Today, let us revisit this classic
No matter how long it has been, revisiting Farewell My Concubine will still give people a sense of a time that seems like a lifetime ago. The movie itself carries the aura of the vicissitudes of the times, as well as the sense of disillusionment between reality and personal pursuits, making it unforgettable for a long time. The movie is adapted from Li Bihua's original novel, with the play "Farewell My Concubine" as a clue throughout the whole movie. The movie brings out the memory of a generation of people who were drifting like duckweed due to the changes in history and the times.
At the beginning of the story, two middle-aged men walk into the stadium dressed as the king and Yu Ji. Yu Ji has a light gait, while the king looks like an old man who is stumbling. More than 50 years ago, in the cold winter of 1924 in Beiping, Little Douzi's mother was walking down the street with him in her arms. They stopped at a vacant lot where a theater troupe was performing. They saw a dozen children performing the "Monkey Show", and one of them ran away. The spectators were upset and were angry. In order to calm down the spectators. In order to calm them down, a big brother named Little Stone performed an acrobatic act for everyone, and took a brick and smashed it into his own head, which calmed down everyone's emotions and allowed the show to continue. However, when he returned to the troupe, Little Stone was not honored by the master, but was beaten instead. In the master's eyes, this is just a "lowly" tactic, and only good singing is the right way. On the other hand, his mother showed up at the theater with Little Douzi. She knew that Little Douzi couldn't live with herself, so she had to send him here to learn the art. The master took a look at Little Douzi, but refused to take him in. Because Little Douzi was born with six fingers, which would affect the emotions of the spectators, and he could not become a character without breaking his fingers.
So his mother dragged him out of the house, and she cut off his frozen sixth finger with a kitchen knife. The mother pinched his blood-soaked hand and signed the deed of sale. The mother signed the deed of sale by pinching his bloodied hand, and walked out of the door with determination, Little Douzi turned back, and his mother had already disappeared. When he first came to the theater, the introverted Little Douzi was soon bullied. Everyone knows his background and deliberately taunts and sarcasm him. Only Big Brother Little Stone is the only person in the crowd who cares about him.
Life in the theater troupe is hard, and Little Douzi is forced to press his legs with stones. Little Stone secretly helped him kick away a stone during training, but was punished by the master who saw him. Kneeling in the courtyard in the cold winter months against a water basin. The whole person was freezing into ice. This makes never been cared for small beans is very touched. At night the little bean with his own body to warm the little stone.
The two children grew up slowly and became teenagers in the blink of an eye. The good-looking Little Douzi was developed by his master in the direction of Danjiao. But Little Douzi didn't understand why at first, and even resisted a bit. He always sang the line "I am a woman" in Sifan as "I am a man". Because of this matter, small beans have not been less master's beatings.
One day, Xiaolai Zi heard the sound of hawking, in order to a mouthful of ice candy gourd, with small beans escaped from the troupe. The two wandered in the street, and happened to meet the red famous actor. The two sneaked into the theater, which was the first time they witnessed a famous actor. It so happened that the day of singing is "Farewell My Concubine". Little Laizi can't help but lament how many beatings he had to take to become such a character.
The two returned to the troupe, but the whole troupe was being punished for their escape. Especially Little Stone. Little Douzi like the master to explain and elder brother has nothing to do with, it is their own to run away, and took the initiative to lie down on the stool to be punished. And at this moment, Xiao Laizi looked at the beaten and crying Little Stone and Little Douzi. It is estimated that it is his turn to be beaten to death. So he ate all the ice candy gourds in his pocket and committed suicide in the practice room. Only then did he let Little Stone and Little Douzi escape. The life of the troupe did not change because of Little Laizi's death. Soon the life of the troupe returned to peace.
On this day, the master gave a lecture on the opera, and it was "Farewell My Concubine". Xiang Yu, the king of the world, was a reckless man. In the end, he was defeated by Liu Bang, leaving only a horse and Yu Ji. Yu Ji refused to live alone, pulled out her sword and killed herself. The master said that the play tells a truth about how to behave. That is, "one has to make oneself whole". Little Stone liked the heroism of the play, but Little Douzi listened to the words "from the beginning to the end."
One day, the owner of the theater came, and the troupe was counting on him for the second half of the year's business, but Little Douzi had been wrong again. Xiao Shi in order to put things back, with a smoking pot to stab him in the mouth.
The debut show was at the old eunuch's mansion, and the performance was none other than Farewell My Concubine, which was applauded by all. Little Stone values a famous sword, and Little Douzi promises him that he will give it to him.
Little Douzi was called by the old eunuch to submerge. After coming out Xiao Douzi lost his mind. He happened to see an abandoned baby, as if he saw himself many years ago, and took him in.
After a few more years, Xiaodouzi and Xiaoshi both became horns. They were respectively known as Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou. Although the society at that time was in chaos, the theater was still full.
On this day, the theater came to a distinguished guest, Master Yuan, who admired Dieyi's Yu Ji. So he sent a small gift: a full set of pearls and diamonds head and face. But Xiaolou did not give him face. Seeing that he was not well received, Yuan Fourth Master courteously excused himself.
Xiaolou runs to Flower House to find his favorite girl, Ju Xian. However, Ju Xian was being bullied by a group of bullies at that moment and jumped down from the top of the building, which was caught by Xiaolou. In order to help Juxian out, Xiaolou lied and said that he was betrothed to Juxian and invited everyone to drink. Seeing that the crowd is still unforgiving, he plays the same act he did years ago, picking up a teapot and smashing it on himself, which calms the crowd.
This affair soon reached Dieyi's ears, who knew that Dieyi was furious.
That said, Juxian is also a woman of love, after Duan Xiaolou helped her out, Juxian really fell in love with him. After redeeming herself with all her belongings and even her last pair of shoes, she came barefoot to the theater to find Duan Xiaolou. She lied that she had been kicked out and could only run to Duan Xiaolou. If Duan Xiaolou doesn't want him, he can only jump off the building again.
As everyone was buzzing, Dieyi pulled open the door.
Butterfly Clothes came to Master Yuan's house in a state of despair, and she didn't expect to see the sword that she promised to give to Xiaolou when she was a teenager in Eunuch Zhang's house. Master Yuan sees that Dieyi likes the sword and wants to give it to him.
Cheng Dieyi came to Duan Xiaolou with the sword, but he had forgotten his promise. The first time he saw this, Cheng Dieyi was finally disillusioned and decided to stop seeing Duan Xiaolou.
At this time, Beiping has already fallen and is surrounded by enemies. The Japanese officers like to listen to theater, the theater had to continue to open for them.
This day is the Drunkenness of the Concubine, is performing when someone suddenly made a mess, flyers flying all over the sky. The stage lights also went out. But Dieyi is still immersed in the mood of the noble princess, not affected by the outside world in the slightest. Forgetting to carry on with the unfinished dance steps, she immersed herself in her own world and won a round of applause. After getting into trouble at the small building behind the stage, she is captured by the Japanese. The Japanese asked Dieyi to go to the singing hall, Dieyi was so anxious that she was ready to move without saying a word. At this moment, Juxian walks in and begs Dieyi to save Xiaolou. But But Dieyi is not ready to go. As smart as Ju Xian, she could naturally see Dieyi's unspeakable love for Xiaolou. The first time I saw this, I was able to see that I had a lot of money to spend on my own.
Dieyi sang a song called "The Peony Pavilion" at the party, and the Japanese released Duan Xiaolou, but Duan Xiaolou didn't appreciate Dieyi's love. Juxian does not fulfill her promise and remains married to Duan Xiaolou. Dieyi becomes addicted to cigarettes. The two stopped singing opera and alarmed the master. Only after the master teaches them a lesson do they agree to continue to perform on the same stage.
The master died suddenly from over-excitement during a performance of Lin Chong's Night Run, causing the troupe to disband and everyone to leave. Only a child named Xiao Si Er did not leave. He was the child that Xiaodouzi had picked up when she came out of Eunuch Zhang's residence. Dieyi took him in to study opera with him, and in 1945, after the Japanese surrendered, Dieyi was arrested for having sung for the Japanese. Xiaolou sought help from Master Yuan, but Master Yuan deliberately made things difficult for him. At that moment, Juxian arrives with the sword that Master Yuan had given to Dieyi. In the courtroom, the judge accuses Cheng Dieyi of "insulting our national culture with obscene words and songs". Yuan argues with the judge, and as there are people in the Kuomintang who appreciate Cheng Dieyi, Dieyi is finally saved. Cheng Dieyi still sings his opera, but Duan Xiaolou sells watermelons. But Duan Xiaolou sells watermelons. Dieyi finds his brother again with his sword and gives him the sword. The two of them are able to put aside their old enmity. The owner of the theater can't help but lament that no matter how the times change, Peking Opera will always be a national treasure, and they will always have an audience.
The old society has run out of steam, and the times have changed. As a landlord, Master Yuan became one of the first to be defeated. Xiao Si also followed the march and became a member of the "New World". Dieyi decides to restart his career as an opera singer and starts to quit smoking. It is not easy for him to quit smoking. He smashes his house to pieces and starts to lose his mind, but the one who cares for him the most is Ju Xian. After Dieyi recovered, his friends came to congratulate him. I wish time could stay forever. Because Dieyi's recovery is the beginning of his suffering.
In the new era, there is a need for modern theater, but Dieyi does not know how to assess the situation, thinking that modern theater is incompatible with the essence of Beijing opera. But he didn't realize that the first person to contradict him was his own disciple, Xiaosi'er, who he had brought up with his own hands. Juxian smells danger, Xiaolou is about to speak, but Juxian calls out "It's going to rain outside, here's your umbrella". The meaning is that it is about to change the weather outside, so be careful what you say and do.
Dieyi went back and punished his disciple, but he didn't expect Xiao Si Er to break with him.
In the next scene, Xiao Si Er takes Dieyi's place. Dieyi puts on her headdress for her senior brother and turns to leave.
Duan Xiaolou wants Dieyi to compromise and thus be accepted in the current era. But Cheng Dieyi didn't want to give in and burned all her costumes. Since then, she has not been singing in the theater.
Eleven years later, the movie returns to the stadium at the beginning. Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou, as actors in the Peking Opera troupe, are rehearsing Farewell My Concubine once again.
At Duan Xiaolou's reminder, the two remembered the phrase "I'm a man, not a woman", which was often wrong when they were just little beans. And this sentence, also woke up Cheng Dieyi, in order to "from one to the end", Cheng Dieyi chose to pretend to be real, pulling out the sword to kill himself.
"Farewell My Concubine" is an epic that takes a half-century of changing times from the 1920s to the 1970s and condenses it into the lives of several people.
Cheng Dieyi and Duan Xiaolou represent two kinds of attitudes towards life. Duan Xiaolou has never been very clear, he is a bully in the theater, and a commoner outside the theater. And Cheng Dieyi has only one state, that is the play. But life is like a play, the play is like life, really can be divided?
Even though Duan Xiaolou efforts to avoid harm, but still did not escape the wind and waves of life, in front of the reality of the head was crashed and burned. And Cheng Dieyi from one to the other, to life, to the theater, to their own choices.
Duan Xiaolou is a "fake king", constantly kneeling down in front of each era in an attempt to protect themselves. But Cheng Dieyi is the "real Yu Ji", always pursuing the art of theater. Suicide is perhaps the most honorable way for Cheng Dieyi to die. He is to die to fulfill the possibility of his "real Yu Ji".