Farewell My Concubine

Farewell My Concubine aka Ba Wang Bie Ji (Chen Kai Ge, 1993)

Farewell My Concubine is based on the novel by the same title by Lillian Lee. You can find a translated copy of the novel on Amazon.com if you would prefer a more concise telling of the events. The story is so compelling, you won't notice the two and a half hours you've spent staring at the TV. It unfolds beautifully scene after scene with some of the most gorgeous and vivid cinematography I've ever had the honor to see.

There is no way to simplify the plot of this exquisite piece, but I will tell it as simply as I possibly can.

A young boy called Xiao Douzi (Little Bean) is taken by his prostitute mother and sold into the world of Beijing Opera. He finds companionship with Xiao Shitou (Little Rock) who helps him adjust to the very cruel life behind the stage.

Douzi blossoms into a female player while Shitou takes on the masculine roles. Their title piece is Ba Wang Bie Ji wherein a defeated monarch must leave his concubine. The concubine out of love for him takes her life with the monarch's jeweled sword.

Douzi takes the stage name of Chen Dieyi while Shitou takes the name Duan Xiao Lou. During the course of their career, Dieyi falls deeper and deeper into his consumptive female heroines as well as in love with his stage partner.

Xiao Lou however, has an affair with a lowly prostitute named Juxian whom he later marries. This throws Dieyi into a jealous rage that leads him to consort with a government official who had earlier expressed interest in him.

With the introduction of Juxian begins the catfight for Xiao Lou who is torn between his career and his wife. He chooses his wife, and the two stage partners go their separate ways for many years.

What ensues is a lengthy portrayal of China's history from the 1940s to the 1970s. The two meet again over this but Juxian is a constant interference to Dieyi who goes through bouts of opium addiction.

During the Cultural Revolution, both actors, though once hailed as great artists are disgraced and reduced to nothing. Xiao Lou, revealing the true coward that he is, renounces Juxian as a prostitute, and Dieyi as a catamite. Juxian hangs herself in sorrow while Dieyi merely disappears again.

The two meet for the last time in 1990's Hong Kong where they stage Ba Wang Bie Ji for their own amusement. Dieyi dramatically kills himself for real when it comes to the concubine's curtain call.

The love triangle of Dieyi, Xiao Lou and Juxian is viewed subtly from every angle until you cannot fault the character's rash emotions yet blame them for bringing the entire sequence of events on themselves.

The plot questions not only the relative taboo of male/male love in Chinese society, but also the conditioning of an identity. Dieyi's path is set for disaster from the word 'go' as his unnatural sixth finger is chopped off so that he may enter the troupe. This metaphoric castration is the first in a set of dominoes. Following that, he is made to play feminine roles and speak female dialogue by Shitou and is rewarded with a ghost of masculinity in the form of a precious jeweled sword. The sword is and important catalyst for later events and in my opinion becomes a symbol of his emasculation as it drifts from owner to owner.

The story differs from Lillian Lee's novel. Chen Kaige's vision is more romantic, while the novel itself is more realistic and frank. In the novel, Dieyi marries a seamstress rather than killing himself. Shocking moments, such as Douzi being assaulted by an elderly eunuch, and having his little finger chopped off are done so stylishly that the quality is almost dreamy. Dieyi's encounters with the government's lap dog are irresistibly soft focus.

Oh, don't expect any sex or lovey dovey confessions. The merit of the film lies in denying the viewer of these tension relievers to match with Dieyi's flawed and unattainable love.

One draw of Concubine is definitely Leslie Cheung's performance. It's been called one of his best, and I'm quite inclined to agree. He is convincing in his role as the feminine Dieyi, yet it does not come across as cloying or over the top. His transformation in theatrical make up is stunning enough to make you catch your breath. For those who do not know, this talented man stepped off his hotel balcony last year. Perhaps it adds an extra layer of poignancy and chill as some speculate that his role as Chen Dieyi was not far from his real career.

Other actors of note are Zhang Fengyi who plays Xiao Lou and the completely excellent Gong Li who plays Juxian.

All in all, this is something you must watch if you love tragic gay cinema.