Farewell My Concubine (1993) Ending Explained

tl;dr
The ending of Farewell My Concubine (1993) is a tragic culmination of lifelong love, betrayal, and the destructive forces of history. After decades of personal and political turmoil, Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Duan Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi) reunite for a final Peking Opera performance. Dieyi, unable to reconcile his unrequited love for Xiaolou and the losses inflicted by China's turbulent 20th century, commits suicide mid-performance, embodying his opera role one last time. The film closes with Xiaolou's shocked realization of Dieyi's death, symbolizing the irreversible collapse of their bond and the cultural traditions they represented.

Detailed Explanation of the Ending
The final scene of Farewell My Concubine is steeped in poetic tragedy. Decades after their childhood training in the Peking Opera, Dieyi and Xiaolou reunite for a performance of Farewell My Concubine, the opera that defined their lives. Dieyi, who has always played the concubine to Xiaolou's king, uses the moment to fulfill the opera's climactic suicide-not as acting, but in reality. By taking his own life with Xiaolou's sword, Dieyi merges art and reality, finally becoming the concubine he portrayed. This act underscores his inability to separate his love for Xiaolou from the roles they performed, a theme central to the film. The ending is a visceral commentary on identity, sacrifice, and the erosion of tradition under political upheaval.

Historical and Emotional Context
The film spans 50 years of Chinese history, from the 1920s to the 1970s, mirroring Dieyi and Xiaolou's lives against the backdrop of war, revolution, and the Cultural Revolution. Dieyi's suicide is not just personal despair but a response to the cultural annihilation he witnessed. The opera house, once a sanctuary, becomes a site of betrayal when Xiaolou denounces Dieyi during Mao's purges. By the film's end, even their art-the last vestige of their bond-is hollowed out by time and politics. Dieyi's death is a rebuke to a world that demanded his conformity but never accepted his true self, whether as a queer man or an artist.

Symbolism and Cinematic Craft
Director Chen Kaige employs rich symbolism in the finale. The sword Dieyi uses is the same one Xiaolou nearly sold in their youth, tying the ending to their shared past. The opera's lyrics—“I'd rather die than live without honor”—echo Dieyi's choice. The camera lingers on Xiaolou's face as he grasps the tragedy too late, emphasizing his emotional blindness. The staging mirrors their first performance, but now the theater is empty, reflecting how tradition has been forsaken. The color palette-faded reds and golds-hints at the decay of China's cultural splendor under communism.

Unresolved Questions and Interpretations
1. Why does Dieyi choose suicide at that moment?
- He sees no place for his art or love in the new China.
- It's his final performance, merging his life with his role.
2. Does Xiaolou ever understand Dieyi's love?
- The film suggests he realizes it only after Dieyi's death.
- His shock implies regret but also lifelong denial.
3. What does the ending say about tradition vs. modernity?
- Dieyi's death symbolizes the impossibility of preserving art under oppressive regimes.
- The empty theater represents cultural amnesia.

Personal Opinion
Farewell My Concubine is a masterpiece of emotional and historical scope. The ending devastates because it feels inevitable - Dieyi's identity is so entangled with his art that survival would betray his essence. Leslie Cheung's performance is haunting, especially in the final moments where his face shifts from anguish to eerie calm. The film's critique of China's ideological brutality remains potent, but its heart lies in Dieyi's tragic romance with Xiaolou and the stage. While bleak, the ending is a fitting tribute to those whose lives were collateral in history's march. Few films capture the cost of cultural erasure so powerfully.