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Summary: An expertly-realised episode of China's history
Review: Ge plays a gambler who ends up losing everything including his family and only gets them back after he cleans up his act during which the turbulent transition from feudal China to the People's Republic which comes into being in 1949. Then it becomes a film about family togetherness, life and death and life, hardship, suspicion, and change. Ge is spot-on as the husband/father, as is Gong Li as his wife, Jiazhen. Many films have and continue to be made about the Communist takeover and this is definitely one the finest. Chinese people may not want to be reminded of this stuff but to outsiders it's a well-constructed strongly-acted epic about an important episode in Chinese history and a good exposé on the Chinese character. Long in duration but certainly worth the effort.
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Summary: An illustration of a will to live/survive
Review: To Live takes place mid century in China just after the second world war. The story line follows the Xu family and the hardships that befalls them.It illustrates to what lengths people had to adapt and convert to in order to survive under Communist rule (especially during the cultural revolution). Old friends and even family had to form divisive lines between themselves in order to save themselves from possible prosecution. The acting and the interactions of the three main protagonists Li Gong, You Ge and Deng Fei are masterful and stirring. To Live is as good a film representing that time period as any other. Definitely on the same plateau as Farewell My Concubine
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Summary: This movie is the best
Review: This is the best Gong Li movie. After watching this movie, I became an instant Gong Li fan. A word of warning. The emotions run high in this movie, and it will depress the hell out of you.
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Summary: An essential picture of recent China
Review: This is the best Chinese film I've ever seen... and one of the best films, period. While telling the story of an ordinary family trying to survive, we get an intimate view of a chaotic and surreal period in Chinese history: the 1940s-60s. Tragic, maddening, and bewildering...yet told in an compelling and understated manner with a surprising(?) lack of bitterness. Well worth whatever effort it takes to find or watch it.
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Summary: A Vivid Reflection of the Tumultuous Period of China
Review: To live, an inalienable right of human beings that sounds so basic, one could easily take it for granted. However, during most of the time in this century in China, to live could be nothing less than a luxury. The movie presents the audience a vivid picture of a former gambling addict, who lost every penny his family ever owned and, to his abyss, his family. One would not expect this mishap could save his life several decades later, when those financially privileged were executed as the people's enemies by the new government under the leadership of Chairman Mao. He fought for the Nationalist government, became POW shortly after. He then served in the communist PLA, entertaining the staff as a master of shadow play. The civil war ended, the country was split, while his wife and two children came back to him. He thought it was time for peace, after so many years of warfare ranging from the revolution against the emperor to the Sino-Japanese War to the civil war. Like most Chinese, he felt that he could finally stand up. To his disappointment, since the foundation of the People's Republic of China, he witnessed the Great Leap Forward, the class struggle, the Culture Revolution. Years of turmoil chattered all his dreams. His only goal became downgraded to living a simple life. He spared no effort to protect his family, but still lost his only son. It took a quarter century after the civil war before he saw the long overdue peace. When the notorious Culture Revolution was over, there also disappeared the people's euphoria about the communism, as symbolized by the striking contrast in the different answers to the same question about the future of their family. "Chicken, goose, goat, cow and the communism" was replaced by just "chicken, goose, goat and cow". For countless Chinese, their bitterly learned lessons gradually alienated them from their government that they used to love and trust. To Live is an excellent movie! It takes courage to show people the real picture of the past. For China, To Live could be a vaccine against more merciless class struggle and blind loyalty towards a self-claimed savor.
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Summary: Subtlety in the Midst of Drama
Review: "Huozhe" is one of my favorite movies. It tells two stories, the story of a family and the story of a nation, with incredible sensitivity and precision. On one level, this is the story of an aging family. Their experiences, while at times painful to watch, make the viewer keenly aware of how precious life is, even in the most difficult of times. On another level, "To Live" is the story of the Cultural Revolution. This story is told without overtly taking sides. One one hand, characters are sometimes sympathetic to the Communists' goals, but their loyalty suffers when they encounter tragedies caused by too-high goals run amok. It really helped me better understand the Cultural Revolution on a human level, something I had previously found very difficult. I highly reccomend this film for history classes.
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Summary: Absolute Perfection
Review: This is a movie that stays with you for years. I have never seen a film that touched me so deeply. This is one that makes you think..on so many levels. You walk away from this movie, forever changed, forever grateful. I say this and it has been at least three years since I have seen it. It still moves me every time I think of it.
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Summary: A History of China from 1945 to 1976
Review: This is one of the best movies you will ever watch. Told from the point of view of a family, To Live is really a history of China from the end of WWII to the Cultural Revolution. This film is brilliant.
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Summary: Classic Movie
Review: Simply put, this is one of the best films I have ever seen
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Summary: When will they release the DVD?
Review: I can not wait to have a copy of this movie in DVD format. Any suggestion on how to let them know about the market demand?
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