"Farewell My Concubine". Known as the pinnacle of Chinese film history, it is also an unprecedented epic film. So far, no one can shake or even match its status. It won China's only Palme d'Or. It is also the "acting god" work of director Chen Kaige and actors such as Leslie Cheung, Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi and others.

Let us review this classic today

No matter how much time passes, revisiting "Farewell My Concubine" can still give people a sense of an era as if it were a lifetime ago. The film itself carries the atmosphere of the vicissitudes of the times, as well as the sense of disillusionment with reality and personal pursuits, which makes people unforgettable for a long time. The film is adapted from Li Bihua's original work, and uses a play from "Farewell My Concubine" as a clue throughout the text. It brings out the memory of that generation of people drifting like duckweeds due to the changes in history and times.

At the beginning of the story, two middle-aged people dressed as Overlord and Yu Ji entered the stadium. Yu Ji's gait is light, while Ba Wang's steps are like a stumbling old man. Time goes back more than 50 years. In the cold winter of 1924 in Peking, Xiaodouzi’s mother held him while walking in the streets. They stopped in an open space where a troupe was performing. I saw a dozen children performing a "monkey show", and one of them took advantage of the chaos and ran away. The spectators felt disappointed and started to complain. In order to calm the emotions of the spectators. The senior brother named Xiao Shitou performed acrobatics for everyone. He picked up a brick and hit himself on the head. This calmed everyone's emotions and the performance continued. But after returning to the troupe, Xiao Shitou was not praised by the master, but was beaten. In the eyes of the master, this is just a "disrespectful" method, and only singing well is the right way. On the other side, mother appeared in the theater troupe with Xiaodouzi. She knew that Xiaodouzi could not live with her, so she could only send him here to learn skills. The master looked at Xiaodouzi but refused to take him in. Because Xiaodouzi was born with six fingers, this will affect the emotions of the spectators. If you keep pointing, you will not be able to become a corner.

So the mother took Xiaodouzi out. She was cruel and cut off Xiaodouzi's frozen sixth finger with a kitchen knife. His mother squeezed his bloody hand and signed the contract of sale. Xiaodouzi walked out of the door resolutely. When Xiaodouzi turned around, his mother had disappeared. When she first came to the theater troupe, the introverted Xiaodouzi was quickly bullied. Everyone knew his background and deliberately ridiculed him. Only his elder brother Xiao Shitou is the only one among the people who cares about him.

Life in the troupe was very hard, and Xiaodouzi was forced to press his legs with stones. Xiao Shitou secretly helped him kick away a stone during training, but was seen by his master and punished. In the dead of winter, I knelt in the yard with a basin of water on my head. My whole body was almost frozen into ice. This made Xiaodouzi, who had never been cared about before, very touched. At night, Xiaodouzi used his body to warm the little stone.

The two children grew up slowly and became teenagers in the blink of an eye. The handsome Xiaodouzi was promoted by his master to play a leading role. But Xiaodouzi didn't understand why at first, and was even a little resistant. He always sang the phrase "I was originally a female Jiao'e" in "Si Fan" as "I was originally a male son". Because of this incident, Xiaodouzi was beaten by his master.

One day, the little leper heard the cries of cries and ran away from the troupe with Xiaodouzi for a bite of candied haws. The two were wandering on the street and happened to meet a popular celebrity. The two sneaked into the theater, and this was the first time they witnessed the grace of a famous actor. It happened that the song that day was "Farewell My Concubine". The little leper couldn't help but sigh, how many beatings it would take to become such a person.

The two returned to the troupe, but the entire troupe was being punished for their escape. Especially small stones. Xiaodouzi explained to his master that it had nothing to do with his senior brother and that he wanted to run away, and took the initiative to lie down on the stool to be punished. At this time, Xiao Leizi looked at Xiao Shitou and Xiao Douzi who were crying bitterly after being beaten. It is estimated that he will be beaten to death in his turn. So he ate all the candied haws in his pocket and committed suicide in the practice room. Only then did Xiao Shitou and Xiao Douzi escape. The life of the troupe did not change because of the death of the little leper. Soon life in the troupe returned to peace.

On this day, the master taught everyone a drama, and he was talking about "Farewell My Concubine". Overlord Xiang Yu was in great turmoil, but he was a reckless man. In the end, he lost to Liu Bang, leaving only one horse and Yu Ji. Yu Ji refused to live alone, so she drew her sword and killed herself.

The master said that this play tells a truth about how to behave. That is "people have to perfect themselves". Xiao Shitou liked the heroic spirit in it, but Xiao Douzi listened to "From the beginning to the end"

One day, the owner of the theater came. The theater troupe was counting on him for the second half of the year's business, but Xiao Douzi The wrong beans again. In order to save the matter, Xiao Shitou stabbed his mouth with a smoke pot.

The first performance was performed in the old eunuch's mansion, "Farewell My Concubine", which won everyone's applause. Xiao Shitou valued a famous sword, and Xiao Douzi promised that he would give it to him.

Xiaodouzi was called by the old eunuch to break the rules. After coming out, Xiaodouzi was in despair. I happened to see an abandoned baby, and I seemed to see myself from many years ago, so I took him in.

A few years later, Xiaodouzi and Xiaoshitou both became horns. Their pseudonyms were Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou respectively. Although the society at that time was in chaos, the theater was still full.

A distinguished guest came to the theater that day, Fourth Master Yuan, who admired Yu Ji in butterfly clothes very much. Then he was given a small gift: a complete set of pearl and diamond tiaras. But Xiaolou didn't give him face. Seeing that he was not welcome, Fourth Master Yuan left politely.

Xiaolou ran to Huamanlou to find his girlfriend Juxian. But Juxian was being bullied by a group of bullies at this time. He jumped down from the building and was caught by the small building. In order to save Juxian, Xiaolou lied and said that he was engaged to Juxian and invited everyone to drink. Seeing that everyone was still unwilling to give up, he did what he had done many years ago and picked up a teapot and threw it at himself, which calmed everyone down.

This romantic affair soon spread to Dieyi’s ears, but Dieyi became angry.

It is said that Juxian is also an infatuated woman. After Duan Xiaolou helped her out, Juxian really fell in love with him. After using all his possessions and even his last pair of shoes to redeem himself, he went barefoot to the theater to look for Duan Xiaolou. He lied that he was kicked out and could only go to Duan Xiaolou. If Duan Xiaolou doesn't want him, he can only jump off the building again.

While everyone was busy, Dieyi opened the door.

Dieyi came to Yuan Siye's house in despair, and unexpectedly saw the sword that she had promised to give to Xiaolou in Eunuch Zhang's house when she was a teenager. Fourth Master Yuan saw that Dieyi liked the sword and wanted to give it to him. But Dieyi wanted to spend money to buy it, but Fourth Master Yuan said, "A sword rewards a confidant." Cheng Dieyi came to Duan Xiaolou with a sword, but Duan Xiaolou had already forgotten his original promise. At this point, Cheng Dieyi finally became disheartened and decided not to associate with Duan Xiaolou anymore.

At this time, Peiping had fallen and was besieged on all sides. Japanese officers liked to listen to plays, so the theater had no choice but to remain open for them.

The performance that day was "The Drunken Concubine". During the performance, someone suddenly made a fuss and flyers flew everywhere. The stage lights also went out. I saw that Dieyi was still immersed in the artistic conception of the imperial concubine, and was not affected by the outside world at all. Selflessly performing the unfinished dance steps, immersed in his own world, he won a round of applause. He got into trouble in a small building behind the stage and was captured by the Japanese. The Japanese asked Dieyi to go to the singing hall. Dieyi was so anxious that he prepared to leave without saying a word. It happened that Juxian came in at this time and begged Dieyi to save Xiaolou. But Dieyi was on the right track. Being as smart as the Juxian, Dieyi can naturally see the indescribable affection that Dieyi has for Xiaolou. Then she promised Dieyi that as long as she rescued Xiaolou, she would no longer have contact with Xiaolou.

Dieyi sang "The Peony Pavilion" at the church meeting. The Japanese let Duan Xiaolou go, but Duan Xiaolou did not accept Dieyi's love. Juxian did not fulfill her promise and still married Duan Xiaolou. Dieyi became addicted to smoking. The two stopped singing, which alarmed the master. After being taught by their master, the two agreed to continue performing on the same stage.

When the master was singing "Lin Chong's Night Run", he died suddenly due to excessive excitement, causing the troupe to disband and everyone left. Only a child named Xiaosier did not leave. He was the child Xiaodouzi picked up when he came out of Eunuch Zhang's house. So Dieyi took him in to learn opera from him. In 1945, after Japan surrendered, Dieyi was arrested for singing for the Japanese. Xiaolou asked Fourth Master Yuan for help, but Fourth Master Yuan deliberately made things difficult for him.

At this time, Juxian arrived with the sword that Mr. Yuan Si had given to Dieyi. In the court, the judge criticized Cheng Dieyi for his "obscene lyrics and erotic songs, which insulted our national culture." Fourth Master Yuan argued hard, and there were people in the Kuomintang who admired Cheng Dieyi, and Dieyi was finally rescued. Cheng Dieyi still sang his opera, but Duan Xiaolou started selling watermelons. Dieyi found his senior brother again with the sword and gave him the sword as a gift. The two finally settled their differences. The theater owner on the side couldn't help but sigh that no matter how the times change, Peking Opera will always be the quintessence of the country, and they will always have an audience.

The old society has exhausted its power and times have changed. As a local rich man, Fourth Master Yuan became the first group of people to be knocked down. Xiao Si also followed the parade and became a member of the "New World". Dieyi decided to restart her singing career and began to quit smoking. It is not easy to quit smoking. He smashed his home to pieces and began to feel dazed. At this time, the person who cared for him the most was Juxian. After Dieyi recovered, his friends came to congratulate him. I really hope time can stay at this moment forever. Because after Dieyi recovered, his suffering began.

The new era requires modern drama, but Dieyi does not know how to assess the situation and believes that modern drama is incompatible with the essence of Peking Opera. But he didn't expect that the first person to refute him would be his own disciple, Xiao Si'er. Juxian smelled a dangerous breath, and Xiaolou was about to speak, but Juxian stopped him, "It's going to rain outside, give you an umbrella." It means that things are going to change outside, so be careful what you say and do.

After Dieyi returned, he punished his apprentice, but to his surprise, Xiao Sier broke up with him.

In the next scene, Xiaosier takes Dieyi's place. Dieyi put on the headgear for his senior brother, turned around and left.

Duan Xiaolou wants Dieyi to compromise and be accepted by this era. But Cheng Dieyi didn't want to give in and even burned all his costumes. From then on, I stopped singing.

Time goes back eleven years, and the movie returns to the stadium where it started. As actors from the Peking Opera Troupe, Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou rehearsed "Farewell My Concubine" again.

Under Duan Xiaolou's reminder, the two of them remembered the often misunderstood sentence "I am a man, not a girl" when they were Xiaodouzi. And this sentence also awakened Cheng Dieyi. In order to "end up with the end", Cheng Dieyi chose to act for real and drew his sword to kill himself.

"Farewell My Concubine" uses an epic technique to condense the era of continuous changes for half a century from the 1920s to the 1970s into the life course of several people.

Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou represent two attitudes towards life. Duan Xiaolou has always made a clear distinction. He is the overlord in the play, and he is the common man outside the play. Cheng Dieyi only has one state, and that is acting. But life is like a play, and play is like life, can they really be separated?

Even though Duan Xiaolou tried hard to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, he still did not escape the storms of life and was beaten to death in the face of reality. But Cheng Dieyi has always been concerned about life, drama, and her own choices.

Duan Xiaolou is a "fake overlord" who keeps kneeling in front of all eras in an attempt to protect himself. But Cheng Dieyi is the "True Yu Ji" who always only pursues dramatic art. Suicide may be the most honorable death option for Cheng Dieyi. He died to realize the possibility of becoming a "true Yu Ji".