Why did the movie Farewell My Concubine change the ending of the novel?

The movie adaptation of Farewell My Concubine changed the ending of the novel because the director and screenwriter of the movie felt that the ending was not perfect enough and did not match the direction of the story they wanted to present. The ending in the novel was criticized at the beginning of the film production because it was too tragic and did not match the beautiful and complicated love story between the Overlord and the Concubine in the original novel. The ending in the movie was more open and imaginative, which could better show the emotional changes and life experiences of the two actors. In addition, the film also involved more political and cultural factors such as the development of Peking opera and the social background of the late Qing Dynasty, which were not described in detail in the novel. Therefore, the director and screenwriter needed to balance these factors when adapting the ending to make the film more complete and convincing.