China, 1924. Young Douzi (Leslie Cheung) and Shitou (Fengyi Zhang) cling to the harsh teaching of Peking Opera. Through perseverance, they become, as they grow, the best elements of the discipline. They perform together in a famous play, Adieu ma concubine, which evokes the farewells of a prince to his concubine, before destiny unites them in death. More than an interpretation, the role of the concubine invades the intimacy of Douzi, homosexual, in love with his inseparable childhood friend. But Shitou must marry Juxian (Gong Li), a former prostitute. Their personal story then becomes inexorably entangled in the tragic filaments of the play, while the multiple historical upheavals encountered by the country influence in turn.
4K restoration for a 30-year-old masterpiece££££
From the restoration of the Republic during the 1920s to the Cultural Revolution, Adieu ma concubine certainly uses the recurring formula of the short story associated with the great and determined by it, but lets the magic operate as the flayed existence of the characters is riveted to the inevitability of their role, carried by the destructive whirlwind of art and other events which transcend them.
A masterpiece announced in 4K by Carlotta for its 30th anniversary on May 21, which follows a theatrical release last August after 4K restoration from the original 35 mm negatives.
Pre-order Farewell My Concubine 4K here
