Color and Symbolism in films by Chen Kaige

-- Comparative analysis of Yellow Earth (1984) and Farewell, My

Concubine (1993)

Both depictions of tragedy, Yellow Earth (1984) and Farewell, My

Concubine (1993) embody spectacular cinematography that succeeds to
capture the attention of the viewers in many ways. Out of all the different
techniques used, Chen Kaige uses color and symbolism to communicate
key concepts of his films to the audience, as well as to reinforce
characterization. These two devices are used in different ways in the two
films. While color contrast and object symbolism in Farewell convey the
theme of dream and reality, they function to emphasize the
characteristics of gender in Chinese society of the era depicted in Yellow
Earth.
Chen creates a world of dream and fantasy in Farewell with the use
of vivid colors for Peking Opera-related objects, notably costumes. Bright
shades of pink, flamboyant red, and shining yellow are observed on most
of the costumes during shows on stage as well as when they are on racks
offstage. These are in stark contrast to the dark shades of gray, blue,
brown and black worn by men including Dieyi and Xiaolou offstage. Even
Dieyis admirer, the extremely wealthy Yuan Shiqing does not ever wear
bright colors. It is therefore apparent that Chen employs such color
contrast to show a sharply distinguished difference between stage and
real life. Also, when Opera shows are put on, the audience seats are
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almost always casted in the dark, and bright lighting is casted onto the
stage. This makes the viewer again very aware of the fact that it is a
performance and is therefore unreal. However, the slightly softened lens
on shots of Dieyi onstage as Yu Ji underlines that he is in his dream world,
and highlights the incomparableness of the Opera world to him and that
he lives within it. This is supported by the fact that he takes his life upon
realization that he had been living in a dream, which will be discussed in
the usage of symbolism. Furthermore, it can be seen that colors are used
to represent desires of the characters, the worlds they idealize
themselves in. In the early scene where Dieyis fellow apprentice Xiao
Laizi attempts to run away from the opera troupe, Laizi is attracted by the
kites held by children playing right outside of the troupe houses doors.
There is one shot of the screen filled with the bright colors of the kites,
which were in shapes of swallows which here symbolize freedom, and the
lens is again softened. As it did for Dieyi, this color imagery serves to
represent the world Laizi dreams to be in, the ability to fly away from the
opera troupe, and play like all children do.
Color is also masterfully employed in Yellow Earth, in which the color
red is called attention to. In the opening scene of a wedding, red sashes
are tied onto the bodies of all members of the parade, as well as on their
musical instruments (Yau, 1987-88). The female protagonist Cui Qiao can
easily be spotted by her red garment, which stands out amongst the
crowd of men all wearing dark colors. Red no doubt symbolizes femininity,
and it is not hard to see that it is greatly emphasized, for Cui Qiao wears it
throughout the entire film. By having her continuously wear this symbol of

her sexuality, Chen stresses her announcement of her yearning of

freedom from the suppression put upon her sex in the world that she lives
in. Her last act of drowning herself in the Yellow River after her wedding, in
which she is still wearing red, is her last protest against the feudal
suppression of women. Unlike in Farewell, the color imagery very much
focuses on darkness and shadows. Most noticeable use of this is scenes
inside Cui Qiaos house. The frequent silences accompanied by the
sometimes entirely shadowed face of Cui Qiaos father suggest the
overshadowing of feudal concepts and ethical codes upon this house,
represented by this good-natured but unenlightened man, and the silent
subjugation and resistance of women (Yau, 1987-88). The latter is
supported by the juxtaposition of silent scenes inside the house and Cui
Qiao singing outside by the River. The viewers can easily detect this and
be evoked to feel pathos for her.
Closely related to color, symbolism is also used in representing
sexuality in Yellow Earth. According to Daoism, the sun, fire, and sky are
male, Yang, and the moon, water and earth are female, Yin (Zhong, 1981).
Therefore, in the film, they are utilized as symbols of masculinity and
femininity, respectively. Long shots used to create vast images of the sky,
the brightness in it indicating the overpowering presence of the sun,
symbolize dominance of men, patriarchy in Chinese feudal society. In Cui
Qiaos house, it is the flames from the candle, the only source of light,
which symbolizes Cui Qiaos fathers authority in the house. Contrastively,
dark imagery of the moon and water of the Yellow River, scenes in which
Cui Qiao is often the dominant figure, underlines that women live in

societys shadows, supported by the fact that no female character

appears in the light throughout the film whilst men dominate shots in
brightness. The greatest message conveyed through symbolism in this
film is the drought that kills the crops. Since it is the overpowering sun
that devastates the earth, the yin yang symbolism here suggests that the
male suppression of women will lead to devastation of the former.
Furthermore, the Chinese acknowledges the Yellow River as the Mother
River of China. The lack of attention to the River by men in the film
suggests that women are forgotten in this feudal society, just as water is
never added to the Plateau and Cui Qiao is the only character that fetches
water from the River. Such depictions may contribute to political meaning
as well as an artistic one.
Symbolism is conveyed through knives and swords in Farewell.
Towards the beginning of the film, Dieyis mother cuts off his extra finger
in order to get him into the opera troupe. However, this also symbolizes a
severing of ties between the mother and son. When his mother first took
him to see the troupe master, Dieyis hands were wrapped inside a pink
silk garment. The covering here is as way of concealing the truth about his
hands. The bright color imagery mentioned above is noticeable here,
again highlighting a faade, something unreal. The concept of covering is
repeatedly used to symbolize protection throughout the film. As children,
Xiaolou and Dieyis acts of covering clothing garments on each other
foreshadow their mutual protection of the other person. Xiaolous covering
clothing on his wife Juxian at the brothel where he saved her also
symbolizes his protection of her from then onwards. Interestingly, Dieyis

letting his stage robe fall to the ground when Juxian tries to cover him with
it shows his denial of any relationship with her. Through this action, Dieyi
rejects Juxians evident pitying of him and her desire to mother him, seen
in the scene where she takes him into her arms and cradles him as if he
was a baby when he is trying to quit opium. Finally, in the climactic
moment at the end of the film, Dieyi takes the sword from Xiaolous belt,
the very sword that symbolizes their ties with each other and the success
and fame that they achieved together, and uses it to kill himself. It can be
read that Dieyi symbolically severs the ties between him and Xiaolou, but
it would also seem logical to argue that on the contrary, he is actually
stating that he cannot be separated from him in mind, as he is emulating
Yu Jis show of fidelity towards the King, proving his devotion to Xiaolou
even when he knows that his dream is shattered by Xiaolous reminding of
him that he is a man in reality. Nevertheless, it can be claimed that from
the moment this sword appeared on screen and was held by the hands of
these two brothers, a break off was foreshadowed.
Through comparison of the two films Yellow Earth (1984) and
Farewell, My Concubine (1993), it can be seen that Chen Kaige employs
color and symbolism to express the sufferings of women under a
patriarchal feudal society in the former, and the longings of characters
and severing of bonds in latter. Such meticulously crafted cinematography
serves as a gateway for communication between the filmmaker and the
educated viewer.

Bibliography:

Yau, E. C. M. (1987-88). Yellow Earth: Western Analysis and a Non-Western

Text. Film Quarterly 41(2): 22-33.
Zhong, B. (1981). A Stroll in Aesthetics (80-113). Shanghai: The Peoples
Press.