Review LXXXI - Farewell My Concubine

Review LXXXI
Farewell My Concubine 霸王别姬 (1993)

I return yet again, and this time I come back from 中国 - China! 你好大家, 最近怎么样? 我很好, 有很多的故事, 看很多的电影! To explain my experiences here would be superfluous given that I only speak about films on this blog, so my last bit is relevant. I watched a lot of films in China! Well, one reason goes to the fact that I downloaded some in case I ever got ridiculously bored (for the fourteen hour plane ride basically), but also because one of my classes consisted of experiencing Chinese cinema. The class was not a dream come true - well, for me, at least. It revolved around the teacher presenting a film briefly (that is, who directed the film, what year it was released), watching the film, and then exiting the class. There was no analysis of the film, no critique of the film, nothing except for a final presentation on whatever the hell you wanted. This translates to a useless class that wasted my time. But I'm not here to insult my university, I'm here to speak about films, which I established above. The films I watched in the class were all Chinese based, whether it be the North or the South (including Hong Kong, though the films were dubbed into Mandarin... Yeah...). The first film we checked out I had been meaning to watch for a long time but, as per usual, had never gotten around to watching. It is directed by Chen Kaige 陈凯歌 and stars the famous Leslie Cheung 張國榮 and Gong Li 巩俐, as well as Zhang Fengyi 张丰毅. The film is notable for making chinese cinema more known worldwide and is the only Chinese film to date to win a Pannes d'Or. The film, of course, is Farewell My Concubine 霸王别姬.

The film follows a Peking Opera duo over the course of 50-odd years, beginning with the brutal teachings at a Peking Opera training school, through the Japanese occupation of China, all the way to the end of the Cultural Revolution. The duo are especially known for their act of Farewell My Concubine, with Duan Xiaolou (Zhang) as our emperor Xiang Yu and Cheng Dieyi (Cheung) as the only-too-real Consort Yu. However, their relationship will be tested with a marriage and a war, as well as the communist takeover of China.

Farewell My Concubine was an interesting piece of work, and it explains the twentieth century history of China in two hours and a half, while making a comparison to the Peking opera of the same name. Thus, you're getting a taste of classic Chinese story-telling (Beijing opera "Farewell My Concubine"), but with a modern twist (set throughout the 1900s). If ever you were looking to research modern China in a glance, this film can get you there in some aspects. Of course, it is very far from explaining the political tensions in China and even really experiencing Peking opera (I went to an opera - I really loved it. No sarcasm in that statement), but again, the film can still give a foreigner a look into how it was to be Chinese in the early 1900s. Not a thorough look, but a little look. So in that regard, I think the film is worth a watch if ever you were interested in getting acquainted with China. Now, how about as a film itself? I re-watched the film while I was in Japan (sitting on the train no less!), so I'm going to give you a first-watching perspective and a re-watching perspective.

As a first-watch, I must admit, I was biased as hell because I knew this film class was going to deliver me typical Hollywood-but-Chinese-version films, so I clung onto this film with such great admiration because it had won a Cannes award. So did I enjoy it? I did. The film really did capture China's modern history well, and I loved the underlying Peking opera story. It was well incorporated. For example, in the original opera, Xiang Yu, the emperor there, ends up being defeated, thus beginning the emergence of the Han dynasty. This directly parallels the communist takeover of China (thank you, Wikipedia). We also see that Zhang's character really reflects a king - he's strong-willed and ready to take risks for others, or at least he is initially - whereas Cheung's character is feminine, fiesty, loves "her" man. Alright, fine, the characters were somewhat lacking, and sometimes rather incompetent, but I forgive it because the film is trying to follow a Peking opera. The characters' personalities are established based on face paint, guys. I mean, the characters do develop a bit, but they're mostly just flat. The prostitute wife (Gong) was added in, but really, I felt she was a tad unnecessary, or rather, just not as necessary as they made her out to be. But given they wanted Gong Li in the film to help sell it, it's only expected she'd be a main character. On the IMDb poster, she's the biggest thing, for Christ's sake. But whatever, I forgave it since the acting was not horrendous, but especially since the film really had some great mirror play. I loved those shots. There were also great shots of the characters, like when Cheung and Zhang's characters are putting on make-up. The film was not just slapped together - there was at least some thought put into it. I wasn't disappointed with the ending, and, though it reflects its opera counterpart, the reasoning behind it was different. Overall, the film was better than I had expected and I would recommend it.

After a second viewing, I can really say that Gong Li's character bothered me. She can be useful and great at times, but mostly, it was like a mosquito coming and buzzing in your ear. Why is she suddenly present when Duan Xiaolou and Cheng Dieyi are being punished for breaking up the duo? Why is she there to ask Cheng Dieyi to help Duan Xiaolou, slowing down the movie and then breaking her promise of going back to the brothel? She was a thorn in my side... Not to mention the characters are rather lacking. I mentioned it before, but man, after Cheng Dieyi's hissy fit with Duan Xiaolou marrying Juxian, the characters really stall. Prior to this, I loved the development of Cheng Dieyi's love for Duan Xiaolou, despite being a man (did he take on Consort Yu's role too seriously?). I think this should have gone even further. But no, Duan Xiaolou rejects him and suddenly there's a marriage and then boom, Cheng Dieyi goes for another guy. The two characters on their own was fine, but them together was painful. It was just so... lacking. And what is up with the disgraceful son who Cheng Dieyi raises? However, given that it is a reflection of the director's experiences as a Red Guard and denouncing his father, I suppose it is forgivable, but the way it was done was so quick and sloppy. Cutting to the chase, the film is pretty good, but it was pretty lacking. The mirror play was brilliant and some shots were great. I also still love the initial development as well, but the duo's development gets odd in the middle, and that was the main point of the film. Nonetheless, I could totally watch it again. I also think it is a pretty accessible film for a foreigner. That is to say, I've watched other Mandarin-speaking films and they feel really governed to the Mandarin-speaking public. I watch them, but they fly over my head because I don't understand the issues at hand given I'm not that familiar with China's issues... Well, maybe more so now that I resided in China for two months, but anyway, this is a good film to watch to at least get a taste of Chinese cinema. Hence why I think it did so well internationally. It's a good film to slowly ease into Chinese cinema.

WHEW. Now that I've discussed and pondered over this film for almost two months, I think I can put it to rest for now. To say it quickly, in a sentence, the film is pretty good. It's a nice introduction to Chinese cinema, but it can be lacking. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed some of the shots. Would I watch it again? Sure. I just hope I won't be graded this time. On to the next film!

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