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IMDbPro

Farewell My Concubine

Original title: Ba wang bie ji
  • 19931993
  • RR
  • 2h 51m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
29K
YOUR RATING
Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Watch ’Official Trailer’
Play trailer1:56
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Romance
Two boys meet at an opera training school in Peking in 1924. Their resulting friendship will span nearly 70 years and will endure some of the most troublesome times in China's history.Two boys meet at an opera training school in Peking in 1924. Their resulting friendship will span nearly 70 years and will endure some of the most troublesome times in China's history.Two boys meet at an opera training school in Peking in 1924. Their resulting friendship will span nearly 70 years and will endure some of the most troublesome times in China's history.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
29K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Kaige Chen
  • Writers
    • Pik-Wah Lee(novel)
    • Wei Lu
  • Stars
    • Leslie Cheung
    • Fengyi Zhang
    • Gong Li
Top credits
  • Director
    • Kaige Chen
  • Writers
    • Pik-Wah Lee(novel)
    • Wei Lu
  • Stars
    • Leslie Cheung
    • Fengyi Zhang
    • Gong Li
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 127User reviews
    • 45Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 25 wins & 12 nominations total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:56
    Official Trailer

    Photos147

    Gong Li in Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Leslie Cheung and Fengyi Zhang in Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Gong Li in Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)
    Farewell My Concubine (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Leslie Cheung
    Leslie Cheung
    • Cheng Dieyi (segment "Douzi")as Cheng Dieyi (segment "Douzi")
    Fengyi Zhang
    Fengyi Zhang
    • Duan Xiaolou (segment "Shitou")as Duan Xiaolou (segment "Shitou")
    Gong Li
    Gong Li
    • Juxianas Juxian
    You Ge
    You Ge
    • Master Yuanas Master Yuan
    Da Ying
    • Manageras Manager
    Qi Lü
    • Master Guanas Master Guan
    Han Lei
    • Xiao Si (adult)as Xiao Si (adult)
    Di Tong
    • Zhang the Eunuchas Zhang the Eunuch
    Zhi Yin
    Zhi Yin
    • Douzi as a Teenageras Douzi as a Teenager
    Mingwei Ma
    • Douzi as a Childas Douzi as a Child
    Hailong Zhao
    • Shitou as a Teenageras Shitou as a Teenager
    Zhenxiang Fei
    • Shitou as a Childas Shitou as a Child
    • (as Yang Fei)
    Dan Li
    Dan Li
    • Laizias Laizi…
    Yongchao Yang
    • Laizi as a Childas Laizi as a Child
    Fei Huang
    • Old Masteras Old Master
    Wenli Jiang
    Wenli Jiang
    • Douzi's Motheras Douzi's Mother
    Yitong Zhi
    • Aoki Saburoas Aoki Saburo
    Chun Li
    • Xiao Si (in his teens)as Xiao Si (in his teens)
    • Director
      • Kaige Chen
    • Writers
      • Pik-Wah Lee(novel) (screenplay)
      • Wei Lu
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jackie Chan was originally offered the role of Duan Xiaolou due to his own childhood experience of training in the Peking Opera. But he turned it down, fearing that the film, which deals with themes of homosexuality, might tarnish his image.
    • Goofs
      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.
    • Quotes

      Master Yuan: A smile ushers in the spring.

      Master Yuan: A tear does darken all the world.

      Master Yuan: How truly does this befit you. To you... only you are possessed of such charm.

    • Alternate versions
      The version presented in the U.S. is different from the original, longer cut, that was distributed internationally. The following differences exist in the U.S. version:
      • The scene where Duan and Juxian are drinking after their wedding was originally directly after the wedding scene, rather than after the bloodletting at the Yuan-Cheng dinner.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Rudy/A Life in the Theatre/Gettysburg/Farewell, My Concubine/Mr. Jones (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Farewell My Concubine Suite (Part I)
      Composed by Jiping Zhao

      © 1993 Varese Sarabande

    User reviews127

    Review
    Top review
    One of the grandest epics of our time...
    A masterpiece in every sense of the word, Chen Kaige's breath-stealing parable of China's multi-layered political revolution, is centred on two men. Chen presents us with an absorbing story of a 52 year-old relationship between two opera actors mounted upon an impossibly large canvas. But without sacrificing any intricate plot development or smudging over any delicate complexity in the relationship.

    Considered by many to be one of the greatest epics of all time, this film rightly established Chen's reputation as one of the most brilliant narrative and artistic directors of our time, along with other such contemporary auteurs as Kieslowski, Bertolucci and Kurosawa.

    You can not call yourself a film-buff if you haven't seen this movie. And film-students: you can witness the true art of filmmaking and story telling through the skilled hands of Chen Kaige's Farewell My Concubine.
    helpful•48
    15
    • sarahgoh
    • Mar 22, 2000

    FAQ1

    • Was Cheng Dieyi Gay?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 15, 1993 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • China
      • Hong Kong
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Bá Vương Biệt Cơ
    • Production companies
      • Tomson Films
      • Beijing Film Studio
      • China Film Co-Production Corporation
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,216,888
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $69,408
      • Oct 17, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,122,607
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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