MovieChat Forums > Ba wang bie ji (1993) Discussion > Why kill himself years later?

Why kill himself years later?

posted 20 years ago by w_alli
47 replies | jump to latest

I was just wondering why Douzi killed himself at the end of the opera (the last scene of the movie)?
Was it b/c he was confronted with the ambiguity of his gender? That he really does feel he is forever the concubine and must fulfill it?

And why he would kill himself years after the revolution when Shitou betrayed him?? Like wasn't he offended even tho he betrayed him later about his wife? And if he managed to forgive him, then why would he kill himself when he finally got Shitou all to himself since Shitou's wife killed herself?

Those q's are just cuz it kinda got muddy and i didn't really fully understand why he did what he did. it's been bugging me so if ya share your interpretations that would be great. thanks.

[–] dukenukem40 17 years ago

[thread]

in the book he doesnt commit suicide, well he doesn't die

I think Kaige simply made it more dramatic: the parallel between the opera and the real life (in the opera the concubine kills herself with her master's sword when he is not looking, exactly what he did in real life)

and to the others complaining about the ending: shut the *beep* up already...this is not hollywood and knowing the ending doesnt make the movie less enjoyable.

[–] thepoet26 17 years ago

The book was great but when choosing between the two endings, I must go with Kaige's ending in the film. I liked the more dramatic flair of Dieyi having actually killed himself while performing for the last time with his love and "King", Xiaolou.

Although I did enjoy the book's ending as well, with Xiaolou having caught Dieyi in his arms when he fell and the two of them looking into eachother's eyes as old men.

Baba mi Ogun modupue

[–] myroseblooms 14 years ago

I think, for Chen Deiyi, it was the rounding out and proper finishing of a life lived as The Concubine. He did not have *beep* to himself, and he never would--his friend was straight, and would never have given in to a more intimate relationship than the one they all ready had. Also, think about this: the betrayal with the Red Guards took place at the beginning of The Cultural Revolution sometime in late 1966, and it was 1977 in that last scene: they had been separated all this time, probably undergoing severe "re-education" of some kind. They had both seen horrible things happening--read up on the Cultural Revolution some time--and who knew when things might change again? Just because they were brought together and being allowed to do the opera today, doesn't been they may not be arrested and abused next week--paranoia was a natural result of living through the horror of the Cultural Revolution. So, here they were, together once again, in the roles that were the only true reality for Deiyi, and, knowing that he may never have such a moment again, he gave in to his suicidal desires and fully relinquished his identity to that of the loyal Concubine, killing himself with the sword which he had sold himself to Yuan for--it makes perfect sense to me.

[–] 14 years ago

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