History Film / FarewellMyConcubine

* CrosscastRole: All female roles in pre-1949 UsefulNotes/PekingOpera were played by men. Dieyi specifically plays a "Guimen Dan" role as Concubine Yu. Of course, playing a female role leads to all kinds of gender identity issues for Dieyi.

* TriangRelations: Juxian loves Xiaolou and so does Dieyi; Xiaolou returns Juxian's love but also has a long friendship with Dieyi that he's unable to fully give up on, which causes tension between Juxian and Dieyi.

* UsefulNotes/PekingOpera: The whole movie is about two Peking Opera performers and how performance art intersects with politics and personal life.

* NobodyOver50IsGay: Averted. By the time we get to the end of the movie (1977), Dieyi is in his 60s.

* ParentalAbandonment: Happens very early on in the film to Douzi/Dieyi. His mom begs the opera school to take him, and when they refuse due to Douzi's sixth finger, she drags Douzi out into an alley and chops his finger off. She then carries him, bleeding profusely and screaming, back into the school and unceremoniously dumps him there. We never see or hear from her again.

* BuryYourGays: [[spoiler:Both Yuan and Dieyi die.]]

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two UsefulNotes/PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[AmbiguouslyGay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the UsefulNotes/CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by Creator/GongLi).

* SingleTargetSexuality: Some analyses of the film believes that Dieyi isn't gay, it's just that he is completely engrossed in the idea that he a female character who is in love with the Xiang Yu in the play, resulting in him carrying the idea even when he's not playing it.

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two UsefulNotes/PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[HoYay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the UsefulNotes/CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by Creator/GongLi).

* DeathByAdaptation: [[spoiler:Dieyi slits his throat in the book, but survives Xiaolou's arms. In the movie, he dies, with Xiaolou looking on.]]

* HowWeGotHere: The film begins with Dieyi and Xiaolou practicing the titular opera together, then jumps back over fifty years to detail their lives together.

* AdaptationExpansion: The book itself isn't very long, so it's the additional material that makes the movie nearly three hours long. Historical events are looked at in greater depth, and the early lives of Douzi and Shitou are greatly expanded, including the addition of a scene that gives Dieyi his motivation in regards to his art (as well as an expansion of Laozi's character).

* AmbiguouslyGay: Master Yuan who gave Dieyi his sword.

* DepravedBisexual: The old Eunuch molest both boys and girls.

* FriendVersusLover: Xiaolou ''thinks'' that this is what's going on with Dieyi's dismissal of Juxian. Of course, Dieyi is actually in love iwth him.

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two UsefulNotes/PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[HoYay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by Creator/GongLi).

* CulturalRevolution: Ultimately leads to the end of Dieyi and Xiaolou's friendship, [[spoiler: Juxian commits suicide]], and Xiaosi, Dieyi's adopted son, leads the public denunciation of Dieyi and Xiaolou after Dieyi dismisses his ideas for "revolutionary" opera.

* FeudEpisode: Happens several times (they make up), but the biggest and most permanent one comes after the CulturalRevolution, when Xiaolou and Dieyi [[spoiler: publicly humiliate and betray each other during the struggle session.]]

* DepravedBiseaxual: The old Eunuch molest both boys and girls.

* TraumaticCongaLine: Douzi/Dieyi's whole life.

* DoorstopBaby: Xiaosi, though he suffers DeathByAdaptation.

* DepreavedBiseaxual: The old Eunuch molest both boys and girls.

* EnforcedMethodActing: What the troupe master believes in.

* DoorstopBaby: Xiaosi.

* FaceHeelTurn: Xiao Si.

* DoorstopBaby: Xiaosi
* DrivenToSuicide: Laizi (a student at the opera school), and later, [[spoiler: Juxian and Dieyi]]

* CrosscastRole: All female roles in pre-1949 PekingOpera were played by men. Dieyi specifically plays a "Guimen Dan" role as Concubine Yu. Of course, playing a female role leads to all kinds of gender identity issues for Dieyi.

* PekingOpera: The whole movie is about two Peking Opera performers and how performance art intersects with politics and personal life.

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[HoYay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by Creator/GongLi).

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[HoYay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by Creator/GongLi).

One of the most important works of the 5th Generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige, ''Farewell My Concubine'' is the story of two PekingOpera actors (Douzi/Cheng Dieyi and Shitou/Duan Xiaolou) and their [[HoYay tumultuous relationship]] that spans 53 years. The film starts in 1924 Beijing, where Douzi is left (minus a sixth finger) at an opera school [[ParentalAbandonment by his mother]], a prostitute who can no longer afford to keep him at her brothel. Douzi quickly befriends the brash and domineering Shitou, and they spend their childhood [[TrainingFromHell learning the acrobatics, dances, and songs that make up Beijing Opera]]. Shitou learns male roles, and Douzi learns female roles. They both become hugely famous actors, and their trademark performance is the opera Farewell My Concubine, in which Shitou (whose stage name is Duan Xiaolou) plays the King of Chu, and Douzi (whose stage name is Cheng Dieyi) plays his concubine Yu. Through the Nationalist government, [[SecondSinoJapaneseWar the Japanese occupation]], [[RedChina the Communist takeover]], and the CulturalRevolution, Dieyi and Xiaolou's relationship becomes strained, in part due to political pressures, and in part due to Xiaolou never returning Dieyi's affections, and Dieyi's subsequent jealousy when Xiaolou marries a prostitute named Juxian (played by GongLi).

* TheUnreveal: When [[spoiler:Xiaosi is discovered by the Red Guard practicing the role of Concubine Yu. Cut to black]].

* GoingColdTurkey: Dieyi gets addicted to opium, and goes through a harrowing withdrawal, which leaves him alternating between shivering in the FetalPosition and mumbling about his mother to screaming profanities and smashing anything made of glass, in order kick his habit.