The Opera:
The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell(霸王别姬) tells the battle between Xiang Yu (项羽) and Liu Bang(刘邦), known as Chu–Han Contention (206-202 BC). When Xiang Yu is on the verge of total defeat, his wife Consort Yu(虞姬) committed suicide alongside Xiang Yu with his sword.
The Movie:
The film adaptation of the same name as a historical drama sets in politically tumultuous 20th-century China in five different periods: the late Qing Dynasty(1900-1912), the Republican Era (1912-1930), the Japanese occupation (1931-1945), the new people’s Republic(1949-1950s) and the Cultural Revolution(1966-1976). It chronicles the troubled relationships between two lifelong friends, the Peking opera actors Cheng Dieyi (程蝶衣) and Duan Xiaolou (段小楼), and Xiaolou’s wife Juxian (菊仙).
“The film examines the survival of traditional art forms like Peking opera amidst political turmoil, with the Peking opera presenting as both a cultural foundation and a site of personal conflict.”