Drum Tower: Film Club with “Farewell My Concubine”

鼓楼:放映《霸王别姬》影会

Drum Tower

2023-12-20

40 分钟
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单集简介 ...

When “Farewell My Concubine” hit the screens in China in 1993, many were shocked by its portrayal of taboo subjects—homosexuality, suicide and the Cultural Revolution. The story follows two young boys, Dieyi and Xiaolou, as they train to become top-notch opera performers after the demise of Qing Dynasty. Their friendship spans much of the political turmoil in 20th century China.  This week's episode is the first session of our Drum Tower Film Club. David Rennie, The Economist's Beijing Bureau Chief and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent watch “Farewell My Concubine” together and explore its significance in understanding China's past and present. This is a subscriber-only episode. To listen, sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+ If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.
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  • This episode of Drum Tower is supported by IDA Ireland.

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  • Visit IDAireland.com to learn more.

  • It is the end of the year.

  • And as the holidays approach,

  • we are launching the first session of our Drum Tower Film Club.

  • And for some reason, I was allowed to pick the first one.

  • So I chose an absolute classic.

  • Farewell, My Concubine by Chen Kaige.

  • Ah, Farewell, My Concubine, also known as Ba Wang Bie Ji.

  • It is a classic movie, but I actually hadn't seen it in full.

  • So thank you, David, for giving me an excuse to watch it.

  • I'm glad.

  • So look, you don't win any prizes for originality for suggesting Farewell, Concubine.

  • It is an extremely famous film, but it really is also a must-see film.

  • And the plot follows two young boys who are training to become Beijing opera performers starting all the way back in 1924,

  • that chaotic era just after the fall of the last imperial dynasty.

  • The movie is a tale of friendship and unrequited love that spans 50 years.

  • It takes viewers all the way through from the 1920s to the 1960s,