Farewell My Concubine

Plot

In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.

About Farewell My Concubine

Farewell My Concubine (Chinese: 霸王别姬, lit. 'The Hegemon-King Bids Farewell to His Concubine') is a 1993 epic historical drama film, directed by Chen Kaige, starring Leslie Cheung, Gong Li and Zhang Fengyi. Based on the novel of the same name by Lilian Lee, the film is set in unstable 20th-century China, from the early formations of the Republic of China, to the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution. The film describes the troubled relationships between Peking opera actors Cheng Dieyi, Duan Xiaolou, and Xiaolou's wife Gong Juxian, and their interactions with Chinese politics and society. The film's themes include identity confusion and blurred lines between real life and the stage, portrayed by the revered opera actor Dieyi, whose unrequited love for Xiaolou persists throughout. The film also addressed themes of political and societal disturbances in 20th-century China, which is typical of Chinese Fifth Generation cinema. A co-production between mainland China and Hong Kong (China), Farewell My Concubine premiered on 1 January 1993 in Hong Kong. Upon release, the film received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics, and jointly won the Palme d'Or with The Piano at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first Chinese-language film to receive the award. It won further accolades, including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and a BAFTA for Best Film…

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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