Farewell My Concubine

In the winter of 1929, a destitute woman named Yanhong leaves her nine-year-old son, Xiao Douzi (“Little Bean”), in the custody of Master Guan. Master Guan operates an opera school where his young male apprentices, all orphaned or abandoned, train in Peking opera. The eldest is 12-year-old Xiao Shitou (“Little Rock”), and Xiao Douzi notices him right away. Xiao Shitou takes Xiao Douzi under his wing and protects him from the other boys, who like to pick on Xiao Douzi.

Xiao Shitou and Xiao Douzi both stand out among the students. Xiao Shitou is a master of Chinese martial arts, while Xiao Douzi has a beautiful singing voice and incredible technique. These skills, along with his effeminate features, land Xiao Douzi the role of dan (female lead), and Xiao Shitou is cast as his shen (male lead). They begin performing in public together, and their most famous piece is Farewell My Concubine. Xiao Shitou plays General Xiang Yu, and Xiao Douzi plays his lover, Yu Ji. The first time they perform it is at Master Ni’s 60th birthday party. Master Ni is taken by Xiao Douzi’s performance and sexually assaults him after the show.

Master Guan’s students begin earning some money for their performances. Xiao Shitou spends his on sweets, but Xiao Douzi is saving his so he can one day own his costumes and accessories. Shortly after New Year’s, he and Xiao Shitou notice a sword on display in an antique shop. Xiao Douzi promises to one day purchase the sword for Xiao Shitou.

Over the course of their training, Xiao Douzi and Xiao Shitou work closely together, and Xiao Douzi’s feelings and admiration for his friend grows. When their apprenticeship ends a decade later, they join a theater company together and receive their stage names: Xiao Shitou becomes Duan Xiaolou, and Xiao Douzi becomes Cheng Dieyi. They perform together for a few years, and their career is quite successful.

Then, Xiaolou meets Juxian, a sex worker at a local brothel. One evening, Xiaolou gets in an altercation with one of Juxian’s customers. Swept away by the heat of the moment, Xiaolou agrees to marry Juxian. Dieyi becomes jealous and upset. He knows that Xiaolou’s marriage means the end of their professional and artistic partnership.

The night after Xiaolou and Juxian get engaged, Dieyi visits Yuan Siye, a rich patron of Peking opera. While there, he notices the same sword from the antique shop is hung on Yuan Siye’s wall. Yuan Siye agrees to give the sword to Dieyi in exchange for sex. Then, he gets Dieyi drunk and assaults him. Later, sword in hand, Dieyi heads to the event hall where Xiaolou and Juxian are celebrating their wedding. On the way, he crosses paths with Japanese cavalry, whose presence marks Japan’s occupation of China. On his arrival at the reception, Dieyi gives the sword to Xiaolou as a wedding present.

For the next few years, during the height of Japanese occupation, Dieyi performs solo. He has a new errand boy named Xiao Si, who is a recent student of Master Guan’s, and a new opium addiction. Their theater director wants Xiaolou and Dieyi to perform together again but is unable to locate Xiaolou, who has picked up a gambling habit. When Dieyi and Xiao Si do find him, Xiaolou explains that he pawned his costumes to pay off his debts. Dieyi sends Xiao Si to buy them back. He then convinces Xiaolou to return to the stage.

Weeks later, during one of their performances, Marshal Aoki enters the theater with a group of Japanese soldiers and displaces some Chinese audience members. This angers Xiaolou, and he refuses to perform. When he leaves the theater later that night, he is beaten and arrested. The next day, Juxian begs Dieyi to help get Xiaolou released. Dieyi agrees so long as Juxian promises to leave Xiaolou. To save Xiaolou, Dieyi sings for Marshal Aoki at one of his parties. Xiaolou is released soon after, but rather than thank Dieyi, Xiaolou calls him a traitor. Juxian does not leave Xiaolou. Dieyi and Xiaolou lose touch until, one day, Dieyi sees Xiaolou selling watermelon on the street. Juxian is pregnant. Dieyi tries to leave, but Xiaolou recognizes Dieyi and runs over to apologize for how he treated him. Xiaolou says he is committed to quitting opera, but with some help from Master Guan, Dieyi convinces him to return once again.

Shortly after, the Japanese occupation ends, and a civil war between the Nationalists and Communists breaks out. Wounded soldiers start hanging out in the theaters. During one performance, they taunt Dieyi and Xiaolou and accuse them of cowardice for not having fought in the wars. A fight breaks out, and Juxian gets hit in the stomach, causing her to miscarry. Dieyi is then arrested for treason for having sung for Marshal Aoki. Feeling guilty about once betraying Dieyi, Juxian tries to help. She brings the sword to Yuan Siye and offers it as collateral for money to bribe the judge. Meanwhile, Dieyi, who is not at all remorseful, is pardoned after he sings for a senior Nationalist Military officer.

Juxian continues to coalesce following her miscarriage. Xiaolou and Dieyi go get medicine for her. They stop to buy matches, and Dieyi recognizes the merchant as Master Ni. Master Ni pretends not to recognize Dieyi. Instead, he talks about the arrival of Communism. The country is soon liberated; the People’s Republic of China is born.

The first few years of Communist rule are good for opera performers, whose social status and salary increase. But the tides shift once the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution gets under way. Peking opera is villainized for promoting traditional values, and opera performers must now act in propaganda pieces. Xiaolou struggles to perform the pieces as desired, causing Juxian to fear for their safety. Dieyi refuses to relinquish his opera artifacts to the government and, in an act of rebellion, destroys them.

Eventually, Dieyi and Xiaolou are both called to participate in “criticisms” of each other before the Red Guards. Xiaolou accuses Dieyi of arrogance, while Dieyi attacks both Xiaolou and Juxian and even calls for their death. The crowd turns on Juxian. Xiaolou asks for a divorce to try and save her. Feeling betrayed, Juxian hangs herself. Dieyi and Xiaolou are then sent to opposite ends of the country for reeducation.

Xiaolou escapes reeducation and flees to Hong Kong. Dieyi remains in China. He is eventually rehabilitated, gets married, and joins another opera company. Their paths cross decades later when Dieyi performs in Hong Kong. Xiaolou acknowledges that he knew about Dieyi’s feelings for him. Dieyi convinces Xiaolou to perform Farewell My Concubine with him one last time. During the final scene, Dieyi imagines really killing himself, like his character does in the opera. In the end, however, Dieyi realizes that he is not Yu Ji and is not willing to die for love. Dieyi returns to mainland China, and Xiaolou goes on living in Hong Kong. Years pass. Xiaolou eventually learns he is being evicted. He has nowhere to turn and feels abandoned by China and Hong Kong.