- Broadcast time：January 1, 1993
- Starring：张国荣（Leslie Cheung）、巩俐（Gong Li）、张丰毅（Zhang Fengyi）、葛优（Ge You）、英达（Da Ying）、雷汉
- director:陈凯歌（Chen Kaige）
Introduction
Chinese name: 霸王别姬 (bàwánɡ bié jī)
English name: Farewell, My Concubine
An exemplar work of Chinese movies, ‘Farewell, My Concubine’ was awarded the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival. It is adapted from the novel written by Hong Kong female writer Li Bihua. The film tells the story of Cheng Dieyi, a Peking Opera singer who was sold to a Peking Opera troupe since the childhood. He has a close relationship with his senior fellow apprentice Duan Xiaolou, and the two rise to fame in the capital for co-starring ‘Farewell, My Concubine’. However, Duan Xiaolou has married prostitute Ju Xian beforehand, and during the Cultural Revolution, Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou betray each other, which makes Dieyi feel lost at the lifelong artistic pursuit. In the end Cheng Dieyi commits suicide at the stage when rehearsing with Duan Xiaolou again after the Cultural Revolution. Magnificent in style and elaborate in making, the film mixed the story of the two Peking Opera singers with the historic development of China over half a century, depicting the epic structure with subtle feelings between the two males.
Until Farewell, My Concubine (Ba Wang Bie Ji), not many people were aware that most members of the Peking Opera were originally orphans or illegitimate castaways with nowhere else to turn. Such is the case of the film’s protagonists, Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) and Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung), two homeless outcasts, trained from childhood in the grueling rigors of the Opera by master Lu Qui. The film traces the 52-year friendship between Xiaolou and Dieyi, a friendship pockmarked with fiery conflicts and tender reconciliations. Though the delicate Dieyi specializes in female roles and the gutsy Xiaolou plays noble warriors, theirs is an essentially heterosexual relationship; still, when Xiaolou takes upon himself a prostitute bride (the magnificent Gong Li), Dieyi is as petty and jealous as an outcast mistress. Farewell, My Concubine holds the viewer in thrall from start to finish; as such, it is thoroughly deserving of its many international film awards and nominations. Surprisingly, this worldwide success was something of a flop in its home country of China; perhaps it hit too close to home for those viewers who’d lived through the same years so painstakingly recreated in the film.
Plot
In the winter of 924, 9-year-old Xiaodouzi was forced to enter Guan’s troupe to learn opera after his mother, who was a prostitute, cut off the deformed finger on his left hand. In the troupe, only his senior brother Xiaoshitou sympathized with Xiaodouzi and took care of him. Ten years later, under the strict and cruel training of Master Guan, the acting skills of the two senior brothers improved quickly. Xiaodouzi took the stage name Cheng Dieyi (played by Leslie Cheung) and played the female role; Xiaoshitou took the stage name Duan Xiaolou (played by Zhang Fengyi) and played the male role. The “Farewell My Concubine” co-starred by the two brothers was well-known in Beijing, and the two brothers also became popular. Dieyi hoped to co-star with Duan in “Farewell My Concubine” for the rest of his life.
Duan Xiaolou married the prostitute Juxian (played by Gong Li). Dieyi, who was attached to his senior brother, came to his senior brother’s residence with a heavy heart and gave Xiaolou the precious sword that he had exchanged for humiliation and that his senior brother had longed for, and decided not to co-star with Xiaolou in “Farewell My Concubine”. At the call of Master Guan, the two brothers cooperated again.
After the war, the two were forced to sing for a group of undisciplined and unqualified KMT soldiers. Duan Xiaolou clashed with the soldiers, and Juxian miscarried in the chaos. Then a soldier arrested Dieyi for treason. Duan Xiaolou tried his best to rescue Dieyi, and begged Yuan Shiqing (Ge You), a bureaucrat who had played with Dieyi. Juxian asked Dieyi to lie and beg for release, and showed Dieyi the document that Xiaolou would no longer sing with Dieyi. So Dieyi remained unyielding in court, but was rescued by a senior KMT official because of his skills. After liberation, the two’s unique skills were not taken seriously. Cheng Dieyi, who tasted opium by mistake, had a voice that was getting worse and worse. He broke his voice during a performance and was determined to quit drugs. After suffering from drug addiction, he finally recovered with the help of Duan Xiaolou and his wife, but was framed by Xiaosi, the child he kindly adopted that year. Xiaosi forced him to replace Yu Ji and perform with Duan Xiaolou. Duan Xiaolou stopped performing regardless of the consequences. Juxian persuaded him to perform for the sake of the overall situation, and Duan Xiaolou finally performed. Dieyi was heartbroken and broke off her friendship with Duan Xiaolou.
During the Cultural Revolution, Duan Xiaolou was framed by Xiao Si and forced to frame Dieyi. Duan Xiaolou refused and was paraded through the streets. At this time, Dieyi suddenly appeared, dressed as Yu Ji, and was willing to be humiliated with Duan Xiaolou. Duan Xiaolou saw that Dieyi had fallen into the trap, and in the hope of protecting Juxian, he framed Dieyi helplessly and even said that he was a traitor. Dieyi was heartbroken after hearing this, thinking that Duan Xiaolou only cared about Juxian. Seeing that Juxian, whom he hated, was pitying and helping him at this moment, he vented all his anger on Juxian, revealing that Juxian had been a prostitute. Duan Xiaolou was therefore forced to draw a clear line with Juxian and said that he had never loved Juxian. Juxian hanged herself in despair.
After overthrowing the “Gang of Four”, the two brothers performed “Farewell My Concubine” together for the last time on the stage after 11 years. Senior brother Duan Xiaolou introduced Cheng Dieyi and said the line “I am a man, not a woman”. Only then did Dieyi realize that he was actually a man and finally understood that he had been living in a play.
Words
典型diǎnxínɡ : exemplar
授予shòuyǔ : award
改编ɡǎibiān : adapt
血缘关系xuèyuán ɡuānxi : relationship
事先shìxiān : beforehand
自杀zìshā : suicide
混合hùnhé : mix
结构jiéɡòu : structure
