Scene Analysis: Farewell My Concubine - Essay Example

Laizi’s quest for freedom leads the two into a frantic search for freedom in a world where it can be compromised by anyone.

The film begins in a setting town where a crowd is distracted from the frantic attempts by Laizi to leave the dojo. The director does not reveal the initial intention of Laizi and his desire if he gets freedom. One of the key features of this film that make it outstanding is the wide use of Chinese tunes to create an atmosphere. The use of sounds and music makes the movie emotional, which is one of the features of the movie that helped it win the Cannes Palme d'Or, making it to be the first and only Chinese movie to win the award.

Douzi’s introductory scene is also very intriguing. Initially, Douzi’s mother takes her young boy to the master who refuses to accept him due to his disability, which is a polydactyly finger. His mother chops off the finger making a contract with the master on leaves so that the master accepts her son. This scene is characterized by a close-up of the camera shifting closer toward the finger being chopped off to create suspense and to achieve a more dramatic scene. Douzi and Laizi’s relationship grows and they become good friends for years. However, as was the initial case, Laizi influences Douzi to run away from the troupe, but they choose to return after attending a performance in the Perkin Opera.

After Laizi’s death, Douzi is faced with countless challenges. For instance, Eunuch Zhang sodomizes Douzi. However, the director avoids this scene only showing the initial attraction that Eunuch Zhang had for Douzi and later revealing that the latter had been molested and was a little shaken by the situation. The director opts to eliminate the scene in which Eunuch Zhang traumatizes Douzi to ensure that the film does not become too obscene. This form of censorship is common in most Chinese movies covering themes such as sex. The shifting of the camera position to face the roof leaves the audience to create their perceptions of what transpired.

The several remarkable scenes make the film memorable. Major themes presented in the book include freedom, death, friendship, love, lust, and violence. For instance, when Douzi and Laizi come back to the troupe, the master beats Douzi and Shitou mercilessly, leading Laizi to commit suicide by hanging himself. The film explores both the emotional and visionary aspects of the youths and the various troubles they undergo in their life before they eventually become adults or senior citizens. The setting of the movie within an Opera and several other plays within the movie is also a key representation of the director’s appreciation of Chinese art and opera performances. Read More