Once Upon a Time (三生三世十里桃花, Sān Shēng Sān Shì Shí Lǐ Táo Huā, literally "Three Lives, Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms") is a 2017 Chinese film starring Liu Yi Fei and Yang Yang. It's based on the novel of the same name by Tang Qi Gong Zi. The novel was also the basis for the 2017 series Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.
An attempted kidnapping leads to the fox goddess Bai Qian meeting and eventually becoming engaged to Ye Hua, Crown Prince of the Nine Heavens. Unfortunately Ye Hua is still in love with his dead mortal wife, Su Su, and Bai Qian thinks he only wants to marry her because she reminds him of her. The truth is much more complicated.
Not to be confused with the Disney series of the same name, the Stock Phrase Once Upon a Time, or the novel series also of the same name.
Contains examples of:
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Qing Cang in the series was a middle-aged Horned Humanoid who certainly wouldn't win any beauty contests
◊. Qing Cang in the film, on the other hand, is younger and more handsome◊. - Adapted Out: The film leaves out a lot compared to the series. Bai Qian's time at Kunlun Mountain is never mentioned. Mo Yuan only appears in flashbacks (except for the final scene... maybe). Bai Zhen, Bai Feng Jiu, Dong Hua, and Li Jing are nowhere to be seen. Qing Cang's fight with Mo Yuan isn't shown.
- Adaptation Explanation Extrication: All over the place, to such a degree that you'd need to read the book or watch Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms first just to understand what's happening in the film. Among many other things, the film doesn't explain why Bai Qian keeps Mo Yuan's body in a block of ice.
- Amnesiac Lover: Bai Qian loses her memories of her time as Su Su after jumping off the Execution Platform. It makes things very complicated when she falls in love with Ye Hua again.
- Big Bad: Su Jin is responsible for everything Bai Qian and Ye Hua suffer.
- Botanical Abomination: A tree-like monster attacks Bai Qian. It takes her and Ye Hua a lot of effort to defeat the monster.
- Eye Scream: Su Jin forced Bai Qian to cut out her eyes and give them to her. Later Su Jin blinds herself.
- Gainax Ending: Good luck making sense of the ending. It includes time flowing backwards for no apparent reason and Ye Hua magically reappearing right after he was trapped in a frozen sea.
- Gory Discretion Shot: The film doesn't show Bai Qian's eyes being cut out and given to Su Jin.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Qing Cang is a much bigger threat than Su Jin, but he has less immediate impact on Bai Qian until the end.
- Human Popsicle: Mo Yuan's body is preserved in a block of ice.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Bai Qian forgets all about being Su Su and marrying Ye Hua.
- Poor Communication Kills: Most of the plot, especially Bai Qian's misery as Su Su, would never have happened if she and Ye Hua had just talked to each other.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Qing Cang was sealed in the Bell of the East Emperor until Su Jin set him free.
- Two-Person Love Triangle: Bai Qian thinks Ye Hua doesn't love her because he's still in love with Su Su. It takes her a long time to remember she is Su Su.
- Unrelated in the Adaptation: Bai Qian and Xuan Nu are cousins in the series. This is never mentioned in the film.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Bai Qian can turn into a nine-tailed fox and Ye Hua can turn into a dragon.
- Wuxia: Specifically xianxia. Shapeshifting? Check. Dragons? Check. Battles against evil? Check.
