Review: Ba wang bie ji

Farewell My Concubine (International Cut/DVD)

(Ba wang bie ji)
(171 m / China / dir. Chen Kaige / 1993 / Stereo)
Rating: 4.5/5

The version of the film reviewed is from a Hong Kong DVD release put out by Ocean Shores Video Group. The cut runs some fifteen minutes longer than the version released in the United States by Miramax in 1993. I've compiled a complete list of all scenes and dialogue cut from the U. S. release for you to refer to -- Boy am I glad that's over with! :)

"Farewell, My Concubine" is a movie with two parallel, intertwined stories. It is the story of two performers in the Peking Opera, stage brothers, and the woman who comes between them. At the same time, it attempts to do no less than squeeze the entire political history of China in the twentieth century into a three-hour timeframe. By linking the two, it succeeds in dramatic fashion.

I first saw this film shortly after its initial U.S. release, where I became quite caught up in the human story. The second time was on video, just after taking a course on modern Chinese History. Needless to say, I was quite affected by the political aspects of the film that time. This review comes after my third viewing, which is of the longer original release cut. I can't say that my appreciation for the movie has diminished at all, even if what I'm appreciating keeps changing.

The film opens during the chaotic period shortly after the fall of the Manchu dynasty, where we are introduced to the two children who will be the center of the film's action: Shitou, the outspoken actor-in-training at a school of opera, and Douzi, the son of a prostitute who, in a grisly scene, has his extra fingers cut off so that he can join the school. Delicate of build and feature, it soon becomes apparent that Douzi will be trained to play the role of a woman, the Concubine Yu (of the opera from which this film takes its title). Shitou, who plays the king to Douzi's concubine, becomes something of a protector to the younger actor during their training. Thus begins the relationship that will shape their lives through the political upheavals that will follow.

Time passes, and we learn that Douzi and Shitou have become popular stars of the opera, going by the names of Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, respectively. In the process of gallantly saving the beautiful courtesan Juxian (played by the luminous Gong Li) from a party of drunken men, Duan (Zheng Fengyi) stages a mock proposal of marriage. Juxian, seeing a way out of her life of prostitution, quits her job and convinces Duan that she has been thrown out of her home. Feeling responsible, Duan announces to the entire opera troupe that the wedding will go ahead.

This is when it becomes quite clear that Cheng's feelings for Duan are more than brotherly. He is in love with Duan, and sees Juxian as a threat to their relationship both on and off the stage, something that Duan seems to interpret as an obsession with the opera that Cheng cannot separate from real life. This is the personal conflict at the heart of the story, and it reflects the turmoil in China that sits in the background.

From the KMT consolidation of power to the Communist takeover in 1949, to the Cultural Revolution of the 60's and 70's, we experience it all firsthand when we watch the movie. This is undoubtedly because Peking Opera, that ancient art form, must invariably come into conflict with the New Order, whatever form it may take. Both Duan and Cheng get into trouble with these new regimes -- Duan because of his hotheadedness, and Cheng because of his naivete. Sometimes out of spite, sometimes out of love, both do things that come back to haunt them later in life in tragic fashion. Juxian seems to be portrayed as the most politically wise, but as she tries to keep Duan in check and out of trouble (for instance, by convincing him to quit the opera), she doesn't seem to realize that she is as much setting up their downfalls as the two men in her life are.

The scenes protraying the Cultural Revolution are harrowing. During this paranoid time, love was used as a weapon of the state; family members and friends were pressured to turn in their loved ones on charges of nonconformist thinking and behavior. I understand that the director, Chen Kaige himself, turned his father in during the Cultural Revolution. No doubt this film is part of his coming to terms with his regret.

The direction of this film is spectacular, but at the heart of this film's success is the superlative jobs done by the actors. Leslie Cheung, the Hong Kong superstar, gives a delicately nuanced performance as Cheng. Though he seems to have played an awful lot of these Opera roles in Hong Kong, I'm mostly familiar with his work as the goofy traveler in the "Chinese Ghost Story" series. The contrast in these roles is almost too much to be believed. Gong Li, who was called something like "the most beautiful actress in films" by some critic (I think I saw this on the packinging for the "Chinese Box" DVD) is stunning as Juxian. She manages to convey a sort of manipulative cunning, and while she is (unwittingly?) tearing the lives of the two men apart, the viewer can't help but sympathize with her. There's a kind of deep sadness just behind her eyes that appears as the film progresses into its third stage, as if she knows that what she does can only have tragic consequences but she is powerless to act differently. Zheng Fengyi more than adequately provides enough testosterone to balance opposite the effeminate Dieyi and Juxian.

The longer, original release cut includes a variety of scenes not present in the United States release of the film. My impression is that they provide a deeper insight into the characters and the culture that surrounds them, the Peking Opera in particular. If the cost is a slightly slower pace, so be it; I can't really say that any of the cut scenes cried out to be cut. Many of these are longer operatic scenes in addition to those in the domestic cut. It's quite possible that it was decided that Western audiences would have a low threshold to the lovely but culturally alien style of Peking Opera. We see a short sequence in which Duan corrects Juxian as she applies makeup for a performance, explaining how Cheng would have done it. I think scene illustrates the point that his attachment to his stage brother is still deeper than his relationship with his wife. Also, we get a touch of vindication in the closing scenes where certain just desserts appear to be handed out. If you've seen the domestic cut of the film and want to know how this version differs, I will post these changes in a followup. If you've never seen "Farewell," you may want to avoid it as spoilers will undoubtedly be revealed.

Lushly filmed and epic in scope, this colorful historical epic never loses ahold of its human face. Highly recommended.

Some notes on the DVD release:

This is a Hong Kong DVD release put distributed by Ocean Shores Video Limited. They've been producing laserdiscs for a long time, and the back of the box is plastered with notes on the licensing of the film and copyright, so I can only assume that it's a legitimate, commercial release. The film is presented in a 1.85 : 1 aspect ratio, with Chinese and English Subtitles. Cantonese and Mandarin DD 2.1 audio tracks (Mandarin original). This film is not region coded, and can be played in all players.

Getting ahold of this title can be difficult -- Ocean Shores is not one of the brands that Tai Seng imports into the States. I purchased mine online from Five Star Laser in California (http://www.fivestarlaser.com/), for about $35.

As a DVD release, this is a major disappointment. The only "DVD feature" to speak of that was used was multiple audio tracks, unlabeled, with the default set to Cantonese (the original language, Mandarin, is audio track 2). I can only assume that the default is set that way because it is a Hong Kong release. The subtitles, which are white, tiny and lack a border, are integral to the picture. The translation used is identical to that used on the Miramax U. S. video release. There's no menu to speak of. It's also the first DVD that I've ever seen without any chapter stops whatsoever.

Worst of all, the 171-minute film is spread out across two separate discs! Yes, that's right; it's not RSDL, nor even double sided. Two separate discs, which is, I believe, a first for a single movie of less than four hours. Though the discs have attractive scenes from the film printed on them, it's still no excuse for this foolishness.

The picture is clear and sharp, although compression artifacts can occasionally be seen. It doesn't seem to be any worse than, say, your average Fox Lorber release, and seems to have a higher bitrate than most any other Hong Kong release I've seen to date. The color balance of the transfer is fairly warm, especially in comparison to the Miramax release. It's not extreme; I feel that it lends more of a dream-like ambience to the movie. Not having seen a theatrical print in years, I can't really comment on which is a more faithful reproduction.

It's good just to have this film available at all in this format, instead of waiting for Miramax or whoever has the U. S. rights to release it domestically. The real catch here is of course to have this cut of the film available on DVD. If you love the movie and are a fan, it's worth buying for this reason alone. If not, then I would avoid it; it's a fantastic film, but an abject failure as a DVD.