Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong (14th century)
Translated to English as The Three Kingdoms by Yu Sumei (2014)
Read: 11 out of 120 chapters
I am NOT DONE reading this book so please take all my comparisons regarding "this does/doesn't happen in the novel!" with a grain of salt.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (1994)
Produced by China Central Television
Seen: 77 out of 84 episodes
Although there are some mystical and fantastical moments in this show, they cut out a number of wacky and magical events from the book (such as the three brothers' strange appearances, or the Yellow Turbans using witchcraft), as well as some other small anecdotes (such as Cao Cao's childhood antics).
However, this series has completely captured my heart. I love the aesthetics of the show, the bright colors, beautiful scenery, and impressive horsemanship. The style of acting may seem cheesy at first but it grows on you. My friend calls it "operatic"; it reminds me of a Shakespeare play. The sheer scale of this production (sets, extras, costumes, props, and yes more HORSES) is impressive in and of itself, and it's worth it to make the world of the story come to life in a very "real" and tangible way. These stylistic choices combined with the fact that I knew very little about Asian history and culture meant that this piece of work was like nothing I'd ever seen before.
I love the characters in all their wackiness and profundity. The poetic language and compelling story. It has inspired me to seek out information about the Three Kingdoms period, and Chinese history and language in general.
I'm sure there is plenty of documentation about the production of this show out there, but unfortunately I wouldn't be able to find it because I can't read Chinese (yet) :( My one scruple about this show is concerns of animal cruelty, and I wish I could find some evidence that it was all just simulated but alas, I am unable to.
Three Kingdoms (2010)
Directed by Gao Xixi
Seen: 9 out of 95 episodes
Putting aside issues of accuracy to the time period (not my area of expertise):
I am enjoying this adaptation so far. It is in a very different style from the 1994 version-- the aesthetics and writing feel much more similar to a Hollywood action movie. The colors are dark and muted, and the acting is much more naturalistic. It can also be pretty comedic at times. I suppose that the writing changes they made were meant to make the show more "exciting" and/or legible to the audience, but at times the end result is that the plot is cliché and the characters become Flanderized versions of themselves (Liu Bei is humble, quiet and reserved; Cao Cao is a slimey soulless salesman).
It wasn't until I compared this show with the 1994 version that I realized how important blocking can be in film, not just in theater. Initially, I found myself thinking that some scenes in this show feel like they go on for too long, but that it only felt like that because I already knew what was going to happen. However, upon further reflection I've come to this conclusion: this story contains a lot of scenes that are essentially two people staying in one place, having a long conversation. This requires the filmmakers to find a way to keep the audience's interest. In 1994, they have the characters walk around the scenario as they talk, similar to the blocking of a stage play. In 2010, the characters tend to sit still for the whole scene, and the camera simply cuts from one talking head to another, over and over again. I find the former strategy much more engaging than the latter.
However, this show still has its merits-- it's certainly very exciting, and it tries its best to help you understand which characters out of the thousands are actually going to be important to remember. If someone were to ask me this question, I would tell them to watch 1994 first, and then once you are familiar with the "serious" version of the story, watch 2010 for the laffs.
