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"A tear darkens all the world"
Farewell My Concubine tumbled through Chinese history during the tumultuous years from 1922-1977 shown through the experiences of a Peking opera troupe. Dou Zi and Shitou endured the brutal opera training in the warlord period, rose to fame, and then dealt with the cruel destruction of the art form during the Cultural Revolution.
Dou Zi’s mother can no longer raise him in the brothel and leaves the child at an opera training facility run by physically abusive teachers. The boys are beaten whether they make mistakes or excel. Young Shitou is trained to do male roles while Dou Zi, against his wishes, is forced to train for female characters. The two boys form an unbreakable bond that lasts into adulthood where they find success as the King and his Concubine. Their ties are strained when Shitou becomes engaged to the prostitute Ju Xian. Dou Zi reluctantly begins a relationship with their patron, Master Yuan. Everyone’s mettle is tested during the Japanese occupation. It won’t be the last political and sociological upheaval the trio will have to face.
Leslie Cheung as Dou Zi/Die Yi radiated as the vulnerable, manipulative, and talented “concubine”. His character became steadily more isolated through dramatic changes that blurred the lines between reality and performance. Honestly, the film already clocked in at nearly three hours which didn’t feel that long. I could have used additional plumbing of Dou Zi’s emotions as he was the most fascinating character and Leslie owned the role. Though Dou Zi was gay his affectations were trained into him from childhood, something he had zero say in. It was heavily implied that he and Shitou were more than friends. The tenderness with which Dou Zi applied Shitou’s makeup was quite moving. This being 1993 and China, sadly the film never openly explored that aspect of their relationship resorting to subtext. For anyone old enough, think Xena and Gabrielle. Shitou/Duan Xiao Lou’s loyalty slowly unraveled as he and Ju Xian became increasingly enmeshed and the political parties grew more adversarial to their craft. Gong Li elevated her character by the sheer power of her performance. Ju Xian seemed to be created to keep the men apart and be an antagonist to Dou Zi.
Despite not being a fan of Peking Opera, I quite enjoyed this film. The gorgeous costumes, makeup, and commitment, it was hard to not like what Die Yi and Xiao Lou were selling. The opera and its actors swung between being adored, being used by political parties, and/or vilified. Revolutions and rampant mob mentality were terrifying. One day a person was basking in their good graces the next they were marched down the street to be shot. What was okay yesterday could be a death sentence tomorrow. Nuance was not a virtue. Though there were many strong performances, Leslie Cheung and Gong Li dominated the screen whenever they were on it, whether you were rooting for them or wishing they’d fall off a balcony. Rarely does a thirty-three-year-old film hold up this well, Farewell My Concubine was a compelling story and a feast for the eyes.
8 November 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault. Bare bottoms. Child abuse. A turtle being butchered and bled. Multiple suicides. Drug use.
Déjà vu Note: This film was reminiscent of 1994’s To Live which Gong Li and Ge You also starred in. Instead of Peking Opera it focused on shadow puppets. They were another pair who struggled during the political upheavals of the formative modern decades. Art and artists are always a target for authoritarian regimes.
Dou Zi’s mother can no longer raise him in the brothel and leaves the child at an opera training facility run by physically abusive teachers. The boys are beaten whether they make mistakes or excel. Young Shitou is trained to do male roles while Dou Zi, against his wishes, is forced to train for female characters. The two boys form an unbreakable bond that lasts into adulthood where they find success as the King and his Concubine. Their ties are strained when Shitou becomes engaged to the prostitute Ju Xian. Dou Zi reluctantly begins a relationship with their patron, Master Yuan. Everyone’s mettle is tested during the Japanese occupation. It won’t be the last political and sociological upheaval the trio will have to face.
Leslie Cheung as Dou Zi/Die Yi radiated as the vulnerable, manipulative, and talented “concubine”. His character became steadily more isolated through dramatic changes that blurred the lines between reality and performance. Honestly, the film already clocked in at nearly three hours which didn’t feel that long. I could have used additional plumbing of Dou Zi’s emotions as he was the most fascinating character and Leslie owned the role. Though Dou Zi was gay his affectations were trained into him from childhood, something he had zero say in. It was heavily implied that he and Shitou were more than friends. The tenderness with which Dou Zi applied Shitou’s makeup was quite moving. This being 1993 and China, sadly the film never openly explored that aspect of their relationship resorting to subtext. For anyone old enough, think Xena and Gabrielle. Shitou/Duan Xiao Lou’s loyalty slowly unraveled as he and Ju Xian became increasingly enmeshed and the political parties grew more adversarial to their craft. Gong Li elevated her character by the sheer power of her performance. Ju Xian seemed to be created to keep the men apart and be an antagonist to Dou Zi.
Despite not being a fan of Peking Opera, I quite enjoyed this film. The gorgeous costumes, makeup, and commitment, it was hard to not like what Die Yi and Xiao Lou were selling. The opera and its actors swung between being adored, being used by political parties, and/or vilified. Revolutions and rampant mob mentality were terrifying. One day a person was basking in their good graces the next they were marched down the street to be shot. What was okay yesterday could be a death sentence tomorrow. Nuance was not a virtue. Though there were many strong performances, Leslie Cheung and Gong Li dominated the screen whenever they were on it, whether you were rooting for them or wishing they’d fall off a balcony. Rarely does a thirty-three-year-old film hold up this well, Farewell My Concubine was a compelling story and a feast for the eyes.
8 November 2026
Trigger warnings: Sexual assault. Bare bottoms. Child abuse. A turtle being butchered and bled. Multiple suicides. Drug use.
Déjà vu Note: This film was reminiscent of 1994’s To Live which Gong Li and Ge You also starred in. Instead of Peking Opera it focused on shadow puppets. They were another pair who struggled during the political upheavals of the formative modern decades. Art and artists are always a target for authoritarian regimes.
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