Farewell My Concubine Review

Film Analysis: Farewell My Concubine
Your Name:
Subject and Section:
Professor’s Name:
Date Submitted:
Film Analysis on Farewell My Concubine
Introduction
           The Chinese film, “Farewell My Concubine”, which is based on Lilian Lee’s novel bearing the same title, is an Oscar-nominated, award-winning film released in 1993 celebrating the Chinese culture and the portrayal of actors participating in the famous Peking Opera during different historical times. This film spans for 2 hours and 37 minutes, directed by Kaige Chen, starring Fengyi Zhang, Leslie Cheung, and Li Gong.   
           The film was banned by the Chinese government due to the homosexual theme present with the character of Die Yi, one of the film’s protagonists. After the banning of this film in Mainland China, it eventually was shown after a few months due to the outcry of foreign countries where the film was shown (Lin, 2018). It was shown in the theaters again but with cut scenes of around 14 minutes from its original length, as decided by the government. This was done so because, during those years, queerness or homosexuality was seen as a criminal violation and a mental illness that needed psychiatric aid. Suicide was also seen in various parts of the film, but the government found it offensive when suicide was done even after the time of the Cultural Revolution which was believed to be the time where the leaders are already in action. In addition to homosexuality and suicide, it was also seen as a taboo film due to the connection that it had with the Cultural Revolution. This was the time during Mao Zedong declared a revolution to abolish capitalism and other feudal ways which reflected the “four olds” (“thecensorshipfiles”, 2018).
           Kaige Chen was able to show the picture of politics and the various effects that it had on the common people of the society, like Die Yi, Xiaolou, and Ju Xian. The director’s depiction of the turmoil and the events brought by the Cultural Revolution were personal to him due to his first-hand experience and involvement in this part of China’s history. He was previously one of the Red Guards, which also led to Kaige condemning his father during the revolution. His father was jailed and participated in rubber plantation work for re-education during those times (Tyler, 1993). The chaos related to the Cultural Revolution was also seen during some scenes in the movie which will be discussed later.
Summary of the Film
           At the start of the movie adaptation of the novel, Farewell My Concubine, the scene that is first presented are two figures, one that is manly and huge in comparison to the other figure beside it which looks more petite, slender, and lady-like. After this scene, the screen turns black and white and shows a lady with a little child with ribbons on his hair. The lady is a prostitute with her son whom she cannot raise anymore in the brothel where she is currently working, so as a way to dispose of the child, she brings him to the troupe of performers. She pleaded for the acceptance of her child in the group but was denied due to the deformity with the little boy’s hand which Master Guan, the director, and leader of the troupe, thinks would scare the audience. After the unsuccessful pleading that took place, the scenes happen in a fast manner as if it is such a usual thing to do, then the little boy’s extra finger is cut off and he is brought back to Master Guan, where we see him seal his fate as a performer on a piece of paper with his blood, and with his mother nowhere in sight 
Master Guan leads and directs the troupe with an iron fist. He demands the highest quality of performance from them both during practice hours and most especially in front of audiences. Douzi as part of this group experiences first-hand what it is like to train under the supervision and command of Master Guan. There was physical abuse involved every time Master Guan sees an opportunity for lecturing and punishment, which was often seen and depicted in the movie. Douzi as a child had always looked very feminine, and this has granted him female roles, forcing him to be always in character. During these times in Master Guan’s troupe, Douzi becomes friends with Shitou and Laizi.
Shitou always plays as a male character in the performances, usually the male counterpart of Douzi on stage. These had led to a very close relationship that they have even when not performing on stage. Laizi was the seemingly happy and confident boy in the troupe. He is also the one who was able to find a way to escape and calls Douzi to come away with him. They managed to run away but decided to return after seeing a live opera in the outside world. They cried when they saw an opera due to the physical hardships that they are subjected to in hopes of being able to perform in a crowd and being famous someday. Shitou, being an accomplice to the escape that happened, suffered a beating from Master Guan then after a while Douzi volunteers himself to suffer the same beating for Shitou not to be beaten anymore. While Master Guan beats Douzi who was holding screams and tears in prone on a bench while having his bare bottom hit, Laizi is found dead. After seeing the beatings that he will surely suffer, later on, he commits suicide by hanging himself.  
           Many times during the rehearsals, Douzi is punished because of the line he is supposed to say “I am by nature a girl” but always end up saying “I am by nature a boy” and this also happens in front of one of the scouting agents that Master Guan wants to impress, which caused Douzi to receive a lot of beatings.
           Shitou and Douzi often perform together on stage. In one of their stage performances, they impress a eunuch named Zhang who invites them over to his home. A frightened and alone Douzi is seen in the house of Zhang. He was then sexually assaulted by the eunuch then goes home without talking about any of the things that have happened. He sees an infant outside of Master Guan training hall and brings him in to be taken care of the troupe and to be subjected to the strict and brutal ways of Master Guan. 
           Douzi and Shitou are now all grown up and are now famous stage brothers in the opera, “Farewell My Concubine”. They now perform in large crowds and receive special treatment because of their fame. Douzi is now known as Die Yi, and Shitou as Xiaolou are their new actor names. After one of their performances, Xiaolou heads straight to the House of Blossoms, a brothel where he proposes to a prostitute named Ju Xian in front of her clients.
           On the first time of Die Yi and Ju Xian’s meeting, it did not go very amiably due to Die Yi’s obvious jealousy and shock over the sudden announcement. The engagement and marriage of Xiaolou and Ju Xian marks the start of the rivalry between Ju Xian and Die Yi for the love and affection of Xiaolou. Because of the frustration of Die Yi, he consents to a relationship with a wealthy patron, Yuan Shiqing, who gives him a sword. Which later on becomes useful when Ju Xian uses this sword’s importance to get help from Yuan Shiqing in saving Die Yi from the prosecution of law due to his performance in front of the Japanese.
           Die Yi also suffered from opium addiction, which Xiaolou and most especially Juxian helped with hm overcoming this and his withdrawal. The opera was also threatened by changes brought about by the modern political views and reigns. Betrayals toward Die Yi from the troupe and the infant that he rescued also occurred as years went by.
           The relationship between Xiaolou, Ju Xian, and Die Yi goes on for years and endures different political events in the history of China, the Japanese occupation, the Nationalist uprising, the Communist Revolution, and the Cultural Revolution. These events have shown the true colors of the characters and even led to the betrayals and deaths. Xiaolou, after being pressured and interrogated by the Communists has confessed to the knowledge that he has regarding Die Yi having a homosexual relationship with a Japanese soldier. Due to the betrayal of Xiaolou, Die Yi admitted to the crowd that Xiaolou married a prostitute which was then confirmed by Xiaolou when asked by the Communists. They asked him if he loved her, and he denied it in front of the crowd, with Ju Xian watching. During this scene, Ju Xian was able to secure the sword from destruction. Then after the crowd had settled, she hung herself, and the red slippers are seen to be neatly placed on a table.
           After the death of Ju Xian, the scene shifts to the one seen in the first part of the movie. The two figures are Xiaolou and Die Yi 11 years later. They practice their famous act “Farewell My Concubine” and then this time Die Yi slits his throat during the scene where concubine Yu kills herself for her king.   
Film Contents and Cinematography          
Kaige was able to place double meanings in the way he had portrayed the personal lives of the characters in connection to the “Farewell My Concubine” that is performed in Peking Opera, while also connecting these events that are unfolding in the film to the political and governmental aspects of Chinese history and the effects of these to its people. In Chinese cinema, the themes that were tackled in this movie were viewed as progressive and nontraditional (Lu & Lu, 1997). 
Vibrant and elegant colors with the headdresses and garments for the opera were used in the film, but the lighting effects conveyed the emotions that were felt in the scene. Shadows and veils were used for the secret affairs that happened between Shiqing and Die Yi, as well as the use of veils and dim lights for the intimate scenes between Ju Xian and Xiaolou. Darkness and grayish hues were used for the youth of Douzi and Shitou with Master Guan as authority reflecting the hardships that they are going through in the said scenes. An interesting effect with perspectives was seen during the Opium addiction and withdrawal experienced by Die Yi, further emphasized by the view with the fish tank (Poland, 2015, p.13 – 15).   
           The sword of Die Yi both in real life and when performing on stage symbolizes his commitment to Xiaolou. Die Yi is the one who still remembers the kind of promise that they have made to ea...