Farewell My Concubine

Synopsis

Two Peking Opera performers navigate love, betrayal, and political turmoil across five decades of Chinese history in Chen Kaige Cannes Palme d Or winning masterpiece.

Overview

Farewell My Concubine (霸王别姬) is a 1993 Chinese historical drama film directed by Chen Kaige, starring Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, and Gong Li. It is one of the central works of the Fifth Generation Chinese cinema movement and won the prestigious Palme d Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival — sharing the honor with Jane Campion The Piano.

The film spans over fifty years of Chinese history, from the warlord era through the Cultural Revolution, following the lives and complex relationship of two Peking Opera performers: Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi).

Plot

In 1924 Beijing, a destitute mother brings her young son Douzi to the harsh training school of Master Guan. Douzi is given the stage name Cheng Dieyi and trained to play female roles (dan). He befriends the tough Shitou, renamed Duan Xiaolou, who specializes in male roles (sheng).

The two boys grow up to become stars of the Peking Opera stage, achieving fame for their performance of Farewell My Concubine, with Dieyi playing Concubine Yu and Xiaolou playing King Xiang Yu. Dieyi emotional identification with his female role becomes so complete that the boundary between performance and reality blurs.

Their relationship is disrupted when Xiaolou marries the courtesan Juxian (Gong Li). The Japanese invasion, the Chinese Civil War, and the Communist revolution all test the bonds between the three characters, culminating in devastating betrayals during the Cultural Revolution.

Cast

Awards

• Palme d Or — 1993 Cannes Film Festival (shared with The Piano)
• Golden Globe — Best Foreign Language Film nomination
• Academy Award — Best Foreign Language Film nomination
• BAFTA — Best Non-English Language Film nomination

Cultural Significance

Farewell My Concubine is widely considered one of the greatest Chinese films ever made. It was the first Chinese-language film to win the Palme d Or at Cannes. The film explores themes of art versus life, loyalty and betrayal, and the devastating impact of political upheaval on individual lives.

Leslie Cheung performance as Cheng Dieyi is regarded as one of the finest in cinema history. His portrayal of a man who cannot distinguish between his stage role and his real life remains profoundly moving.

References

1. Wikipedia: Farewell My Concubine (film)
2. Douban: 霸王别姬
3. Baidu Baike: 霸王别姬