Farewell

I am overwhelmed with indescribable emotions again, after watching this short video clip of the film that "rocked my world" a long time ago... "霸王別姬" (Farewell My Concubine).

I think I fell in love with Leslie Cheung after watching "Farewell My Concubine," another one of my favourite cinematic treasures and probably the first film I felt so strongly about. My love affair with Chinese opera (both Beijing Opera and Kunqu) also started around that time. Since then I constantly dream of Chinese opera, like a stylised and quiet painting depicting exquisite landscapes decorated with tiny delicate jewels, presenting a mixture of its music, singing, movements, costumes, make-up, lyrics, a kaleidoscope of colours and beautiful narratives.

I still remember going to the cinema with my dad when "Farewell My Concubine" was first released - I was 13. I felt as if I was never going to be the same afterwards, and that I was so filled with something inexplicable that I could not allow anything else to enter my psyche for a while. Perhaps one of the definitions of a truly great film is that it gives the viewer a life-transforming, and sometimes out-of-body, experience.

Below is this beautiful video with Leslie Cheung singing the movie theme song, accompanied by some of the most gorgeous, intoxicating, as well as heartbreaking scenes from the film. I really must re-watch this gem one of these days.

張國榮, 著實地傾國傾城...


Ah, looking at Leslie now just makes me want to cry...

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹白蛇傳之白素貞

Bai Su-Zhen of The Legend of the White Serpent, as interpreted by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

 

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹牡丹亭之杜麗娘

Du Li-Niang of The Peony Pavilion, as rendered by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

You can see the complete film (at the moment) here.