In his Saturday NYTimes review of Zhang Yimou's "Shi mian mai fu" ("The
House of Flying Daggers"), A.O. Scott refers to Zhang's alleged direction
of "Tosca" in Beijing: "Mr.  Zhang, who once directed a production of
"Tosca" with a cast of thousands in Forbidden City in Beijing, possesses
an operatic ability to turn intimate stories into grand spectacles..."

"Turandot" seems more fitting for the venue (while "Tosca" is just the
thing for a big film production in *Rome*); also, a cast of thousands
(except for a really jazzed-up Te Deum) may not be the thing for "Tosca."
Still, both are by Puccini, and the first letter is the same...

The Zhang-"Tosca" connection is valid only for Zhang Guo Min and Lily
Zhang in the title role, and baritone Zhang Feng, who occasionally sings
Scarpia.

Also puzzled by the reference "Set in the twilight of the Tang Dynasty,
and filmed, from the look of it, at the peak of China's foliage season..."
because Zhang used *Ukraine* as the shooting location, apparently running
out of alternatives in China...  or was it maybe cheaper near Kiev?...:)
=> http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/09/movies/09hous.html

PS: Alas, Tan Dun, the outstanding composer for "Hero" (and creator of
yet another T-opera - "Tea"), was replaced in "Flying Daggers" by Shigeru
Umebayashi, who did a fine job for Wong Kar Wai's "2046."

Janos Gereben/San Francisco
www.sfcv.org
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