Ba Wang Bie Ji
Main Content
Record View: BriefDetailedStaff
Information about this record
Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets. Until Farewell, My Concubine (Ba Wang Bie Ji), not many people were aware that most members of the Peking Opera were originally orphans or illegitimate castaways with nowhere else to turn.Such is the case of the film's protagonists, Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) and Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung), two homeless outcasts, trained from childhood in the grueling rigors of the.
| Call no.: | |
| Title: | Ba wang bie ji |
| Alternate titles: | Ba wang bie ji |
| Originally produced: | |
| Format: | DVD |
| Summary: | Story that spans more than 50 years in the lives of two men at the Peking Opera, friends since childhood, and the woman who comes between them. Also an absorbing drama of the period in Chinese history from the warlord era through the Cultural Revolution. |
| Credits: | Miramax Films in association with Maverick Picture Company and Tomson Films Co. ; screenplay, Lilian Lee and Lu Wei ; producer, Hsu Feng ; director, Zhen Kaige. |
| Edition: | |
| Publication: | Burbank, CA : Miramax Home Entertainment : Buena Vista Home Entertainment, distributor, [1999] |
| Languages: | Closed-captioned for the hearing impaired. |
| Details: | |
| Studio(s): | Miramax Films Tomson Films |
| Director(s): | |
| Screenwriter(s): | Lu, Wei |
| Producer(s): | |
| Cast: | Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li. |
| Production: | Director of chinematography, Gu Changwei ; editor, Pei Xiaonan ; music, Zhao Jiping. |
| Notes: | Based on the novel by Lilian Lee. |
| Subjects: | Li, Bihua Film adaptations. Motion pictures, Chinese. |
| Genre: | Feature films. |
See in Franklin
Chinese Peking Opera
Item Status:
Until Farewell, My Concubine (Ba Wang Bie Ji), not many people were aware that most members of the Peking Opera were originally orphans or illegitimate castaways with nowhere else to turn. Such is the case of the film's protagonists, Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) and Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung), two homeless outcasts, trained from childhood in the grueling rigors of the Opera by master Lu Qui. The film traces the 52-year friendship between Xiaolou and Dieyi, a friendship pockmarked with fiery conflicts and tender reconciliations. Though the delicate Dieyi specializes in female roles and the gutsy Xiaolou plays noble warriors, theirs is an essentially heterosexual relationship; still, when Xiaolou takes upon himself a prostitute bride (the magnificent Gong Li), Dieyi is as petty and jealous as an outcast mistress. Farewell, My Concubine holds the viewer in thrall from start to finish; as such, it is thoroughly deserving of its many international film awards and nominations. Surprisingly, this worldwide success was something of a flop in its home country of China; perhaps it hit too close to home for those viewers who'd lived through the same years so painstakingly recreated in the film.
Farewell My Concubine
Life in the Arts Political Unrest Totalitarian States Gender-Bending Star-Crossed Lovers
apprentice, attraction, childhood, China, cultural-revolution, female-impersonator, homosexual, ideals, love-triangle, marriage, politician, regime, relationship, revenge, training, academy, boy, career, farewell, friendship, help, history, Japan, love, luck, news, opera, play [drama], play [recreation], prostitute/prostitution, release, songwriter, stars [celebrities], suicide, teacher
Ba Wang Bie Ji Summary
High Production Values