.⋆｡⋆༶⋆˙⊹
The Farewell (2019) is a film by Lulu Wang which centers on family, tradition, and identity. Billi, a Chinese-American, learns that her grandmother Nai Nai only has a few weeks to live. However, it is tradition that the family must keep her illness secret. To be together before Nai Nai’s death, the family reunites in China under the guise of a fake wedding. This white lie is a tale based on Lulu’s real life.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Farewell‘s use of darker, muted colors expresses a more somber tone. This immerses us in Billi’s point of view because while her family sees the lie built on preserving family tradition, Billi sees the lie built on suffering. The subdued colors also stay true to this nature. Deep down, it is heartbreaking to feel powerless over the death of a loved one, even more so to hide it from them.
There aren’t many variations of shots either; long, wide shots are used instead. Wang explains that they tried shooting the family as a landscape shot, because it really was a “landscape of a family”. There is also a limited use of cutting between shots. Thus, each of the character’s shift in performance feels more natural. I loved watching Awkwafina as the emotional lead! Her acting felt authentic and from-the-heart, bringing yet another layer of realism to ‘The Farewell’.
I made ‘The Farewell’ for me, for my family, and for other immigrant children, or children of immigrants, who feel caught in-between two worlds
Lulu Wang
THE ORCHID 