Farewell My Concubine

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1:33

Farewell My Concubine

R

1993

2h 37m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

52 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Chen Kaige's much acclaimed, long out of print masterpiece chronicles the rise of two young stars of the Beijing Opera House, their turbulent relationship, and ultimate downfalls. Beginning in 1924 and spanning nearly half a century, Farewell My Concubine's sumptuous narrative is interwoven with moments from some of the most troublesome times in modern Chinese history, including Japan's 1937 invasion though to the Chinese Cultural Revolution and its aftermath.

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Critics Consensus

Chen Kaing's epic is grand in scope and presentation, and, bolstered by solid performances, the result is a film both horrifying and enthralling.

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Clayton Dillard

Slant Magazine

07/28/2024

Chen Kaige offers a definitive vision of what it looks, sounds, and feels like to realize that the personal is always political.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

09/21/2023

4/4

The movie is more stunning than ever, a daring blend of history and personal storytelling with one of the most striking performances of its era from Leslie Cheung.

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Kenneth Turan

Los Angeles Times

05/09/2023

An unhurried journey on the great tide of modern Chinese history, this gorgeous, intoxicating epic is confident enough of its visual and narrative power not to rush the telling.

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Scott Nye

Battleship Pretension

08/20/2024

What Farewell My Concubine is, most clearly, immediately, and strikingly, is staggeringly beautiful.

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Mattie Lucas

trans|cendental cinema

08/05/2024

3.5/4

A tale in which gender roles and sexuality clash in a world built on tradition and artifice, becoming intertwined with the ever-shifting march of time that leaves little time for personal truth.

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Matt Brown

ScreenAnarchy

07/22/2024

It remains a bravura act of filmmaking. ... The restoration of Farewell My Concubine for this release is among the finest I've seen in the Criterion Collection.

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Matthew D

@OceanSage Feb 4

Leslie Cheung leads a devastatingly sad look at China’s history of art, abuse, love, occupation, change, and loss. Director Chen Kaige’s Chinese historical drama epic Farewell My Concubine (1993) is an incredible feature. Kaige’s direction delivers a daring tale of a gay romance, abused boys, dedicated theater actors, and forbidden love. Writers Lilian Lee Bik-Wah and Lu Wei came up with a very bold and original story. Seeing two friends, who were beaten and abused as boys, become star stage actors in old China is touching. Leslie Cheung is very moving as the hero Xiao Douzi, who becomes opera star Cheng Dieyi, who is obsessed with performing plays and in love with Xiaolou. His every word hurts like the pain in his eyes as he gazes at the man he’s in love with that he cannot be with ever. Zhang Fengyi is powerful as the stubborn actor Duan Xiaolou, who loves Juxian and has a lifelong friendship with Dieyi. In all, Farewell My Concubine is a must see film.

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Joy B.

@9mr_0 Dec 20

تحفة فنية بكل المقايس اداء تمثيلي رائع وقوي لقصة جميلة جدا تصوير و اخراج ممتاز مع موسيقى جميلة

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Joao G

@RT50242136 Nov 29

Incredible and beautiful 10

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bao s

@RT77741678 07/21/2025

absolutely perfect!!

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Gee R

@RT73089838 07/15/2025

The costumes, cinematography, makeup, music and acting - superb!

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Clara Y

@RT49213015 10/26/2024

I couldn't really understand it the first time I watched this when I was a child... Anyway a stunningly beautiful and emotionally powerful epic could span decades.

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Chen Kaige

Director

Leslie Cheung

Cheng Dieyi (segment "Douzi")

Fengyi Zhang

Duan Xiaolou (segment "Shitou")

Gong Li

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Farewell My Concubine: 4K Restoration Trailer

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Synopsis

Chen Kaige's much acclaimed, long out of print masterpiece chronicles the rise of two young stars of the Beijing Opera House, their turbulent relationship, and ultimate downfalls. Beginning in 1924 and spanning nearly half a century, Farewell My Concubine's sumptuous narrative is interwoven with moments from some of the most troublesome times in modern Chinese history, including Japan's 1937 invasion though to the Chinese Cultural Revolution and its aftermath.

Director: Chen Kaige
Producer: Feng Hsu
Screenwriter: Wei Lu
Distributor: Artificial Eye, Miramax Films
Production Co: Tomson Films, Beijing Film Studio
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 1993, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 22, 2023
Release Date (DVD): Jul 14, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $332.2K
Runtime: 2h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo