Concubine And Fugui

Farewell My Concubine and To Live are two drastically different films that represented the Communist takeover as well as other major events of turbulence like the Japanese invasion. While Dieyi presented a life of hardships, through intense beatings and punishment by the troupe master, it was not the same with Fugui. Fugui began the movie as a rich gambler. However, when the Cultural Revolution surfaced in both films, the lives of both characters were under pressure. Dieyi had to live in a chaotic society where the Japanese occupied and forced them to perform for them. After the Communist takeover, it was even more chaotic due to the purges of anti-Communist supporters. Opera performers were included under the label of government opposition.

The character development of Dieyi was a build-up of emotions for his lifelong friend: so much that Dieyi bids farewell as Concubine Yu in the final scene. On the other hand, To Live brought to life the realities of family relations and abundant tragedies. Unlike Dieyi’s infatuation of friendship and theatre, Fugui was overwhelmed with many hardships. One comparison can be made that Dieyi’s suicide was a result of confusion from his rocky friendship with Xiaolou. Meanwhile, Fugui’s perseverance “to live” became constant underlying perception throughout the film. Despite the differences in the overall plot, character development, and film styling, these two films present a similar theme of turbulence, from the invasion of Japan to the Chinese civil war, as well as the Maoist government. In Farewell My Concubine, Dieyi’s addiction to opium surfaced right before the Cultural Revolution. It was the time when the Japanese occupied China, and that time in history was extremely grueling. Fast and harsh changes to society led him to use drugs, which became an object of analysis. Opium could have been implemented in the film due to the wish to escape the realities. Furthermore, it was a commonly available drug at that time. The ability to portray Dieyi as a confused user of opium captured the puzzled and perplexed notions of societal change. In To Live, the drastic changes seemed to have brought Fugui and his family to the bottom of the ocean. Despite these hardships, including the deaths of his children, he continued to live life as it was. There was a certain sense of adaptation to all of the struggles he went through. Fugui entered the Kuomintang Army and quickly faced defeat by the dominant Red Guards. Luckily, he survived, but he was quickly informed that his daughter became deaf and mute.