Directed by Chen Kaige, Farewell My Concubine (1993) explores the world of 20th-century Peking Opera amidst political upheaval. The film follows Cheng Dieyi, a male performer trained to play female roles, whose gender identity becomes deeply troubled due to intense opera training. This essay analyzes how Duan Xiaolou, Dieyi’s stage partner, contributes to Dieyi’s psychological struggles by reinforcing societal norms and symbolic order. Using Jacques Lacan’s register theory and mirror stage, along with mise-en-scène analysis, the essay examines how Xiaolou’s role as both partner and “other” shapes Dieyi’s fractured sense of self and feminine gender identity.
Kunstmuseum Den Haag, 14 Feburary - 6 June 2025