Farewell My Concubine
by Kaige Chen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Da Ying, Fengyi Zhang, Leslie Cheung, Li Gong, Qi LuDirector: Kaige Chen
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: Chinese (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled)
Format: Color, Letterboxed, NTSC
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 172 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-12-14
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Miramax
Movie Reviews of Farewell My Concubine
Movie Review: Haunting and eerie
Summary: 4 Stars
I always remember this film with a sense of haunting. I recently viewed it again and cannot get over that haunting presence of Leslie Cheung (who unfortunately committed suicide himself, just like the characters in several of his films). The way the film ties in with Cheung's character in this film and real-life, even out of character, is strangely eerie and reminiscent of the quote "art imitates reality." Sometimes, reality allow follows suit.
Anyhow, Cheung is definitely the most beautiful and pulling character in the story. (The only thing I did not like about this movie was the killing of a turtle, as I am just very sensitive about things like that.) Otherwise, beautiful and haunting film. I love the Chinese opera the most. It's clever how the themes from the opera also seemed to tie in with the treatment of the Chinese, especially the lines from the opera about the concubine's people being oppressed. At one point, this poignant theme is made very clear while the opera is playing in the midst of Japanese occupation.
Summary of Farewell My Concubine
The panorama of 20th-century Chinese history swirls past two men, celebrated actors with their own decidedly specialized view of things. We first observe their lives as children at the Peking Opera training school, a brutal and demanding arena for future actors. While still in training, the effeminate Douzi is chosen to play the transvestite role and the masculine Shitou is chosen to play the royal role in a ritualized play about a king and a concubine. The actors are so good at this performance that they become identified with these roles for their entire careers; through World War II, through the takeover by the Communists, through the insanity of the Cultural Revolution, they are known for their famous parts. Leslie Cheung and Zhang Fengyi are powerful as the two men, and Gong Li (the beautiful leading lady of Raise the Red Lantern) plays the wife of the latter. The movie may be stronger on good old-fashioned melodrama than on profound conclusions, but boy, does it fill up the eyes. The director is Chen Kaige, one of the most talented members of China's "Fifth Generation" of filmmakers, whose daring subject matter (and sometimes bald international ambitions) have often irked the Chinese government. Indeed, though Farewell My Concubine shared the top prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival and snagged two Oscar nominations, it had difficulty gaining official approval from China. --Robert HortonCritically acclaimed as one of the best films of the year, this seductive, award-winning triumph captivated moviegoers the world over. It's the compelling tale of two lifelong friends unexpectedly caught in a passionate love triangle with the woman who comes between them! Academy Award(R)-nominated, FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (1993 -- Best Foreign Language Film) earned the Golden Globe as Best Foreign Film in addition to claiming Best Picture honors at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival! Packed with vivid, provocative imagery throughout, this sensual story of love and betrayal is the hot and exotic must-see movie of the year!
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