Rating: 
Summary: Sweeping epic offers a musical Chinese history lesson.
Review: I rented "Farewell My Concubine" last fall after reading many positive reviews on Amazon.com and other film sites. I have always been a fan of Chinese music, especially opera, and I watch Peking Operas on TV every week. Having a whole movie revolve around the dizzying world of Peking Opera was a brilliant idea. All of the performances are astounding, especially from Leslie Cheung. Granted, Chinese Opera is an acquired taste, the feminine parts sung by males in a very nasal falsetto. But "Farewell My Concubine" is more than just a musical legacy. It is a tale of friendship, loyalty, passion and betrayal on a grand scale, including the attempted destruction of Chinese Opera during the Cultural Revolution. My only complaint is the scenes of the two actors in "present day" China...they do not seem any older than when we first saw them as twentysomethings even though they would be forty years older. But this is an excellent movie, although long and very intense in some spots (rape, suicide, drug use). It certainly gave me new respect for Peking Opera and the sacrifices that were made in the name of music.
Rating: 
Summary: Seldom do I turn off a movie before the end
Review: While I understand that the movie is supposed to be a symbolic depiction of loss of identity, I was utterly disgusted by its portrayal of pediphilia and violence against children. Moreover, the synopsis of the movie on the DVD box contained no warnings about this content. No surprise it won the Cannes porn-I mean movie-festival.
Rating: 
Summary: Rating is for the DVD, not the movie
Review: Please note: "Farewell My Concubine" is one of the most brilliant movies I've ever seen, and quite possibly my favorite film of all time. Therefore, I was kind of disappointed with the lack of extras featured with the disc. The visual and audial qualities of the movie were high, but as such an avid fan of the film -- which won many awards and much acclaim -- I was disappointed and surprised that there weren't any interviews with the actors or the director, or some kind of biography of the star, Leslie Cheung, may he rest in peace. I don't usually go in for DVD extras, but I would have loved to know more about the making of this extraordinary film.
Having said that, there's a little bit of extra footage on the disc that the VHS version doesn't have, blended in seamlessly with the rest of the film. That was a pleasant surprise! Hooray for the Director's Cut.
Rating:
Summary: *****Stars!
Review: It took several viewings of Farewell My Concubine before it became ***** stars for me. There was so much to take in from different aspects. The first time I watched FMC was because it was a Leslie Cheung film [long after it was originally released]. Beautiful as the concubine was, I was disappointed that the handsome Leslie was barely recognizable. The story seemed complicated because I didn't understand the historical period it was set in. The next time I watched this movie I had read up on the history of the time and the Peking opera style. Then Farewell My Concubine became a sad and devastating story. I found the scenes such as the mother cutting off young Dieyi's finger, the harsh punishment doled out to the all the young students and especially the torture of Dieyi for not being able to get his mind around the phrase that changed his sexual identity, particularly cruel. The invading soldiers and later cultural revolution seem to depict the history books well from certain points of view.
I was compelled to watch this movie the third time after learning about Leslie Cheung's dedication to his role. How he arrived in China 6 months early to learn to speak Mandarin. He had previously recorded several albums in Mandarin but speaking the language convincingly in a dialog would be very different. He also spent much time learning the intricate art of the Peking opera from masters on the Mainland. As a native Hong Konger, it was a also a challenge for Leslie to travel to the Mainland for the first time at the age of 33, knowing that his family fled from there just a generation ago.
So, at last, with the sad and haunting story, my history lesson learned and understanding the hard work and dedication of Leslie Cheung to venture to China to undertake this project, Farewell My Concubine became ***** stars in my books!
Rating:
Summary: Almost Perfect
Review: The movie on DVD is the director's cut, which includes several scenes taken off for U.S. release. The film is certainly great, but the DVD cover design is beyond gay. It neither reflects the nature of the film nor shows any artistic planning; probably too cheap for a film that received Grand Prix in Cannes and an Oscar nomination.
Rating:
Summary: This fim is CUT
Review: I am in awe of this film. I sat transfixed on a hard wooden table for the three hours of its duration. Even though I had not slept the night before and had a very nerve racking day ahead of me, i was completely enveloped and forgot about everything else. It is brutal in its realism, especially towards the cruel treatment that the young boys are subjected to. The actors are perfectly cast, with Leslie Cheung playing the effeminate Douzi to perfection. Indeed, when he is fully dressed in his opera regalia he appears totally androgynous. You just wouldn't know. I will not be buying this dvd because it has many important scenes cut out, presumably to make it easier on western viewers. I have a vested interest in Beijing opera and yet many of those scenes were cut. They also cut out a molestation scene with Douzi when he was a boy, which, although horrifying, is an integral part to the build of his character. The original film is 171 minutes long and can be purchased on specialist sites or on ebay. Shame on Miramax for not keeping this film as the director intended it.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: Farewell My Concubine spans fifty years, from traditional China in 1927 to post-Mao Zedong in 1977. It is an unbelieveable cinematic achievement, with glorious, exquisite costumes and supreme actors. It is the story of two boys who grow up to be stars in the Beijing Opera. One boy plays the King, the other his concubine. Many men played female roles with great skill, earning them great admiration and honor.
Beijing Opera is a very important part of Chinese culture. From the late 1700's until Mao's Cultural Revolution in the 60's, whole towns would thrill to the arrival of the stars. The performance included dazzling acrobatics, sumptuous costumed court ladies, generals, gods, scholars, and warriors. Today, Beijing Opera is not as popular. Although it is shown on state-run Chinese television, it is difficult to compete with more modern entertainment such as movies, sports, and the Internet. Like other ancient arts, Beijing Opera will fade away without support. Farewell My Concubine brings it back to life in such a stunning manner, you will weep to see this art revived to it's former glory.
The beginning of the movie deals with the boys' difficult childhood. They are being trained by a master of opera. The master's methods may seem harsh, but he really wants the best for the boys' futures. Mostly street orphans, the master knows that the only future they may have is actors in the Opera. However, the master cannot protect young Douzi from the pedophiliac clutches of a wealthy patron of the troupe. These early scenes are very difficult to watch, but they set the stage for the tragic character Douzi grows up into. Douzi's adult name is Dieyi, his friend Shitou becomes Xiaolou.
Gong Li is the only actress in this male-dominated film. She gives a great performance, per usual. She plays a street-smart prostitute who contrives to marry Xiaolo, so she can escape life in the brothel. There is instant, intense competition and hatred between her and Dieyi over Xiaolou.
You cannot watch this movie without weeping. It deserved the Palm D'Or it received at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. You will have a new appreciation for Chinese culture, and especially for Chinese Opera after watching this film. The film is long, just about three hours, but it is worth every minute. I even wished it was longer.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: I can only think of superlatives to describe this film. It ranks among the finest ever made. I won't repeat what others have said, but I want to make one additional point.
The film does a superb job at something especially difficult. It not only features characters of emotional complexity, it places them in times of great turmoil, and the director and actors do a splended job of making the characters authentic and believable. Even if the rest of Concubine were not excellent, this would be a marvellous achievement.
The great chinese directors of our time tower above the best that the U.S. offers, as this film demostrates. In contrast, American films seem childish and shallow.
Rating:
Summary: A historical film
Review: This film is an accurate depiction of the history of Beijing Opera and many of the events actually happens in real life (especially the child "abuses": these were corporal punishments by teachers and are very common everywhere (not just in opera schools) during that period). To some people, this might be disturbing, either due to cultural differences or perhaps the fact that this film contains implications of homosexuality. However, I would still recommand this film, as it is a film with great depth and artistic merit, certainly much more meaningful than the average Hollywood productions made only to entertain people.
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