Matching China

The Movie: “Farewell My Concubine”

The Setup: Set against a background of political changes in China from the 1920s through the 1970s, the film focuses on two boys in training to become stars of the Peking Opera: Dieyi (Leslie Cheung, pictured), who plays female characters in the all-male opera, and Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi), who does the macho parts.

The Costume Designer: Chen Changmin, a Beijing art teacher, making her movie-design debut.

The Look: From the Baroque grandeur of Peking Opera costumes and masklike makeup to the numbing sameness of blue Mao suits, “Farewell” closely resembles “M. Butterfly.”

Some of the garments, however, have great symbolic meaning, particularly in terms of color. Dressed in costume for their roles in the title opera, Xiaolou, playing the king, and Dieyi, his concubine, wear yellow robes. During the Ch’ing dynasty, everyone but emperors or empresses and their associates were forbidden to wear that color.

Off the opera stage, for her wedding to Xiaolou, Juxian (Gong Li) wears a red tunic and skirt because that color traditionally represents happiness. Yet the madam who runs a brothel is also seen in red. “As a (prostitute), you have a wedding every day with a different man,” explained director Chen Kaige.

Try This at Home: When Juxian first appears on screen working in a brothel, she wears an embroidered black silk jacket and pants. This choice stems from a Chinese saying that to be seen as beautiful as you want, you must put on something black, Kaige said.

Quoted: “I did everything on purpose. I know what I want,” said Kaige, who worked closely with the designer.

Inspiration: Period paintings and ink drawings, old photos and books on the Peking Opera.

Sources: All the principals’ clothes were custom-made. Changmin was assisted by tailors who worked at the Peking Opera during the film’s prime periods--the ‘30s and ‘40s.