Farewell My Concubine is a 1993 Chinese-Hong Kong epic historical drama film directed by Chen Kaige, starring Leslie Cheung, Gong Li and Zhang Fengyi.

The film's themes include identity confusion and blurred lines between real life and the stage, portrayed by the revered opera actor Dieyi, whose unrequited love for Xiaolou persists throughout.

A few weeks after its release in China, the politburo demanded changes to be made to the film due to unconventional depictions of traditional values and political decisions.

Chinese officials felt that a re-release, as opposed to maintaining a full ban, would silence an ever-growing international backlash and also help their bid to host the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2000.

The love triangle between Dieyi, Xiaolou, and Juxian leads to jealousy and betrayal, which is further complicated by the successive political upheavals following the Second Sino-Japanese War.

As the Cultural Revolution continues, the entire opera troupe is put on a struggle session by the Red Guards where, under pressure, Dieyi and Xiaolou accuse each other of counterrevolutionary acts.

Afterward, Xiao Si is caught by the Red Guards when he is singing Consort Yu's lines to the mirror alone in a practice room.

The film ends with both of them finishing the rehearsal, but Dieyi takes Xiaolou's sword and cuts his own throat, paralleling the concubine's final act in the opera.

David Shambaugh writes that the government's new agenda focused on "restoring the appearance of unity in the leadership, ensuring the loyalty of the military, reestablishing social order, reasserting central control over the provinces, recentralizing and retrenching the economy, and redefining China's role in a post-Cold War international environment".

[14] In addition to the government's attempts at improving the country's image, by the time of the film's release, the atmosphere toward criticism of Cultural Revolution shifted.

Cheng Dieyi is shaped not only by the rigid and grueling training of the Peking Opera, but also by the societal and political forces of his time, which profoundly influence his identity as both an artist and a person.

Roger Ebert noted that Dieyi was “essentially raised by the opera as a homosexual whether or not he consents,” highlighting the film’s exploration of identity as shaped by societal and cultural forces.

Director Chen Kaige’s personal experiences during the Cultural Revolution, including denouncing his father, informed his vision for the film, adding authenticity to its depiction of the era’s hardships.

[19] Feeling that there was "no choice" and fearing the ban hurt China's bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics, officials allowed the film to resume public showings in September.

The rich political and cultural imagery is presented as a colorful east Asian tableaux that intrigues westererners[citation needed].

[24] Miramax Films mogul Harvey Weinstein purchased distribution rights and removed fourteen minutes, resulting in a 157-minute cut.

[27] The New York Times critic Vincent Canby hailed it for "action, history, exotic color", positively reviewing the acting of Gong Li, Leslie Cheung and Zhang Fengyi.

[28] In New York, David Denby criticized the "spectacle" but felt it would excel internationally, portraying a triumph of love and culture through the darkness.

[29] Hal Hinson, writing for The Washington Post, highlighted "its swooning infatuation with the theater- with its colors, its vitality and even its cruel rigors".

[30] Desson Howe for the same publication was less positive, writing that the first half had impact but gives way to "novel-like meandering", with less point, as the film reaches its conclusion.

The critics consensus reads, "Chen Kaing's epic is grand in scope and presentation, and, bolstered by solid performances, the result is a film both horrifying and enthralling.

[37] The public ranked Farewell My Concubine atop a 2005 poll of the most beloved films in Hong Kong conducted by Handerson ArtReach.