Chen Kaiges Farewell My Concubine - Movie Review Example

Chen Kaige’s “Farewell My Concubine” is the epic Chinese film which consist of all the elements that a good picturepromises. The movie is the assortment of action, history, extended overview on the social and political landscapes from 1925 to 1977 in Chinese history, striking colors, all closely fixed in a love story filled with aggression. The main characters of the movie are Douzi (also known by the stage name as Cheng Dieyi), Shitou (also known by the stage name as Xiaolou), and lastly Juxian. Farewell My Concubine is an exemplary piece of art that reflects elegance and magnificence in the form of Peking opera, which is the most intense form of art in Chinese culture. It is based on a novel possessing the similar name, except that the ending of the movie is different from the actual novel. The movie describes the gender trouble confronted by Cheng Dieyi in the determination of his identity and sexuality. It is not just a movie but a collection of all the sentiments erupting in the favor of revolution of Chinese old culture, which disappeared with the Japanese invasion of China. The paper sums up each and every element of the movie which makes it a perfect piece of art. The opera plays a major part in the entire movie, in fact the story revolves around the Peking opera. Its significance lies in the fact that it shapes the lives a characters of the two protagonists, Dieyi and Xiaolou. The opera becomes a dominating figure in their lives as it is the ground on which both the principal characters grew, it even shapes the emotional and sexual development of Dieyi, who becomes a symbol of woman among the people for playing the roles of female in all the plays. The Peking opera is a reminder to the audience that everyone is in charge of designing their own fate, as in the story of the king and the concubine. The Peking opera had a very high standing and its actors were expected to perform perfectly. There was no room for imperfections, as if it was a sacred place. The people behind the opera played the most crucial role in erecting the glorious foundation of the Peking Opera. The status of the opera was as high as any religious building which was built out of blood, sweats, and tears, it was truly a unique piece of architecture and determination. Cheng Dieyi, whose entire life is a struggle, from the beginning till the very end he is surrounded by forces going against him. During his childhood his mother, a prostitute, cuts off his extra finger just to get him into the opera. Even inside the opera he faces vicious troubles as he is forced to think of himself as a woman in an all men opera by taking up female roles. The major trouble faced by Dieyi is the opposition from his cross-gender identity regarding his conflicting sexual nature. Apart from that Dieyi is also not spared from the political brutalities and maltreatments during the Chinese revolution. During 1960s and 70s he is stripped down from the art and dignity he possessed, the art which is further symbolized as the inflicted Chinese culture revolution and the suppressed identity and individuality of an entity. The symbolic woman is not born instead it is the social brutalities that shape the genetic structure of Dieyi. Farewell My Concubine is a filmic interpretation of the feminist theories and philosophies of Judith Butler and Simone de Beauviour. The transformation of the gender identity of Dieyi is considered as breaking the taboo in the Peking Opera and is not accepted by people around him, especially Xiaolou who plays the character of the King in the play “Farewell My Concubine”. The character of Juxian gives a broader view to the filmic representation of feminity. Juxian is a proud and a strong woman, she is a prostitute but she finds out a way to escape from its shackles by marrying Xialou. She runs an entire inn herself and plays a major role in bringing Dieyi out of the opium addiction. She is a figure of emotional and physical strength in the eyes of Dieyi which is why he also tries to inherit that from her. At Juxian’s wedding she takes off her red veil which is portrayed as a symbol of domestic oppression in the movie and indicates the audience there that her marriage is not forced on her, in fact she is in love with Xialou. The in-depth analysis suggests that the goal of Juxian’s life is to gain the love of Xialou. Generally in red movies the idea of ‘marriage’ is portrayed as a life prison from which every woman is restless to get out but in this movie it is presented differently through the actions of Juxian. The movie presents the fortunes and misfortunes of the characters during the backdrop in the Chinese history when the Japanese invaded China in 1937 and the surrender of Japanese in 1945. The story reveals how the Cultural Revolution brought by Chairman Mao’s rule destroyed the unique piece of art, the higher culture: Peking Opera. The political instability in a way adds up spice to the dramatic nature of the movie. In a scene a crowd outside can be heard saying “oppose Japan’s invasion of North China!” which shows that the people of China are pretty unhappy with the invasion of Japanese and are all set to oppose it. One of the main themes of the play is the conflict between art and politics. In one scene Dieyi and Xiaolou are asked “"How can you put on make-up and sing opera at a time like this?". This shows that how during that time the Cultural Revolution became the killer of the pre-existing culture itself which left a negative impact on the people of that time. The movie also reflects the sentiments of Chen Kaige against the Cultural Revolution which can also be seen in the works of Kaige. Most of the movie directed by Chen are characterized by betrayals, which is also one of the main themes of this movie right from the beginning. The movie is a medium of socialization, a political critique. It defines the rest of the picture of communism, which is not all good, and how it brought the downfall of the precious Chinese culture, the art of China. All in all, the film is an effective medium for political socialization, it was successful in communicating the political turmoil and other events that took place during that time to the people of the newer generations. The movie also explains the gender troubles and issues of homosexuality. It blames the society for turning a boy into a girl and later humiliating him for being in search of his gender identity. As a film Farewell My Concubine is a commendable piece of art, consisting of several layers, shedding light on a new perspective of cultural richness in the Chinese Opera industry. Moreover, it combines all the intense elements into one package and delivers it to the audience in the most remarkable manner. For the audience belonging to a different culture, the Chinese culture may seem to be more like an alien culture with different attitudes, behaviors, and traditions but communicated through simpler language. Only a director like Chen Kaige can create such a piece of perfection, by holding together all the elements into a rich, powerful, and emotional piece of cinema which contribute towards it success in capturing the audience. Works Cited Farewell my concubine. Dir. Kaige Chen. Perf. Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li. Reel [distributor, 1993. DVD. Read More