*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS* Stimulating, engrossing and outright fascinating portrait of two orphans, who stay friends throughout sixty years or better, in twentieth century China. They are entered in the Peking Opera Academy, where they endure the arduous rigors of training. In their childhoods, is where they master the defining roles they are destined to portray all their lives.
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE is at times claustrophobic, subtly depressing, but never dull. It is always intriguing. The film penetrates all cultural barriers, allowing the viewer to become involved in the story. Gritty scenery and atmosphere, strong performances (Leslie Cheung is stunning in his portrayal) and brutal reality are this film's hallmarks.
An excellent foray into what telling a story, via a motion picture, is all about. Excellent and heartily recommended.
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE is at times claustrophobic, subtly depressing, but never dull. It is always intriguing. The film penetrates all cultural barriers, allowing the viewer to become involved in the story. Gritty scenery and atmosphere, strong performances (Leslie Cheung is stunning in his portrayal) and brutal reality are this film's hallmarks.
An excellent foray into what telling a story, via a motion picture, is all about. Excellent and heartily recommended.