Sense of Identity in the Film, Farewell my Concubine

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Sense of Identity in the Film, Farewell my Concubine
Farewell my concubine is a film produced in the year 1993 and was directed by Chen Kaige. It was released in Shanghai in July 1993. The principal actors of the film are Dieyi and Xiaolou who became friends after joining the opera schoolCITATION Lor14 \p 9 \l 1033 (Lorenz 9). The film explores the effects of the mid-20th century political turmoil in China. It focuses on its effects on the lives of families, individuals and the social groups that existed in China. Dieyi and Xiaolou are also affected by the turmoil. The scene that I chose in the film is the one that occurs at the beginning when Douzi is left at an opera school by his mother who is a prostitute. The scene has been chosen as it is the one that marks the development of the theme of identity by Douzi also referred to as Dieyi. My argument in the paper is that friends can help us discover our sense of identity and the society can affect our lives when one is in the public sphere, but the most important thing is that you need to be principled and lead your life.
After joining the school, Douzi became friends with Shitou, and they spend their childhood learning various games such as acrobatics, dances, and songs. The songs that they learnt are later used in the opera. Through meeting Shitou, Douzi can feel appreciated and develop the sense of belonging. It is also during this time that he begins to learn more about himself which is interpreted as discovery of personal identity. In life or in the community that we live in, some people cannot identify themselves. Such people are the ones who engage in intake of drugs or other activities that make them lose conscious. Perhaps, if Douzi would have remained in the brothel with the mother, he would not have developed a sense of his personal identity as he could have been influenced into bad habits by his mother. He managed to uniquely create an identity that is not defined by his family background.
In the film, Deiyi, given that he acted in the opera, he lived his public life as an artist. There is a great challenge in separating the role that he plays in real life especially the distinction between his real sex and the one that he plays in the opera. In this case, the impact of the societal forces can be felt in the life of a person who is prominent. When one becomes prominent, there are things that the people don’t expect you to engage. It may take time for someone to adjust to the expectations of the society or community where you come from. However, one of the most important things to be remembered is that one should not try to be someone else but instead be themselves.
The society that we stay in plays a vital role in the decisions that we make in our lives...