

You might also like
Farewell My Concubine Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Cheng Dieyi (segment "Douzi")
Duan Xiaolou (segment "Shitou")
Juxian
Master Guan
Master Yuan
Zhang the Eunuch
Critic Reviews for Farewell My Concubine (Ba wang bie ji)
All Critics (37) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (5)
-
With stunning set pieces and the dramatic backdrop of the revolution, Kaige captures perfectly the relationship between the two boys.
August 12, 2008 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
The scenes in the Peking Opera School, where boys are caned for doing wrong or right, are no less horrifying than the later tableaus of public humiliation at the hands of the Maoists.
August 12, 2008 | Full Review… -
This is entertaining filmmaking on a grand scale.
August 12, 2008 | Full Review… -
Seductively lensed but emotionally uninvolving.
May 21, 2008 | Full Review… -
Chen's remarkable movie uses an unusual love triangle to telescope more than 50 years of tumultuous Chinese history.
April 7, 2008 | Full Review… -
Sweeping, self-important and only moderately stirring.
March 22, 2006 | Rating: B- | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Farewell My Concubine (Ba wang bie ji)
-
Jan 15, 2013The story of China joining the modern age seen through the lives of two principal performers of the Beijing Opera. Cruel, majestic, courageous, sweeping, and glorious, this is not to be missed. Of course, the singing can only be an acquired taste, but this is still about the story, magnificently told.Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
-
Jul 14, 2012This sprawling epic depicts the friendship of two Chinese opera stars amidst the tumultuous Twentieth Century history of China. What a grand film with beautiful art direction and cinematography to match. But the real highlights are the the two stars, Leslie Cheung and Fengyi Zhang who give tour de force performances. Their interaction is real and fraught with all the history the film depicts, which is no small matter; approximately fifty years of history are crammed into the film's three hours. Many of the scenes are built on subtlety and subtext with hinting looks and knowing glances, and lesser actors would not have been able to convey the nuances of the characters. I have to trust in the film's verisimilitude when it comes to the opera scenes, which are occasionally too long and not as compelling as the off-stage troubles the actors create and are victim to. These sequences are educational, exposing Western viewers to Chinese opera, an area of performance most of us aren't accustomed to seeing. Overall, Farewell, My Concubine is a remarkable achievement and a world-widening experience.Jim H Super Reviewer
-
Nov 25, 2011An epic of gigantic ambition thanks to the crazy mental scope of Kaige Chen. <i>Ba wang bie ji</i> is technical perfection unbelievably orchestrated by a direction that engulfed every single big and small detail into a universal fable of anti-political nature. And to the Academy: Seriously, your final decisions are hilarious... 97/100Edgar C Super Reviewer
-
Jul 10, 2011Putting the <i>mellow</i> in melodrama, especially if you're not a fan of Beijing Opera to begin with...Ed K Super Reviewer
Farewell My Concubine (Ba wang bie ji) Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.
Movie & TV guides
About Tomatometer
The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review
About Audience Score
The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher.
Verified