Watch Kids' Reviews of
STORY OF THE OPERA, THE

The Story of the Opera offers a great window into Chinese culture on so many levels. The story unfolds slowly to reveal life in the countryside of China and how Chinese teachers and students conduct themselves. I like the characterization of the protagonist and the antagonist. I enjoyed the chanting and poems and, despite the bad behavior from jealous girls (part of the character arc) and some of the teacher's misguided techniques of teaching, the film is very good! This film is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

The storyline follows a teacher and her students who are learning poems, intonations and songs from the Chinese opera. Competition is encouraged and therefore inspires a bit of jealousy among students, leading to some bullying and hurt feelings. The story is very gentle by American bullying standards and viewers will be sympathetic to all of the characters!

One thing that I find a little disturbing (as a teacher myself) is the way that the teacher always points out who was 'the best' singer. This aggravates jealousy, which in turn leads to bad behavior by some of the less advanced children. The cinematography shows the beautiful landscapes of the Chinese countryside, and close-ups of the faces of all of the characters. It is undramatic, but a supportive part of the production. The costumes are in alignment with the genre of the film. Kids wear uniforms and opera costumes while the teacher is beautifully clad in flowing gowns appropriate for a Chinese artist. The sets suit the story, both indoors and outdoors. The classroom is a bit different than American classes today, and I enjoyed looking at how they are different. The background music is mostly Western classical music underscores. The source music is Chinese opera and poetry, using the Arhu (2 stringed instrument) and gongs. The sound mix is not great as the underscore music sometimes fades out as the scene ends, rather than threading the images together. The music enhances the film's story. I was unable to read the actors names in the credits as they are written with Chinese calligraphy, but the star character is the teacher, Ms. Qingmu who is a kind and dedicated supporter of the arts. Douya is a farm-girl who comes to the city to study opera and excels far beyond her regional status. All of the children show their emotions and move the story forward. The production is cohesive and beautifully portrayed due to contributors at all levels. My favorite part of the film is when the children are singing or reciting poems to each other. Children singing is the sweetest sound on earth, regardless of the language and whether one understands what is being said.

The film's message is that kindness is a more powerful value than even talent! Kindness heals all wounds. I give The Story of the Opera 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults Cross-cultural education is always a plus in film. The differences in this film vs. American films are rich, plus we learn about Chinese education and opera. By Nancy K., KIDS FIRST!

The Story of the Opera offers a great window into Chinese culture on so many levels. The story unfolds slowly to reveal life in the countryside of China and how Chinese teachers and students conduct themselves. I like the characterization of the protagonist and the antagonist. I enjoyed the chanting and poems and, despite the bad behavior from jealous girls (part of the character arc) and some of the teacher's misguided techniques of teaching, the film is very good! This film is in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.

The storyline follows a teacher and her students who are learning poems, intonations and songs from the Chinese opera. Competition is encouraged and therefore inspires a bit of jealousy among students, leading to some bullying and hurt feelings. The story is very gentle by American bullying standards and viewers will be sympathetic to all of the characters!

One thing that I find a little disturbing (as a teacher myself) is the way that the teacher always points out who was 'the best' singer. This aggravates jealousy, which in turn leads to bad behavior by some of the less advanced children. The cinematography shows the beautiful landscapes of the Chinese countryside, and close-ups of the faces of all of the characters. It is undramatic, but a supportive part of the production. The costumes are in alignment with the genre of the film. Kids wear uniforms and opera costumes while the teacher is beautifully clad in flowing gowns appropriate for a Chinese artist. The sets suit the story, both indoors and outdoors. The classroom is a bit different than American classes today, and I enjoyed looking at how they are different. The background music is mostly Western classical music underscores. The source music is Chinese opera and poetry, using the Arhu (2 stringed instrument) and gongs. The sound mix is not great as the underscore music sometimes fades out as the scene ends, rather than threading the images together. The music enhances the film's story. I was unable to read the actors names in the credits as they are written with Chinese calligraphy, but the star character is the teacher, Ms. Qingmu who is a kind and dedicated supporter of the arts. Douya is a farm-girl who comes to the city to study opera and excels far beyond her regional status. All of the children show their emotions and move the story forward. The production is cohesive and beautifully portrayed due to contributors at all levels. My favorite part of the film is when the children are singing or reciting poems to each other. Children singing is the sweetest sound on earth, regardless of the language and whether one understands what is being said.

The film's message is that kindness is a more powerful value than even talent! Kindness heals all wounds. I give The Story of the Opera 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults Cross-cultural education is always a plus in film. The differences in this film vs. American films are rich, plus we learn about Chinese education and opera. By Nancy K., KIDS FIRST!

In order to compile a children's recitation book of ancient poems, Ms.Qingmu goes to visit Mr. Yao in Zhufeng Village. There, Ms. Qingmu meets a girl named Douya who has talent as an opera singer and she invites her to come to the city to learn. Two singers, Qianqian and Zixuan are jealous of Douya and they bully her. In order to beat Douya at the Elite Youth Art Competition, Nana deliberately makes Douya eat fruit shake, which makes her hoarse. When the results are released, Nana doesn't win; all the students talk about Nana, but Douya helps her out. Ms. Qingmu has no money to continue running the school and Douya's mother loses her job. Just as they are going to return to the village, Douya receives an admission letter from the Opera School.