Farewell My Concubine (1993) [Film Review]

Farewell My Concubine; or, The Hegemon-King Bids Farewell to His Concubine
     I am by nature a boy… not a girl.
Today’s review is something really special, dear readers. I have heard about this movie for so many years. Even before the internet era, in special film guidebooks, this particular motion picture was frequently mentioned alongside Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as one of the all-time best Asian productions. It comes as no surprise that to date this is the only Chinese production movie that won the Palme d'Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. In addition, it was also listed as one of the 100 Best Films in Global History by Time magazine. Let’s take a closer look at Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine.

Release Info

Directed by: Chen Kaige Starring: Leslie Cheung, Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 霸王别姬 Runtime: 171 min (unaltered version)

Synopsis
It is the year 1924, China after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Dou Zi and Shi Tou are brought up together in an acting troupe under the strict regime of an opera master. Thirteen years later, the two friends become big stars, assume new names: Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi); and they act out together on stage the famous play known as “Farewell My Concubine”. World War II comes and goes, the Republic of China falls, yet in spite of hardships, Dieyi and Xiaolou continue their acting profession. A major blow comes for Dieyi when Xiaolou decides to marry a woman from the House of Blossoms known as Juxian (Gong Li).

Sentimental Haze
I was surprised to learn that Farewell My Concubine is actually based on a novel of the same name written by a Hong Kong novelist Lilian Lee. The book was pitched to director Chen Kaige who felt that the story lacked the emotional impact, so he recruited the services of Lu Wei, a screenwriter who later went on to pen Yimou Zhang’s To Live (1994).

Interestingly, the release of the film was quite a turmoil in itself. After the official Hong Kong premiere, the movie opened in Shanghai but was quickly removed from theatres. Only after heavy censoring, it was re-released mainly because it became a massive success at the Cannes Festival. As a result, there are many different cuts of the film out there. The full, unaltered edition runs at 171 minutes. The version I saw from local TV is 7 minutes shorter. Perhaps that is why I felt as sort of discontinuity between a couple of sequences.

The movie itself is a stunning, visual spectacle. It is one of these rare motion pictures which you can’t help but watch just for the breathtaking cinematography. Farewell My Concubine is undeniably a journey into the heart of Chinese art and culture. As for the story, it is deeply harrowing and tragic, yet incredibly romantic at the same time. This is a movie about faithfulness and forgiveness revolving around two friends and a woman who came between them. Yet, that is not all. The protagonists have to grapple with the consequences of great historical changes that influence them. Dieyi has to rescue Xiaolou from the hands of Japanese soldiers, Xiaolou has to rescue Dieyi from being persecuted by the Kuomintang. The most unsettling section is the third act of the film which depicts the horrors set in motion by the Cultural Revolution.

Many scholars focus in their analyses on the theme of homoerotics between Dieyi and Xiaolou. In my opinion, Farewell My Concubine presents this aspect in a very subtle manner (opting to show NSFW practices between patrons and actors they adore), so it is hard for me to call this film a representative instance of queer cinema. Dieyi is clearly in love with Xiaolou; that is why he opposes his relationship with Juxian, but there is a whole another layer of context between these characters in the form of an opera play itself. Dieyi acts out the part of a concubine who is loyal to her king (portrayed by Xiaolou). This blurring of boundaries between fiction and reality is what makes Farewell My Concubine an utterly enthralling and mesmerising movie.

With regard to performances, I absolutely love the late Leslie Cheung. He stole my heart with this film. I read online that supposedly Jackie Chan and John Lone were considered for the leading part, but I think none of them could channel this idiosyncratic sensibility as much as Leslie did. Zhang Fengyi is a wonderful onscreen partner of Leslie, and this really transpires in many scenes. The most heartbreaking one, in my opinion, was the moment when Xiaolou and Dieyi were forced to put on their make-ups for the shaming session. As for Gong Li, fresh after the success of Raise the Red Lantern (1991), she is drop dead gorgeous in this film. I really felt sorry for the plight of her character.

Recommendations
Farewell My Concubine is an obligatory must-watch from the time when Chinese Cinema was not beating around the bush and really faced the country’s controversial past head on. The performances of the main leads are just brilliant, cinematography unforgettable, and the story heartbreaking. This movie is a one-of-a-kind visual experience.Overall score: 9/10

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Leap (2020) [Film Review]

Leap; or, Comrades Can Jump

     Look at the court. You are the youngest and you have the strongest attack. I called you up to the national team when you were 18. Everything I've put you through, all leads up to today.
China relentlessly keeps churning out blockbuster pictures inspired by true events for a few good years now. Peter Chan’s production from 2020 is no exception from this trend, yet it manages to accomplish much more than recent state-approved movies made for the sole purpose of glorifying the might of the People’s Republic of China. Better warm yourselves up because we are taking a look at Leap.

Release Info

Directed by: Peter Chan Starring: Gong Li, Huang Bo, Bai Lang, Wu Gang, Peng Yuchang

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 奪冠 Runtime: 134 min

Synopsis
The film tells the story of how the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team developed and entered the hallmarks of sports history. Throughout the period of 40 years, we see various generations of sports women pushing their efforts to the limits in order to win the Olympic championships. We follow the character of Lang Ping who was originally a member of the team in the early 1980s. After retiring from active sportsmanship, she became a coach, training various teams abroad, including the American one. After the shocking defeat of China at the 2008 Olympics, Lang Ping assumes the position of the head coach of the China national team. Sport enthusiasts and experts are not too hopeful about the team’s success at the approaching 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro…

  Crown Players
Leap was originally supposed to premiere to celebrate the Chinese New Year at the beginning of 2020, but it was pushed back to Fall because of the raging pandemic. In my opinion, the release delay works in the movie’s favour. Its motivational tone and zero-to-hero story arc is exactly what we the viewers need for 2021.

The beginning of the film might be slightly confusing at first. We start off with the match at the 2008 Olympics and the set up suggests that we are in for some kind of epic anime-like duel of fates between the coaches, Lang Ping (Gong Li) and Cheng Zhong He (Huang Bo). However, a lengthy flashback rushes to unravel the true story behind the protagonists. The journey begins in the 1980s when the up-and-coming volleyball players are training in spartan conditions under the watchful eye of the head coach Yuan Wei Min (Wu Gang). The trainer is just as merciless as Mickey from Rocky movies as he makes the team shed blood, sweat, and tears on the court while reminding them that they fight for the glory of China. At the same time, we see the formation of friendship between the team’s helper, young Cheng Zhong He (Peng Yuchang), and a young player, Lang Ping (played by Bai Lang, real Lang Ping’s daughter- picture above).

Initially, I thought that the introductory part of the film is a bit of a generic remix of sports drama tropes. However, when the second act kicked in, everything started making sense. Leap is not about being the champ all the time, but about conflicting approaches towards sports. The authority suits obviously demand results, but Lang Ping, after years of experience in the field, thinks that being the best is not the point. Giving all the effort during the challenge, regardless of the outcome, is what matters the most.

Leap may be the story about the team of underdogs; however, it also presents a wonderful friendship between Lang Ping and Cheng Zhong He that stands the test of time. It is so rare nowadays to see a fellow colleague in a professional field who is so supportive of your actions!

The movie also goes at lengths with regard to historical accuracy, providing the viewers with four most important events for the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team: the practice match with the Jiangsu team (1980), the World Cup final game with Japan (1981), the Beijing Olympics (2008), and the quarterfinals in the Rio Olympics (2016). The last match is especially significant because the filmmakers brought on board real female players from that time. Yes, you see in the film real participants of that event, not actors. Interestingly, there was always an acting coach who aided the athletes during the shooting.

With regard to performances, Gong Li is magnificent as always. The role of Lang Ping, the true heroine of Chinese sports, is quite a breakaway from Gong Li’s standard drama roles, but the actress gives a flawless performance. I also greatly enjoyed Hung Bo as Cheng Zhong He. I guess everyone would like to have such a kind-hearted guy as their P.E. teacher. It was also interesting to see Bai Lang “portraying” her own mother.

Recommendations
All things considered, Leap is an enjoyable biographical sports film. It may not be as awesome as my all-time fave Hoosiers (1986), but it is really high up there. If you look for a decent motivational tale, then this is the movie for you. Wait till the end credits and you will be rewarded with some real footage of the national women’s team in action.
Overall score: 8/10

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Raise the Red Lantern (1991) [Film Review]

Raise the Red Lantern; or, Desperate Housewives

     “If I’m able”… You just wait and see what I can do!

Raise the Red Lantern is a 1991 drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and based on a novel "Wives and Concubines" by Su Tong. It is frequently cited as one of the best Chinese movies of all time. It even received the Academy Awards’ nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film in 1992. Being a sceptic at first, the movie struck me with its gripping storyline, wonderful art design, and breathtaking cinematography.

Release Info

Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Gong Li, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 大紅燈籠高高掛 Runtime: 125 min

 

Synopsis

China, the 1920s. Songlian (Gong Li) is a university student who mourns the death of her father. After nagging from her step-mother, and in view of dire financial situation, she drops studying and decides to become a wife of a wealthy businessman. She marries into the Chen family, acquiring the status of the Fourth Mistress. Songlian familiarises herself with all the peculiar customs at the house, many of which involve the usage of lanterns. Little does she know that there is a strong competition among the Mistresses for the favours of Master Chen (Ma Jingwu). Songlian has to find her way through the maze of conspiracies and compete with Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifen), Meishan (He Saifei), and her servant Yan’er (Kong Lin).

 

The House of Intrigues

Even though I have not read Su Tong’s novel, the style of Raise the Red Lantern reminded me greatly about the works of Anchee Min, and Lisa See. Probably because the two authors also explore the relations between women in their novels. Similarly, Raise the Red Lantern predominantly focuses on women rather than men. We never see the close up of Master Chen, loyal servants are always in the background, whereas Chen’s eldest son, Feipu (Xiao Chu), has only two brief exchanges with Songlian which do not go particularly well. Men are only the burden in this story, tricking women into obedience and submission.

 

In the case of women, on the other hand, the situation is a bit different. When someone is outwardly arrogant, you would think that this person is the baddie; but in fact, the worst kind of a villain is the one with the warmest smile. Women compete between each other ruthlessly in order to acquire higher status, which is a part of Sailong’s tragedy because she does not know how to stay afloat in this dying ground filled with customs and colours. Speaking of which, red colour plays the pivotal role in the film. You can see the whole courtyard and rooms being lit with red, or even characters dressed up in red. In my opinion, red lanterns stand for the tragic fate of Chinese women.

 

From the technical side, the aforementioned cinematography elevates the viewing experience. The movie was shot on location in old Qiao’s Family Courtyard, a lavish, extremely symmetrical residential compound built in the 18th century. Every shot of that compound can be framed and hanged on a wall. It’s that beautiful. In addition, the haunting music score by Zhao Jiping cannot go unnoticed. In many scenes, the music transpires naturally from the film (for instance, playing vinyl records or Meishan's (the Third Mistress) wonderful courtyard singing sequence); however, the music can also be heard in the background of the key scenes.

 

With regard to performances, Gong Li is absolutely amazing in the leading role. However, Cao Cuifen and He Saifei are also brilliant as the competing Mistresses. Relatively young Kong Lin has a very good role as Songlian’s servant.

 

Recommendations

If you have not yet seen Raise the Red Lantern, then please watch it. The film is a wonderful story that will certainly leave you thinking about many social issues. Be careful to grab a decent DVD edition of the film because many releases had quite bad picture quality. All in all, Raise the Red Lantern is Zhang Yimou’s best of the best.

Overall score 8/10

To Live (1994) [Film Review]

To Live; or, The Irony of Existence

What did you name our son?

           “Don’t-Gamble”

This weeks’ review will be about a Chinese historical epic film directed by Zhang Yimou and the only motion picture from his filmography that was actually banned in mainland China.

Release Info 

Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Ge You, Gong Li, Liu Tanchi, Fei Deng

Language: Mandarin Original Title: Huózhe Movie Industry: PRC Runtime: 125 min

Plot

Meet Xu Fugui (Ge You), a wealthy property owner and a compulsive gambler with a strong tendency to lose. At one of the gambling sessions, he actually loses his family house, rendering in this way his wife Jiazhen (Gong Li) and children homeless. Nevertheless, Fugui finds a way to make a living. He travels through China with a shadow puppet troupe, raising in this manner enough money to open up a shop. Unfortunately, his run of luck is abruptly stopped by the Second World War, or, to be more precise, the conflict between the Kuomitang and the Communists. When Fugui returns to his hometown as Mao Zedong takes control of the country, a penniless family has to learn how to survive in the People’s Republic of China.

The irony of fate

The movie is based on a novel by the Chinese novelist Yu Hua who grew up in the times of Cultural Revolution which had a profound, and negative, influence on him. Both the book and the film are a direct critique of Communism. The action of To Live begins in the 1930s, the period when there were still class boundaries within Chinese society. Thus obviously, Fugui, with his family fortune, belonged to the Upper Class. However, losing everything he owned paradoxically saved him from getting killed by the Communists. Instead of him, the guy who won the house was publically slaughtered. In addition, Fugui assured the kindness of local authorities by presenting a congratulatory letter from the revolutionary army (for entertaining the communist soldiers with his puppets everyday). These are the elements of black comedy that Zhang Yimou conveys in the story. Nevertheless, To Live is primarily a hardcore drama.

Parental instincts

The story is not so much about the survival of a nuclear family in extreme circumstances, but the inevitable failure to do so. Whereas Fugui entertains fellow comrades with his feudal puppets, Jiazhen works hard every morning distributing water, not mentioning the children: Fengxia (Fei Deng) and Youqing (Liu Tanchi) who constantly have to show their “spirit of comradeship” at school. Yet, Communism as an unlawful system, in fact, deprives Fugui and Jiazhen of their children in the most tragic way possible. In the end, the family survives the worst (sort of) but the price they had to pay for “life” involved a lot of suffering.

Recommendations

I recommend this movie to anyone who is very into political matters and would like to finally see something that exposes Communism for what it actually is, a ruthless brain-washing criminal system run by the tyrants, for the tyrants. Yet, the image of China presented in the picture may seem as an already outdated one (for as we all know China is constantly expanding economically); nevertheless, the movie’s still worth watching for a vivid depiction of the Cultural Revolution. In addition, if you enjoy Zhang Yimou films, it’s a must watch.

Overall score: 8/10