Ba wang bie ji (1993)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Kaige Chen

Writers:

Lillian Lee (novel)
Lillian Lee (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

15 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

The passionate story of two lifelong friends and the woman who comes between them.

Plot:

The story of two men, who met as apprentices in the Peking Opera, and stayed friends for over 50 years.

Plot Keywords:

Opera | Peking | Peking Opera | Prostitution | Drug Addict

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Leslie Cheung	...	Cheng Dieyi (segment "Douzi")
Fengyi Zhang	...	Duan Xiaolou (segment "Shitou")
Li Gong	...	Juxian
Qi Lü	...	Master Guan
Da Ying	...	Manager
You Ge	...	Master Yuan
Chun Li	...	Xiao Si (in his teens)
Han Lei	...	Xiao Si (adult)
Di Tong	...	Zhang the Eunuch
Mingwei Ma	...	Douzi as a Child
Yang Fei	...	Shitou as a Child
Zhi Yin	...	Douzi as a Teenager
Hailong Zhao	...	Shitou as a Teenager
Dan Li	...	Laizi / Peking Opera schoolboy
Wenli Jiang	...	Douzi's Mother
Yitong Zhi	...	Aoki Saburo
David Wu	...	Red Guard
Qing Xu

Directed by
Kaige Chen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lillian Lee		novel
Lillian Lee		screenplay
Bik-Wa Lei		writer
Wei Lu		writer

Produced by
Bin Hsu	....	executive producer
Feng Hsu	....	producer
Jade Hsu	....	executive producer
Zhenduo Li	....	line producer
Donald Ranvaud	....	associate producer
Sun Ying	....	line producer
Xia Zhang	....	line producer

Original Music by
Jiping Zhao

Cinematography by
Changwei Gu

Film Editing by
Xiaonan Pei

Production Design by
Yuhe Yang
Zhanjia Yang

Art Direction by
Huaikai Chen

Costume Design by
Chen Changmin

Makeup Department
Fan Qingshan	....	makeup artist
Guan Rui Xu	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bai Yu	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jin Ping	....	assistant director
Bai Yu	....	assistant director
Jinting Zhang	....	assistant director
Jinzhan Zhang	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jing Tao	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Zhao Faquan	....	camera operator
Dong Gang	....	Steadicam operator
Baoquan Li	....	Steadicam operator

Editorial Department
Rob Sciarratta	....	video color timer

Other crew
Ying Feng	....	script supervisor
Linda Jaivin	....	subtitler: English

Production Companies

• Beijing Film Studio
• China Film Co-Production Corporation
• Maverick Picture Company
• Tomson Films

Distributors

• Miramax Films (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Editora Europa (Brazil) (DVD)
• Film Arte (Argentina)
• Iberoamericana Films Producción (Spain)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Look Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• XYZ Desarrollos S.A. (Spain)

Other Companies

• Arrow Cinematic Group  equipment provided by
• Fine Art Film Production Company  subtitles: Hong Kong version
• Nikkatsu Studio  sound post-production
• Tokyo Laboratory Co. Ltd.  film processing
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Ba wong bit gei (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Farewell My Concubine (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and strong depiction of thematic material.

Runtime:

171 min

Country:

China | Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Peru:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Company:

Beijing Film Studio

Trivia:

The very first film from the People's Republic of China to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Douzi is first examined by the owner of the opera troupe, his extra finger is on his right hand below the thumb. When he withdraws the hand from the opera troupe owner, he pulls back his left arm. When his mother cuts the extra finger off a few moments later, it is now on his left hand, next to his pinkie.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Dad!: Failure Is Not a Factory-installed Option (#2.3)" (2006)

One of the best Chinese films... ever!

One of the best Chinese films...ever!

The story was touching and brilliant, packed with unforgettable scenes: The Dickens-like portrayal of the young Peking opera performers undergoing training was heart-breaking. The presence of Japanese, Nationalist and Communnist troops were powerful reminders of Modern China's torrential times. The class struggle scene was a painfully poignant reference to the inhumanity of Maoist China (especially for those Chinese old-timers who vividly remember the days of the Cultural Revolution). And off course, the last scene was nothing short of stunning. It begs the viewer to open another box of tissues.

One scene that particularly had me in tears was when Douzi was going through his opium withdrawal and he starts shivering, "It's so cold. Mother, the water's frozen." It was clearly a heart-breaking reference to the earlier days of his arduous youth.

The acting was also superb. Leslie Cheung's portrayal of the effeminate Douzi was hynoptically convincing. (Especially compared to his usual roles in HK action flicks). Gong Li constantly demands our attention with her stunning beauty and charm. Last but not least, Zhang Fengyi's portrayal of the masculine Shitou was excellent. I can't imagine anyone else taking his role.

It's refreshing to see such an intelligent and historic Chinese epic (especially after watching all those deadbrain gun-toting HK action flicks) Director Chen Kaige did a wonderful job portraying the complex and often uneasy love affair between the two stage brothers. He also managed to skillfully express profound themes that resonated throughout the film. Fate, loyalty, class struggle, the parallels between Opera and Life, and other ideas leave the viewer dazed in deep thoughts for hours after the film.

Because of the heavy references to modern Chinese events, some viewers may be confused by this film. While modern Chinese history is not a pre-requisite, I believe knowing the basics would definitely enhance the experience of this film. But nonetheless, this is quite possibly one of the best Chinese films... ever. Take it from me: Rent this one NOW!

Trivia Note: The "struggle scene" (where the Red Guards dragged out Douzi and Shitou in front of the mob for confession) was based upon the real-life experience of Director Chen Kaige. Chen suffered the same fate when he was purged during the Cultural Revolution. In fact, he denounced his own father, an act which he later regretted.