regrets.
overall, even though the whole movie was really gloomy and sad, and even though the movie didn't really deliver the essence of the book really well, i think it's a pretty nice movie. i guess it might be a little boring for some people because of the flat story plot and not much excitement. but i still appreciate it all the same :) love the two actresses: Bingbing Li and Gianna Jun :)
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