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To Live Reviews
To Live (»î×Ĺ) is an incredible drama and a reverent historical portrait of life throughout modern Chinese history. This film rivals (and exceeds) its American counterpart in every way. Fugui and Jiazhen's lives sear themselves deeply itself into our minds and hearts. Truly, this film is an instant classic.
This movie was simply perfection...dark yet beautiful and full of gems
If I had a nickel for every highly regarded, early-90s, Chinese-language film following a few select individuals through decades of social and political tumult using traditional puppetry as a major motif, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice (it's Hou Hsiao-hsien's 1993 film, The Puppetmaster, for the curious). To Live is one of a surprisingly substantial contingent of epic films to have been released in the final decade of the 20th century chronicling the development of Chinese history from the traditionalism of the Republic through the chaos and nationalism of the Great Leap Forward, alongside highly acclaimed works like The Blue Kite and Farewell My Concubine. This movement seems to have been the result of an increasingly relaxed atmosphere as China became more influential on the global stage and a generation of filmmakers that had been raised in the tumult came into the resources to get such projects up and running. However, virtually all were formally rebuffed in China itself, raking in awards abroad as the Communist Party rejected all historical criticism by banning the films from distribution and spreading hate against their messaging. Director Zhang Yimou submitted the film to Cannes without government approval and reaped th recognition, but it was 'dangerous' thematic touches and what was perceived as anti-state behavior that saw ambitious projects like these quashed in years to come as censorship came back into play. As a part of a larger, historically reflective film movement, To Live is not particularly unique in its criticism of the blind idolatry of the Communist movement or the policies that ignored actual human well-being in the name of political goals. However, it does present them in a particularly convincing way, developing a familial bond with evolving characters and using a story that allows them to express their flaws or misconceptions rather than to simply be virtuous vessels adrift on a Forrest Gump-esque stream of historical events. While the narrative may lean toward tragedy frequently to express the danger of the political instability that they endure through, there is plenty of genuine tenderness and sincerity to given them a sense of authenticity and care, glimmers of happiness and resilience despite the crushing weight of change that overlooks their suffering. In my opinion, one of the best of its kind, as a human-focused film that runs contrary to the Party line of the mid-20th century. (4/5)
You want to understand more about China and Chinese communism? This is the film you should see. It shows the struggles of one family through the Chinese Civil War, The Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution, and beyond. Each of these periods had their own horrors; but of all of these, The Cultural Revolution was the worst. "Out WIth the Olds and In WIth the News" was a major motto of The Cultural Revolution; which sounds like a good idea at first. But if you consider for a moment allowing all your college students to run everything in the country, you will soon realize that this is a concept of complete madness. The film shows us this madness in painstaking form. Hospitals without doctors; universities without professors; young people running everything; complete chaos. Zhang Yimou, the greatest director in the history of Chinese film, and one of the greatest of all directors from all countries, was a master with the camera; and he captures all of the misery that China went through during these decades. Gong Li, the greatest Chinese actress of all time, who would go on to make several other gems for Zhang, gives an Academy Award-level performance, as does the male lead, Ge You. This is one of best half-dozen films ever made in China. Don't miss it.
The mood of the movie is highly self-control,inviting the audiences to immerse together.No one had choise to change ,only they can do is to accept ,accept the fate ,the others ,accept everything.The most touching scene is Jia Zhen facing the whole process of her daughter,she is helpless ,she is hopeless ,she is collapsed .
A damning indictment of Maoist China through the eyes of one family beset by the tragedy of his ideological zeal. Hard to find any copies to watch but there are at least two versions on YouTube that I was grateful for as had wanted to watch for quite a long time. It's nothing too original in terms of film making but it's a well made expos¨¦ of this particular time and place in history.
The movie that began my admiration for Chinese cinema. It's a beautiful and historically accurate portrayal of a family's struggle to survive turbulent economic and political times. The acting is superb.
If the movie made my tear up, if the movie made my throat choke, and if the movie kept me thinking about for a whole week then it deserves a 6/5. We must always honor the victims and learn from history's past mistakes.
To Live is a sprawling family epic spanning decades, but never feeling reductive. It depicts a striking and human view of the horrors of socialism and the frightening reality of left-wing mob rule, where anything you say can be misconstrued and you can be put up against a wall for any imagined reason. Beautiful and charming movie overall, despite the tragic events the family suffers.
Epic history of 20th century China. If you don't know much about recent Chinese history, this is a good place to get an overview. This film actually had tears welling up for me, something that rarely happens!
Interesting movie that gives a glimpse of what life was like in Maoist China. Li Gong plays the wife of a family that lives through the Communist revolution in 1949 to the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s.
One of the BEST Chinese Movies i have ever seen. All the ICS rolled in to one. Very romantic and very traumatic, very dramatic. Seeing how a Family struggled from being cheated of their place in their culture to the cultural revolution in all of it's horrors to living through it with the well meaning stupid revolutionaries. What a very great story of three generations living through those changes and surviving.
To Live was well worth Zhang and Li's two-year ban on future collaborations due to its simple story line that both captures and encompasses the most profound realities of life during arguably the greatest controversial times in Chinese history. Zhang weaves a brilliant tale following a meek, impoverished husband and wife as they walk their committed way through the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s whereupon enduring the hidden cruelties and misconceptions of communism: sacrificing belongings, death of their young son in a work accident, and the death of their daughter during child labor without proper medical care. Although Ge You and Gong Li point their heavy laden and calloused fingers at the initial transgressors responsible for the deaths of their children, Zhang causes us to ponder through their story the simplest and most profound realities of Chinese life at this point in time. Perhaps after all they are the victims fallen prey to the truly evil monster of communism that will take absolutely everything from you-including your loved ones when you think cannot give anymore; Communism replies, "Oh yes, you in fact can." Nevertheless, Zhang and Li are able to transcend politics at the closing, drawing the audience in closer to the sheer tenacity of ordinary people in the midst of chaos. Overall, the movie was touching, thought provoking, and realistically depicting a minor glimpse into the horror many families likely experienced during the ten years of terror. I imagine the movie sparked backlash and embarrassment, however brought a breath of fresh air by acknowledging the wrongdoings of Mao and through exposure of the truths of communism; an ideology such as this is never as it is portrayed to be. Despite the slew of tragedies and sadness that ensued, the steadfast husband and wife stand as a symbol of undying perseverance that, at the end of the day and through it all, it is worthwhile to live. What a message of hope and testimony this must have been to the Chinese left in ruins unable to see the sunshine found right behind the clouds that it is never to late to live.
This movie is sheer brilliance. There is no mawkish sentimentality, no epiphanies or grand heroics. Yet, it moves in a profound manner, by revealing in small doses, the quiet strength and resilience of the characters through straightforward story telling. A must watch.
Absolutely touching film that highlights the struggles of citizens who live during the transitional times of an empire rich in history.
Never lingering too long or too short on a single event, we, like the characters are forced to move on as their lives must. Experiencing sadness, experiencing joy, every event of the film seems to be balanced by a more or less equal and opposite event, and every action of the characters is counterbalanced with its respective consequence. To Live is thought provoking and moving, contemplative and beautiful, another great from Zhang Yimou.
Hollywood needs to remake this and set it in present-day America. Give me credit though.