Farewell My Concubine is adapted from Li Bihua’s(Lilian Lee) novel of the same name, directed by Chen Kaige, and written by Lilian Lee and Lu Wei. Leslie Cheung, Gong Li and Zhang Fengyi lead the cast.
Since its release in 1993, Farewell My Concubine has been well received at home and abroad. Whether from the historical perspective of the story, from the perspective of dramatic conflicts in narration, or from the perspective of its deeply rooted theme, it can attract the audience into the plot and trigger people’s thinking. The film revolves around the ups and downs of two Peking Opera smart people for half a century. It shows the thinking of traditional culture and people’s living state.
In 1993, the film won the Palme d ‘or award ，the highest award of Cannes international film festival in France. In addition, the film also won the golden globe award for best foreign language film in the United States, the international federation of film critics awards and other international awards. It is the only Chinese film that won the golden palm award in Cannes international film festival and the golden globe award for best foreign language film in the United States.
Farewell My Concubine is a film with historical color. The cultural revolution may be said to have deprived artists like Cheng Dieyi of their basic survival ability, but they were still full of dreams. Unfortunately, many things are always cruel. At the end of the film, Cheng Dieyi kills himself with his sword. This is his way to punish Duan Xiaolou. From then on, Yu Ji really says goodbye to his overlord.
Farewell My Concubine spans more than half a century in narrative time. It depicts the social background of different periods, and it gives rise to deep thought.
