Kaige Chen's 1993 film Farewell My Concubine
Kaige Chen's 1993 film Farewell My Concubine traces the development of several characters and the evolution of China throughout the twentieth century, from the Warlord Era in the 1920s until the end of the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s. The social and political upheavals occurring in the country mirrors the strife in the personal lives of Cheng Dieyi, Duan Xiaolou, and Juxian. War, chaos, and social turbulence are apt backgrounds for the depiction of these three central characters. The events of the film begin in Beijing during the warlord era, in 1924. A prostitute names Yanhong carries her child through a crowded public area, where a performance by the Beijing opera enthralls a rowdy crowd. Yanhong ignores a man who calls her a whore, an act that sets the stage for one of the film's overarching themes: social class conflict and the ill treatment of both actors and of prostitutes. During the performance, a young boy names Laizi tries to run away from his troupe, and a bold teenager named Shitou proudly beats a brick over his head as a display of prowess and strength. His teachers subsequently beat him for his divergence from the script, and while he is being badly beaten, the prostitute with the young boy wave to him kindly.
The treatment and perception of prostitutes is also illustrated through the character of Juxian, who was once the prettiest courtesan at the House of Blossoms. Duan rescues her, Cinderella-style, from the whorehouse. When she leaves, the madam tells her condescendingly, "Once a whore, always a whore." Her words ring true as the events of the film unfold to reveal that Juxian is never able to escape her past, even years later during the Cultural Revolution. The communist leaders also change the nature and themes of the Beijing Opera, to Dieyi's dismay. Without interest in the stories of kings, the communists ask that the opera reflect proletarian ideals. Costumes are designed differently to deny social stratification. Dieyi openly rebels against what is called the New Society Theater, which is state-owned and collectivized. Duan Xialou supports the modernization of the opera, to Dieyi's dismay. When Dieyi becomes a teacher of young students, Duan accuses his old-school methods as being no longer efficacious in the new society. "Go with the times!" he cries out to Dieyi. The Chinese nationalist forces finally triumph over the Japanese in 1945, but the peace is short-lived. The opera suffers, as the Chinese Nationalist Army heckles Dieyi's performance because of his willingness to act in front of the Japanese. Duan Xialou speaks up for his friend and a riot ensues. The Chinese nationalists say that Dieyi "encouraged the enemy and disgraced the people." Dieyi remains loyal to the opera, noting that "If Aoki had lived he would have taken the Beijing Opera to Japan." Dieyi is deemed a traitor but is released on bond. Duan Xialou becomes exasperated and the rift between the two grows. The film captures decades of cultural, political, and social turmoil in China and juxtaposes several layers of characters in play-within-a-play format. The Cultural Revolution eliminated the appearance of the old social stratification, but the lives of actors and prostitutes remain substandard. When Duan, Dieyi, and Juxian stand before their communist accusers, all three of them are ridiculed for being low life actors and prostitutes, a bold assessment of the failure of the proletarian revolution to instill social equity on top of a millenia-old Chinese culture. Actors were viewed poorly by the Japanese as well as by the Chinese. One night the Japanese call Duan Xialou a "low-life," sparking the young man's temper. The Japanese forces proceed to imprison Duan Xiaolou for his nationalist leanings and outspoken resentment toward the Japanese. The Japanese, apparently enamored with Chinese opera and having heard of Dieyi's greatness, blackmail him into performing for them. Although Dieyi still harbors resentment toward his friend for marrying, he agrees to perfor
Some common words found in the essay are:
Duan Xialou, Farewell Concubine, Yuan Shiqing, Juxian War, Beijing Opera, Japanese Japanese, Cultural Revolution, Juxian Duan, Concubine Yu, Dieyi Juxian, farewell concubine, duan xialou, beijing opera, yuan shiqing, actors prostitutes, cultural revolution, master yuan shiqing, duan xiaolou, master yuan, social stratification, warlord era, opera farewell concubine, opera dieyi's dismay,
Approximate Word count = 1861
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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